After our parents died, I became the only person my 6-year-old twin brothers had left. My fiancé loves them like his own — but his mother hates them with a fury I never saw coming. I didn't realize how far she'd go until the day she crossed an unforgivable line. Three months ago, my parents died in a house fire. I woke up that night with heat crackling against my skin and smoke everywhere. I crawled to my bedroom door, pressing my hand against it. Over the roaring fire, I heard my six-year-old twin brothers calling for help. I had to save them! I remember wrapping a shirt around the doorknob to open the door, but after that — nothing. I pulled my brothers out of the fire myself My brain blanked out the details. All I remember is the aftermath: standing outside with Caleb and Liam clinging to me as the firefighters fought to control the flames. Our lives changed forever that night. Looking after my brothers became my priority. I don't know how I would've coped if it were...
For most of us, food is about nourishment, taste, and enjoyment. But for millions around the world, a simple meal can turn deadly. Would you eat something that could kill you? For most people, food is about nourishment but across the world, certain foods come with a real risk of death – yet people continue to eat them. Let’s take a look at 10 of the most dangerous foods on the planet and why people still eat them. Cyanide-laced staple Cassava might look like an innocent tuber, but its roots and leaves contain cyanogenic glycosides, which break down into cyanide when consumed raw or improperly processed. This can lead to cyanide poisoning, causing goiters, paralysis, and death. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cassava poisoning kills about 200 people a year, earning the root vegetable the title of “world’s deadliest food.” Though it’s risky, cassava is a lifeline to over 800 million people in approximately 80 countries, WHO reports. It’s drought-resistant, easy to...