“Who said I couldn’t eat anymore? This is my favorite dish. I’d jump at the chance to eat it—why wouldn’t I be able to?”

I pushed his hand away and stuffed that tempting piece of bacon into my mouth. I chewed a couple of times, but I couldn’t even tell if it was salty or bland. That once intoxicating flavor was gone without a trace. I forced myself to swallow it—only to find that doing so was even harder than spitting it out.

Was it me who had changed, or had this dish lost its flavor?

I struggled to swallow. The seemingly delicious bacon stuck to my throat. I didn’t...