"Quick, eat this egg." Linden's mother peeled it and fed it to Phoenix Golding.
Phoenix Golding gobbled it down so fast she nearly bit her mother's fingers. She hadn't eaten an egg in a very long time.
"Slow down, don't choke. Did that little beast not cook again?" Linden's mother's heart ached. She never could have imagined her once-prosperous daughter would end up like this.
Phoenix Golding devoured the egg in a few bites and drank a glass of water. She felt a little better, but she was still hungry. A gnawing emptiness clawed at her stomach, a craving for something substantial. She asked urgently, "Are there any more eggs?"
Linden's mother sighed. "Where would I get more? I had to sneak this one away right from under your sister-in-law's nose. I have no say in this house anymore; your sister-in-law's in charge now."
