Liah's pov
At the Einstein's mansion,
After preparing the potato soup, I helped serve the food and set the table.
"Wow Liah, I never knew you were such a good cook. I hope you can cook for me another time" Mrs Martins complimented me. My ears turned red at her compliment and I couldn't stop the silly grin that came on my face.
"Thanks for the compliment auntie and I would love to cook for you again" I said and looked at Dylan who smiled at me.
Few minutes later, Mrs Martins started coughing profusely, Dylan quickly stood up and handed her a cup of water but she couldn't stop coughing even after drinking the water. Looking closely, we noticed her eyes turned red with red bumps appearing on her white skin. Admist the coughing she suddenly fainted. The sight was so alarming.
"Mom what's wrong. Auntie Jane call the doctor, now" Dylan shouted and carried his unconscious mother to the sofa in the living room.
"Oh my, what could have happened? How did Auntie turn this way?" Sophie asked with both of her hands covering her lips and a shocked look on her face. I looked at Auntie whose condition have gotten worse, with the red bumps so visible now. She was fine few minutes ago, what happened suddenly.
Soon the doctor arrived and checked her before turning to look at us with a stern face
" Did she consume anything she's allergic to? This is an allergic reaction and if not treated immediately could lead to her death" he said.
" Please doctor, just treat her immediately, please" Dylan begged with tears in his eyes. This is the first time I've seen him this way and I felt as if my heart was being pierced with a thousand needles.
"I need some space. Please take her to her room for treatment" the doctor said. Dylan quickly picked up his mother and carried her to the room before coming back out.
"The only thing Mrs Martins is allergic to is cumin. But none of the dishes was cooked with cumin so how did she consume it?" Auntie Jane wondered aloud.
"Gale" Dylan called and Gale appeared from the shadows immediately.
"Young master"
"Cross-check all the ingredients used to prepare the food. I need answers immediately." Dylan said, his voice cold as ice.
"Yes young master" Gale said and entered the kitchen. Minutes later he came out with the bottle of caraway in his hand. Why is he holding that? For some reason, I felt uneasy.
"Young master, Master, this bottle does not contain caraway but cumin" Gale said and looked at me coldly. I flinched at his cold gaze. Wait? Cumin? That's impossible.
"How did cumin end up in the bottle of caraway?" Dylan's cold voice brought me back to reality. I raised my head to look at him. Is he suspecting me?
"I don't know, I honestly don't know. I bought the ingredients and gave them to Manny." I tried to explain.
"Really? So the cumin just appeared in the bottle and the caraway disappeared or the vendor exchanged it herself huh?" He asked, stepping closer to me. I couldn't help but take few steps back in fear.
"I really didn't do it." I said, a tear rolling down my cheek. How could he of all people suspect me? It really hurts.
"Manny, come here" he called, not taking his eyes away from mine. I noticed Mr Martins looked at me with a look I couldn't much understand before turning to his son
"Dylan, why don't we calm down first" his father said but Dylan ignored him.
"Young master" Manny stood in front of him with her head bent low
"Did you switch the ingredients" Dylan asked
"No young master, I would never do that" she cried, shaking her head repeatedly.
"That's okay, you can go" he said.
"She said she wasn't the one, so why do you keep denying it?" Dylan asked me with an angry and ..... disappointed look? Is he feeling disappointed in me right now?
" Are you saying I did it? How can you conclude that without any proof?" I asked.
"That's right Dylan. We don't have proof that she did it yet. Let's check the CCTV camera in the kitchen before accusing anyone" his father said, his words giving me hope. He smiled at me before turning to lead the way. We all followed him to the security room and what we saw made my heart skip a beat. In the footage, I was the only one who touched the ingredients for preparing the soup, Auntie, Sophie and Manny managed the preparation for other meals. Yes I know I was the only one who prepared the soup but how on earth did cumin end up in the bottle. I need to prove my innocence.
" All of you wanted to watch the footage, now you've watched it and saw that she was the only one who prepared the soup so who else is more fitting to be the suspect here" Dylan said, his entire expression so cold that I couldn't recognize me anymore.
" I swear Dylan that I didn't do it. I don't know how cumin ended up in that bottle, I...."
"Shut up, we trusted you and invited you over to eat with us, mom trusted you to prepare a meal but look what you did. Is this how you truly are?" He cut me off.
" Dylan how could you suspect me? Why would I ever want to hurt you mom? I could never do such a thing" I still tried to explain. I turned to Mr Martins hoping he could talk some sense into his son but he just looked away.
