…because while they celebrated their victory, I was already planning their downfall. As Patricia and Ethan busied themselves with final preparations for their guests, I set my own silent trap.
Despite the chain, I had access to the entire kitchen—a space I knew intimately after years of hosting under Patricia’s demanding eye. I knew which floorboard creaked, which cabinet door stuck, and which spices were always kept in stock. And I knew exactly how to turn this Thanksgiving celebration into a nightmare they wouldn’t forget.
I started with the turkey. As I prepared the brine, I added a hefty dose of ghost pepper extract—an ingredient I’d quietly bought online weeks earlier, anticipating its use in a spicy dish for myself. Ghost peppers are one of the hottest in the world, and even a drop could induce tears and coughing fits. In larger amounts, they could cause chaos.
