Chapter 5 · My Daughter Said Her Father Died

Maya shrieked, "How dare you touch me? Shane is a chief physician!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Is a chief physician running a bakery now? What, is he going to use his scalpel to slice toast?"

Maya was shaking with rage. "Serena, if you have the guts, let her say that again!"

I came out of the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"

Maya pointed her phone at me. "Apologize. If you admit right now that you taught Carla to lie, you can keep your bakery open. Otherwise, I'll report you for failing health inspections tomorrow."

Lily laughed. "Go ahead and report us if you want. Stop being so dramatic."

Maya turned to the shelves. "These breads are all from yesterday, aren't they? I'm recording this."

I said, "Everything on the shelves has today's date on it."

She picked up a croissant, deliberately broke it in half, and threw it on the floor. "Now it's dirty."

Carla rushed over. "How dare you!"

Maya shoved her.

I quickly pulled Carla behind me.

Maya kept her phone aimed at me. "What, you gonna hit me now?"

I looked at the bread on the floor. "Pay for it."

She froze. "What?"

I said, "That's nine dollars for the croissant, ten for cleaning, and 70 for lost business. 89 dollars. Pay up."

Maya laughed so hard she bent over. "Serena, are you that desperate for money?"

I pulled out the payment code from under the counter. "Scan it."

One of her relatives whispered behind her, "Maya, just let it go. Don't make a scene."

Maya glared at him. "Seriously, what are you so scared of?"

I pressed the button by the counter.

The small screen in the corner lit up, showing a clear view from the entrance to the shelves.

Maya's face fell.

Lily crossed her arms. "Go on, keep filming. If you post your video, we'll post ours too. Let's see who's really embarrassed."

Maya gritted her teeth. "Serena, you'd better watch yourself."

She tossed a hundred dollars onto the counter and stormed out.

Lily scooped up the cash and shouted after her, "Hey, you got 11 dollars in change! Want it, or should I keep it for the hassle?"

Carla stared down at the croissant lying on the floor.

I crouched, picked it up, and tossed it in the trash.

She murmured, "I'm sorry, Mom."

I asked, "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because of what I said, you had to leave."

I washed my hands, grabbed a fresh croissant, and handed it to her. "You didn't lie."

She took a bite, and her tears fell onto the paper bag.

Lily turned away and muttered, "I swear, I wish I could shove that bitch into the oven."

*****

Early the next morning, just as the shop opened, the market inspectors showed up. Two uniformed inspectors stood at the door, with Maya trailing behind them.

She had caked on makeup, but her smugness still showed. "Someone reported your shop for hygiene issues and questionable ingredients."

Lily was tying her apron and grumbling, "Wow, you guys are fast. Throwing a fit last night, filing a complaint this morning. You Prestons have nothing better to do, huh?"

The inspector frowned. "Please cooperate with the inspection."

I nodded. "Of course."

Carla stood by the register with her backpack. "Mom, I'm going to be late."

I grabbed my keys. "Lily, you stay and help with the inspection. I'll take Carla to school."

Maya blocked the door. "Absolutely not. The owner can't leave. What if you try to destroy evidence?"

I looked at the inspector. "Is that really a rule?"

The younger inspector flipped through his notebook but stayed silent.

The older one said, "Getting the kid to school matters more. As long as someone's here to cooperate, that's enough."

Maya huffed. "She's got something to hide!"

I ignored her and took Carla out.

There were already a bunch of students hanging around the school gate.

As soon as Carla got out of the car, two girls came over.

"Carla, so your dad's really not dead?" one of them asked.

The other whispered, "My mom said your family totally blew up last night."

Carla gripped her backpack strap and didn't say a word.

A guy squeezed in from the side. "Carla, your dad was at Pinnacle Academy for another kid's parent-teacher conference. Are you gonna ditch your dad now?"

Carla looked up. "Can you even crack the top fifty in your class?"

The guy froze. "What's it to you?"

Carla retorted, "Get into the top fifty first, then you can talk about my family."

Someone nearby burst out laughing.

The guy's face turned red, and he ran off.

I handed Carla her water bottle. "Go on, get inside."

She looked at me. "Is everything really okay at the shop?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Is Maya going to make up more stuff?"

