I stared at them, wide-eyed. No words came.
I turned to Frederick.
He frowned, giving me a look that said just do it. Don't make this awkward. "It's a dessert. How hard can it be? Does the whole family have to bend to your every whim?"
I said nothing. When it was clear I wasn't going to give in, Agatha kept up her sweet act and pushed some of the other dishes toward me.
Then she flashed a sly little grin and locked eyes with Frederick. A subtle nod passed between them. Frederick could smell the mango, but he picked up his chopsticks and started loading food onto my plate anyway.
"If you can't manage the dessert, at least eat something. It's your family's way of showing love. We're all together for once. Just humor them."
The passive aggression was impossible to miss. Before I could react, Frederick lifted a piece of food to my mouth and pushed it in.
The moment it hit my throat, I gagged and spat it out. Mango fibers. My skin flushed red almost instantly, hives blooming across my arms. My breathing turned shallow and ragged.
Just as I'd expected. An allergic reaction.