"Exactly. How could you do such a thing? Mom have always been so nice to you, how could you?" Dylan continued.
"I...I.." I was at a loss for words. I didn't know how to prove my innocence. I turned and ran out of the room, crying as I ran out of the mansion. I didn't do it, why can't they all just believe me? Forget about proving my innocence, they can believe what they want. I'm never coming back here again.
Dylan's pov
I watched as she ran out and in all honesty I wanted to run after her and wipe her tears but I just couldn't control the anger boiling inside me. How am I supposed to believe she didn't do it when all evidence was pointing to her.
"Sir, the madam is okay now" the doctor said as he came out of the room.
"Are you sure doctor?" I asked him. My parents meant the world to me and I can't take anything that concern them lightly.
"Yes I'm sure. She just need to rest but let me remind you again to be careful next time, we wouldn't want this kind of incident repeating itself" the doctor advised.
"Thank you doctor, let me walk you out" my dad said as he escorted the doctor out. I turned and rushed into the room. I sighed in relief when I saw my mom sitting on her bed, her complexion better and the red bumps almost disappeared. I squatted before her and held her small hands.
"Mom, how are you feeling? Is there any where you feel uncomfortable?" I asked her.
"No baby, I'm fine now" she said, placing her hand on my cheek and I couldn't help but lean more into her touch. Thank goodness she's alright now.
"Where's Liah? I'm not seeing her here" she asked
"She left" I said and stood up. Why did she have to mention her name right now.
"Left? Why?" She asked with a confused look.
"She switched the caraway with cumin. I just don't understand why she would do that" I explained to her. I still felt hurt.
"What? I don't believe that. Liah's not that kind of girl" my mom said.
"I was trying to reason with him but your son was just too stubborn" my dad's voice came from the door.
How could the be so sure? Today is the second time they are meeting this girl so why do they trust her so much. Just as I was about to voice out my thoughts,
"Young master, I found this bottle of caraway in this plastic bag in the trash I was sorting. Don't you think we should rewatch the CCTV footage, that is not only the kitchen but also the living room and utility area as well?" Auntie Jane said. The room was silent for a moment as everyone looked at the bottle in her hand in shock.
Sophie's pov
How did that end up here? I remember throwing that away and putting the switched one with cumin label in my pocket. I planned to prepare potato soup for my mom and reasoned that there was no need for me to buy another caraway when I have two with me. I initially wanted to throw away the bottle I switched and keep the original bottle but I decided to keep the switched bottle to remember what happened today to make me happy whenever I'm using it but never did I suspect that it could backfire. Wait did I throw the plastic bag with the bottle containing the caraway I switched with cumin instead of the original bottle I took from them. Oh no, how did this even end up here. I felt my pocket and realized that it might have fallen off. That could only mean that it might have fallen off near the house and Manny might have picked it up and threw it away. I just hope I don't get caught.
We went back to the security room, leaving Mrs Martins to rest. We first watched the footage from the utility area. In the footage we saw Manny trashing the plastic bag.
Dylan turned to Manny who already had tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I didn't do it young master, please believe me" Manny cried
"Then why did you trash it when you didn't do it" Dylan shouted, his face filled with guilt and pain. I'm sure he's regretting his earlier actions. This foolish girl...
"No sir, when Miss Liah and I was about to enter the mansion, I saw it lying on the ground beside the entrance. At first I thought it was the one she bought so I took it into the kitchen to give her but I saw here with a bottle already and thought maybe someone threw it there. I didn't think much of it and just trashed it, please believe me" she explained.
"Why don't we check the footage of the entrance as well?" Mr Martins suggested, his words making her heart skip a beat. Oh no, will I be exposed now?
"Sir, the camera at the entrance have been faulty since this morning, I already called the technician and he said he would be here this evening" the security man explained
I sighed in relief at his words. Seems like heaven is on my side today.
"What do you mean it's faulty? And why did you have to wait till evening, couldn't you find another technician? When did you start making decisions on your own? Seems like you don't want this job anymore." Mr Martins shouted angrily.
"I'm sorry sir" the security man pleaded.
This is my chance. I have to make Manny take the blame to save myself.
"Manny how can you be this shameless? You did this and just watched my friend take the blame? How could you?" I feigned annoyance
"I didn't do it, I swear I didn't do it" Manny kept on pleading.
Before anyone could process what was happening, Dylan ran out of the security room. Is he going to Liah?
Dylan's pov
How could I make this kind of mistake? How could I blame her. Maybe she's right, I still don't know her well enough. I dialed her number on my phone as I entered my car. I'm so sorry Liah, I'm deeply sorry.