George had been so fired up earlier that he hadn't really paid attention. Now that he picked up the "secret recipe" again and actually read it, he saw the note at the top:
The beef must come from a calf less than one year old, born in September and slaughtered in May.
And that was just the beginning. The recipe listed several other equally ridiculous requirements.
As George kept reading, his face darkened by the second. In the end, he crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the trash, grumbling angrily, "Damn it. I knew it. She's never thought much of me. I was never really family to her."
There's an old saying: the bigger the hope, the harder the disappointment.
This time, George was genuinely hurt.
"George, don't be like that. Mom isn't that kind of person," Mary said, trying to calm him down. "She was probably just teasing you… I'll talk to her again and ask her to give you the real recipe."
"No need. I don't want it," George snapped, still fuming. "You guys are the real family. Don't worry about how an outsider like me feels."
"Please don't say that, George…" Mary tried to keep comforting him.
Just then, a red mini sports car pulled up outside the Coopers' yard.
"Hello, Mary! George!"
Pastor Jeff leaned halfway out of the passenger-side window and waved with a grin. "What are you guys cooking? I could smell it from miles away."
Mary, a devout Christian, immediately grew a little more reserved when she saw Pastor Jeff. She smiled politely and replied, "We're having a picnic. There's still some barbecue left—would you like to try some?"
Christian rules are generally pretty relaxed. Eating meat is fine, alcohol is allowed in moderation, and even smoking isn't strictly forbidden.
That said, in some regions, churches ban smoking outright under the reasoning that "smoking is harmful to health."
Thankfully, the local church didn't have that rule—largely because Pastor Jeff himself was easygoing.
"Thanks, but no," Pastor Jeff said with a smile. "We already ate at a restaurant."
"Oh, really?" Mary replied. "That's a shame."
Although the Cooper family lived next door to Pastor Jeff, out of respect for his position, Mary rarely bothered him privately. As a result, the two families weren't especially close.
Now, even though Mary wanted to chat a bit more, she couldn't think of anything to say.
An awkward silence settled over the yard.
Under normal circumstances, Pastor Jeff should've taken the hint and left.
Instead, he kept smiling, quietly watching the Coopers eat.
Just as the atmosphere was about to hit peak awkwardness, Pastor Jeff finally spoke again, clearly grasping for something to say. "George, today's football game was great. And Mike, Little George—you both did an amazing job…"
"Thanks," George replied half-heartedly.
His mind was still stuck on the barbecue recipe.
Mike nodded as well, but his attention wasn't on Pastor Jeff. Instead, his eyes drifted to the woman standing beside him—the one in the red dress.
This was the first time Mike had ever seen Pastor Jeff's new wife.
She wore a low-cut red evening gown, her skin so pale it almost looked bloodless.
Her figure was curvy and seductive, easily on par with Amy's. But compared to her body, it was her presence that stood out most—she gave off an unmistakably cold aura.
When she noticed Mike looking at her, the woman offered a flawless smile.
Beneath her carefully done makeup, her eyes were alluring and full of charm.
By any standard, she was a striking woman. And yet, for some reason, Mike felt deeply uneasy around her.
His instincts warned him that this sense of danger was all too familiar—the last time he'd felt it was around Jennifer.
Not wanting to draw attention, Mike lowered his head and continued eating. Still, an odd smell drifted past his nose, making him frown.
It was hard to describe—like the stench of a long-dead rat rotting in a sewer.
…
Meanwhile, Pastor Jeff kept making awkward small talk, showing no sign of leaving.
Mary finally spoke up, "Pastor Jeff, is there something you need help with?"
"Uh—"
Caught out, Pastor Jeff awkwardly adjusted his tie. "Well, here's the thing. This weekend, the church is planning an outdoor retreat—a picnic for the congregation. But Aunt Susan, who usually handles logistics, hasn't been feeling well and might not be able to make it. So…"
Aunt Susan, officially speaking, was Pastor Jeff's secretary. In reality, she was more like the church's all-purpose helper.
For a church picnic, she'd normally be in charge of cooking.
Mary immediately understood what he was getting at and said with interest, "If Susan really can't go, I could help out."
"That would be wonderful," Pastor Jeff said, clearly relieved. "Don't worry, Mary. You'd only need to prepare some food. It's pretty simple."
"No problem," Mary promised. "I'll bring my mom too. Her secret barbecue recipe is amazing—I guarantee everyone will love it."
Unaware of what she'd just done, Mary failed to notice George's expression darken even further when she mentioned Grandma Connie and the barbecue.
With his goal accomplished, Pastor Jeff smiled and said goodbye to the Cooper family.
Then he turned to his wife. "Selena, let's go."
"Alright," Selena replied. Before leaving, she cast one last lingering glance at Mike, who still had his head down, then drove off.
Once the car was out of sight, Little George excitedly whispered to Mike, "Did you see her? She was so hot. Way more attractive than the girls at school. Pastor Jeff is seriously lucky…"
Compared to Pastor Jeff's average looks, Selena was undeniably stunning.
And a beautiful, married woman had an almost lethal appeal to a teenage boy like Little George.
"Little George, don't talk about people behind their backs. That's very rude," Mary said firmly. As a devout Christian, she was already lost in thoughts about the upcoming church work and immediately shut him down.
Seeing his mom's stern expression, Little George pouted and didn't dare say another word.
Not long after, while the family gathering was still technically ongoing, Mary began enthusiastically planning the church work. Soon after, she hurried back to her room to prepare for the weekend.
It was obvious she took this temporary church duty very seriously.
With Mary gone, the family picnic officially came to an end.
As the kids gradually left, only George remained in the backyard, staring at the grill, drinking, and zoning out.
On his way back, Mike couldn't stop thinking about the woman in the red dress. Experience told him she was anything but ordinary.
After giving it some thought, he decided to keep observing for now. If she wasn't a threat, there was no need to stir up trouble.
He knew very well that he was still growing up, with a bright future ahead. There was no reason to get involved in dangerous things so early in life.
Setting those thoughts aside, Mike pushed open the door to Grandma Connie's house.
Inside the living room, Grandma Connie was lounging sideways on the couch. The moment she saw Mike, she perked up and hurried over, gossip lighting up her face.
"So? After I left, was George totally miserable? Come on, tell me everything…"
From the look of things, Grandma Connie had definitely been messing with her son-in-law on purpose.