He stared at me silently before muttering, “Fine. But be back before noon. I have an important toast planned.”
We stepped outside into the freezing air. Only when we drove away did I check the rearview mirror.
Daniel stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear, watching us leave.
Chapter 2: The Truth Revealed
I drove aimlessly until I pulled into an empty shopping plaza.
“Lily,” I said gently, “why did you write that note?”
She hugged her knees, crying.
“I was hiding during hide-and-seek. In Dad’s office closet. He came in talking on a secret phone.”
My stomach tightened.
“A secret phone?”
“He was talking to a lady. He called her ‘sweetheart.’ He was laughing.”
An affair. My chest burned with anger.
“Is that why you wanted to leave?” I asked.
She shook her head violently.
“No… he said something else…”
She gasped for breath before whispering:
“He said, ‘Don’t worry. She’ll drink the special tea when guests arrive. It will look like a heart attack. Next month we’ll get five million dollars.’”
My world shattered.
The special tea.
The five million.
I remembered that morning — Daniel preparing tea himself, something he never did.
The cup was still sitting on the kitchen counter when we left.