Chapter 5

"What?" Bianca looked over in surprise and said, "What do you mean?" The maid who'd spoken shot a sideways glance at Laurelle. "I saw Ms. Laurelle enter the kitchen and lace your drink with something. It must've been some kind of drug!" When she finished speaking, everyone in the room paled. All the Fletchers knew that Bianca's drink had been spiked three years ago when she'd been abducted. It was the reason why her kidnappers had been able to take her away without anyone realizing. Upon hearing that her drink had been spiked once more, the color drained from Bianca's face. Her wine glass shattered into pieces on the floor. Initially, they hadn't drawn much attention to themselves. However, when the sound of the shattering glass echoed through the room, everyone craned their necks to look at them. Bianca stared at Leona with red-rimmed eyes. "Mom… I'm scared…" Leona knew what was running through Bianca's head. She hurriedly patted Bianca's back and consoled her, saying, "Don't be scared. It's all in the past." Then, she turned to Laurelle and asked, "You're incorrigible, aren't you?" There were many people present. Wanting to preserve their family's reputation, Leona held back from elaborating. Still, Laurelle knew what Leona meant. She suddenly felt a laugh bubbling up within her at the thought of what had happened. She had never expected Bianca to make a fuss about the same issue twice. Was this an attempt to prod at Laurelle where it hurt the most? "It wasn't me." Laurelle studied the wine in the decanter. Bianca was a fan of white wine, and the cocktail had been specially concocted for her. Clearly, this was pre-planned. "I was in the kitchen just now. But I only went there to get some food, not lace her drink." The maid insisted, saying, "I saw Ms. Laurelle add something in with my own eyes. I swear on my life." She sounded confident and assured, as though she were a courageous underdog vouching for justice. The audience whispered among themselves. Leona was worried that the situation would escalate to a point of no return. After all, this was a family affair. Behind closed doors, she had no qualms about how they handled this. However, it would be rather untoward if others were privy to this. Bianca knew of Leona's concerns. She smiled and said warmly, "Mom, I think this is just a misunderstanding. Laurelle has spent three years in jail. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice. I believe she's innocent." Everyone was floored by her words. Had Laurelle been imprisoned for the last three years? Hadn't she gone abroad to pursue higher education? Everyone present were rich housewives. The concept of jail couldn't be further from their minds. However, they knew that jail could mar one's record immediately. Not only would they be banned from participating in any politics, but all their relatives would also be affected. The room was alive with gossip. As though she'd just realized she'd made a mistake, Bianca clapped a hand over her mouth. Then, she said guiltily, "I'm a little drunk. All I say is just nonsense. Please don't take it seriously. Why would Laurelle be imprisoned?" After what had happened, Bianca's words seemed feeble in patching up her mistake. The guiltier she appeared, the more likely it seemed she'd been telling the truth earlier. "Laurelle, have you gotten over your jet lag? After all, you've just returned from abroad. It's our birthday today. I prepared a special gift for you. Why don't I take you over to take a look?" Bianca attempted to salvage the situation. Perhaps because they'd been too loud, Maverick heard about what had happened midway through his game of poker. When he came downstairs with his friends in tow, all they saw was Bianca standing in the crowd looking pitiful and pale while apologizing to Laurelle. Her eyes were red as she fidgeted with her fingers and tried to observe Laurelle's expression out of the corner of her eye. Laurelle turned to look at her. Events like these had happened countless times, but Bianca always managed to present herself as an innocent victim every single time. Laurelle pursed her lips. She could feel many eyes on her. What had she done wrong? What crime had she committed that Bianca kept framing her for things she hadn't done? Was three years of jail time not enough? Hadn't Bianca announced Laurelle's imprisonment to a roomful of people to destroy her life? Great! Just great. Then they would go down together!