Chapter 2 - I Pretended Not To Suspect—And Found The Truth Hiding In My Own Kitchen**
I smiled at Vanessa like I had seen nothing.
“Just a little tired,” I said, or at least I thought I said it loud enough.
The ringing was back, louder than ever.
She slipped her arm through mine and led me back inside.
“Then let’s get you something to eat,” she said. “You’ll feel better.”
I let her guide me through the crowd.
Everyone smiled.
Everyone congratulated us.
And all I could think about was Lily’s small, trembling hands signing medicine in your food.
That night, Vanessa brought me a plate of pasta and a cup of her special herbal tea.
The same tea she had been making me every night for four months.
The same tea she said would help with my stress.
I sat at the table, watching her watch me.
Her eyes were bright.
Attentive.
Too attentive.
“I’m not very hungry,” I said, pushing the plate away slightly.
“My stomach hurts a little.”
Vanessa’s smile faltered, just for a second.
“Poor baby,” she said, reaching across the table to touch my hand.
“Should I make you something lighter?”
“No, thank you,” I said. “I think I’ll just go to bed early.”
I stood up, kissed her on the cheek, and walked toward the stairs.
When I reached the top, I glanced back.
She was standing by the table, staring at the uneaten pasta, her face twisted into an expression I had never seen before.
Cold.
Calculating.
Angry.
I slipped into our bedroom and closed the door.
My hands were shaking.
I had to know if Lily was telling the truth.
The next morning, Vanessa left early to meet with the wedding planner.
The moment her car pulled out of the driveway, I went down to the kitchen.
Nora, Lily’s mother, was wiping down the counters.
She looked up when I walked in, her eyes widening with fear.
“Mr. Mercer—Ethan—I didn’t hear you come in. Can I get you anything?”
I closed the kitchen door behind me.
“Nora,” I said, keeping my voice low and gentle.
“I need you to tell me the truth. About Vanessa. About Lily.”
Her face went pale.
“I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
I leaned against the counter, making sure I didn’t look threatening.
“Lily signed something to me at the party last night. She told me Vanessa is putting medicine in my food. Is that true?”
Tears immediately filled Nora’s eyes.
She looked toward the door, terrified.
“I can’t… she’ll fire me. I have nowhere else to go. Lily needs this job. We need this job.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you or Lily,” I said.
“I promise you that. But I need to know the truth. Please, Nora.”
She hesitated, then broke down crying.
She covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking.
“I saw her,” she whispered finally.
“Three or four times now. Late at night, when she thinks no one is around. She takes a small bottle from her purse and drops something into your tea. Into your dinner. I didn’t know what it was at first. I thought maybe it was just vitamins, something to help you sleep. But then Lily saw her too. And your hearing… it started getting worse right after she began making that tea for you.”
She looked up at me, her eyes full of guilt and fear.
“I wanted to say something. I tried. But she threatened me. Said she would make sure I never worked again. Said she would take Lily away from me if I told anyone. I’m so sorry, Mr. Mercer. I’m so sorry I didn’t have the courage to speak up sooner.”
My blood ran cold.
It was true.
The woman I was going to marry was slowly poisoning me.
I walked over to Nora and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I said softly.
“You were trying to protect your daughter. I understand that. And I’m going to protect both of you now. I promise.”
I went to the pantry where Vanessa kept her special tea.
I took one of the unopened boxes, and I scraped a small sample of the powder from the tin she used every night.
I put them in sealed plastic bags and slipped them into my pocket.
Then I called the one person I trusted more than anyone else in the world.
My old college roommate, David, who was now a forensic toxicologist.
“David,” I said when he answered the phone.
“I need you to test something for me. Immediately. And I need you to keep this between us.”
“Ethan?” he said, hearing the tension in my voice.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?”
May you like
“I will be,” I said.
“Once I know what’s in these samples.”
