After 32 years of a tender, respectful marriage, Colleen lost her husband and slowly faded into grief. When she eventually met Raymond, a charming college professor who made her laugh again, her daughter Matilda was relieved. Maybe now, her mother wouldn’t feel so alone.But six months into the marriage, Matilda visited—and saw the cracks. Her mother, pale and exhausted, whispered apologies for not cooking “fresh” meals. When she reheated lasagna one night,
Raymond exploded. He hurled the dish to the ground, calling leftovers unworthy of a “real man” and berating her for being a lazy wife.Matilda didn’t argue. She cooked. For days, she served gourmet meals that Raymond,