Chapter 5

I'd even had a pair of diamond cufflinks custom-made, planning to give them to Eric as a way to confess my feelings.

But now that I'd been given a second chance in life, there was no reason to go through all that again.

Some lessons only needed to be learned the hard way once.

Just then, Tiffany, sitting next to me, suddenly gasped, her surprised voice echoing through the dining room and snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Miss West, those diamond cufflinks look just like the ones in that trending advertisement online. Don't tell me you..." Tiffany trailed off, her eyes wide with suspicion.

She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone at the table knew exactly what she was getting at.

My grip on my fork tightened as I was about to speak, but just then, Mary Spencer, Tiffany's mother and the maid serving us, suddenly jerked her hand and spilled the entire pot of soup.

"Tiffany!" Eric called out, his voice full of concern.

He quickly pulled Tiffany protectively to his side, afraid she might get burned.

"Ah!" I yelped.

The freshly cooked soup poured all over me, the burning pain made me suck in a sharp breath, and tears sprang to my eyes from the sting.

Devin and Jacob, sitting right next to me, didn't even spare me a glance. All their attention was on Tiffany.

"Tiffany, did you get burned?" Devin asked, his voice full of concern.

"Tiffany, are you okay?" Jacob echoed, worried.

As Tiffany looked up, her eyes met Mary's, and for a split second, a strange look passed between them.

My brows furrowed as I caught the strange look between Tiffany and Mary. I fixed Mary with a serious stare and asked in a low voice, "Mary, did you spill the soup on me on purpose?"

Mary's eyes welled up with tears in an instant.

"Miss West, how could I ever do something like that on purpose? I know I messed up and didn't hold the pot steady, but you can't just think I'm that heartless!" Mary protested, her voice shaking with emotion.

Seeing her mom in distress, Tiffany jumped up to defend her, stepping in front of Mary. "Miss West, my mom's just trying to make a living. There's no need to give her a hard time. Yeah, you've got money, but that doesn't mean you get to treat people like this!"

"If you really can't stand poor country folks like us, then I'll just leave with her," Tiffany said, her voice shaking.

With that, she turned around and helped Mary out of the room.

Eric's brows furrowed sharply as he watched, his piercing gaze locked onto me, brimming with disapproval.

"Violet, Mary's been working for our family for years. She just spilled the soup by accident, and you're accusing her of doing it on purpose? Do you even have a heart?" Eric snapped, his voice sharp with anger.

Devin turned to me, disappointment written all over his face. "Someone with a twisted mind sees everything twisted."

"Violet, Mary's really not the kind of person you're saying she is. Why would you talk like that? Now you've driven her away. Does that make you happy?" Jacob shot at me, his voice full of accusations.

Jacob glared at me, his eyes blazing with anger as he spat out the words, every syllable loaded with blame.

I clenched my fists tight at my sides, feeling all kinds of emotions swirling inside me. The burn stung even worse.

Before I could say anything, the Frost brothers had already jumped up and hurried after Tiffany.

I pushed through the pain and tried to stand, planning to head to the hospital. But as soon as I got up, my vision went dark, and I blacked out.

"Violet!" Kelvin and Phoebe called out in alarm.

They rushed over, helping me up as they turned to the servants and shouted, "Call an ambulance, now!"

When I finally woke up, the first thing I saw was the bright white ceiling above me.

Kelvin and Phoebe were sitting by my bedside, their faces full of worry. "Violet, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt?" Phoebe asked, her voice gentle but anxious.

I gave a small shake of my head and forced a smile. "Phoebe, I'm really okay. You don't need to worry about me."

Phoebe's eyes welled up with tears as she gently took my hand, her touch full of concern.

"The doctor said you fainted partly because you haven't been eating regularly lately, and your stomach issues have come back. Why are you back to skipping meals again?" Phoebe asked, her voice soft but full of worry.

"I... I've just been busy lately, so my eating schedule's been a bit off," I mumbled, my eyes dropping to the floor.

I couldn't meet her gaze, not sure what to say next.

Honestly, this flare-up was because I'd been so wrapped up in the Frost brothers that I'd forgotten to eat on time. But there was no point bringing that up.

Phoebe let out a helpless sigh, squeezing my hand a little tighter. Guilt filled her voice as she said, "Violet, after you fainted, we just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. So we checked the dinner surveillance footage, and it turns out Mary spilled that soup on you on purpose. I always suspected she and Tiffany had their own agenda, but I never imagined they could be so manipulative."