career implosion. He was sullen and resentful, while Debra was a walking storm of def

n on my profession, who enabled his wife's every destru

rn was

l-time status. He had been courting a major real estate developer, a man named Mr. Harrison, for mon

o be a dinner at their

ne uncharacteristically serious. "This is important. Mr. Harrison has a nut allergy. A

aid, offended. "I'm not an idiot,

for a recipe book. I overheard their co

, flipping through a home-and-garden magazine. I sat d

one casual, "I was just reading an article

e loved anything that sounded

allergies are just a result of our overly sanitized lifestyles. They say you can actually cure t

on't know enough about holistic medicine to help p

lit up. The b

ic medicine, Jennifer. That's just common sense! I know all about that. It

allow her to admit ignoranc

ning surprise. "Wow. Yo

eening. "You just have to

cooking. She had made her signature dishes: a creamy mushroom soup, a ro

laugh. Anthony was a nervous wreck, hovering ove

Harrison was charmed by Deb

divine," he said after his first

e glowing with pride.

said. "But I did add a little somet

o his mouth. Matthew looked up from his p

watching the scene unfold li

filled with smug benevolence. "And I thought, that poor man. I have

mile faltered. "

sh!" she announced proudly. "Just a tiny bit! You can't even taste i

ilence fell o

against the porcelain bowl. He started to gasp, his hands flying to his throa

into anaphy

ony screamed at Debra, his

s phone, his hands sha

rpose. I ran to Mr. Harrison's side.

ound the auto-injector, and jammed it into his thig

f professional efficiency in the midst of our chaos

urvi

just suing them for medical damages. He was suing them fo

a settlement of t

be ruined. And it was a