One afternoon Emma and Riley planted wild daisies in the garden. Riley laughed while drawing little faces on the pots, and Michael watched from a distance, feeling the first fragile warmth of hope. But from an upstairs window Vanessa stared down with pure resentment.
Later that night she crushed sedative pills into a glass of milk, stirring until the powder disappeared. The next morning Emma brought the milk upstairs and almost immediately sensed something wrong. There was a faint bitter smell, something medicinal under the sweetness.
Riley drank only part of it before clutching her stomach. Emma took the glass downstairs, trying to stay calm, and found Vanessa in the kitchen. When Emma said the milk smelled odd, Vanessa smiled coldly and asked whether Emma truly thought she would poison her husband’s daughter.
Then, with chilling accuracy, she accused Emma not of concern but of trying to win Michael’s affection. Emma said nothing, hid the glass behind a curtain, and rushed back upstairs. Riley was already asleep, breathing too heavily.