"She's already made up enough. Nothing new there."

After Carla went through the school gate, Evie came out of the guardhouse.

She looked at me, like she wanted to say something but held back.

I said, "Ms. Newton, just say it."

She sighed. "That video from last night spread like wildfire. Some parents have already reached out to the school. They're saying Carla's speech on stage was inappropriate and made a bad impression."

I asked, "Is she in trouble with the school?"

Evie shook her head quickly. "I don't agree with that. Carla's grades are solid, and she's always been steady. The principal wants you to come in and talk."

Chapter 5

Maya shrieked, "How dare you touch me? Shane is a chief physician!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Is a chief physician running a bakery now? What, is he going to use his scalpel to slice toast?"

Maya was shaking with rage. "Serena, if you have the guts, let her say that again!"

I came out of the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"

Maya pointed her phone at me. "Apologize. If you admit right now that you taught Carla to lie, you can keep your bakery open. Otherwise, I'll report you for failing health inspections tomorrow."

Lily laughed. "Go ahead and report us if you want. Stop being so dramatic."

Maya turned to the shelves. "These breads are all from yesterday, aren't they? I'm recording this."

I said, "Everything on the shelves has today's date on it."

She picked up a croissant, deliberately broke it in half, and threw it on the floor. "Now it's dirty."

Carla rushed over. "How dare you!"

Maya shoved her.

I quickly pulled Carla behind me.

Maya kept her phone aimed at me. "What, you gonna hit me now?"

I looked at the bread on the floor. "Pay for it."

She froze. "What?"

I said, "That's nine dollars for the croissant, ten for cleaning, and 70 for lost business. 89 dollars. Pay up."

Maya laughed so hard she bent over. "Serena, are you that desperate for money?"

I pulled out the payment code from under the counter. "Scan it."

One of her relatives whispered behind her, "Maya, just let it go. Don't make a scene."

Maya glared at him. "Seriously, what are you so scared of?"

I pressed the button by the counter.

The small screen in the corner lit up, showing a clear view from the entrance to the shelves.

Maya's face fell.

Lily crossed her arms. "Go on, keep filming. If you post your video, we'll post ours too. Let's see who's really embarrassed."

Maya gritted her teeth. "Serena, you'd better watch yourself."

She tossed a hundred dollars onto the counter and stormed out.

Lily scooped up the cash and shouted after her, "Hey, you got 11 dollars in change! Want it, or should I keep it for the hassle?"

Carla stared down at the croissant lying on the floor.

I crouched, picked it up, and tossed it in the trash.

She murmured, "I'm sorry, Mom."

I asked, "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because of what I said, you had to leave."

I washed my hands, grabbed a fresh croissant, and handed it to her. "You didn't lie."

She took a bite, and her tears fell onto the paper bag.

Lily turned away and muttered, "I swear, I wish I could shove that bitch into the oven."

*****

Early the next morning, just as the shop opened, the market inspectors showed up. Two uniformed inspectors stood at the door, with Maya trailing behind them.

She had caked on makeup, but her smugness still showed. "Someone reported your shop for hygiene issues and questionable ingredients."

Lily was tying her apron and grumbling, "Wow, you guys are fast. Throwing a fit last night, filing a complaint this morning. You Prestons have nothing better to do, huh?"

The inspector frowned. "Please cooperate with the inspection."

I nodded. "Of course."

Carla stood by the register with her backpack. "Mom, I'm going to be late."

I grabbed my keys. "Lily, you stay and help with the inspection. I'll take Carla to school."

Maya blocked the door. "Absolutely not. The owner can't leave. What if you try to destroy evidence?"

I looked at the inspector. "Is that really a rule?"

The younger inspector flipped through his notebook but stayed silent.

The older one said, "Getting the kid to school matters more. As long as someone's here to cooperate, that's enough."

Maya huffed. "She's got something to hide!"

I ignored her and took Carla out.

There were already a bunch of students hanging around the school gate.

As soon as Carla got out of the car, two girls came over.

"Carla, so your dad's really not dead?" one of them asked.

The other whispered, "My mom said your family totally blew up last night."

Carla gripped her backpack strap and didn't say a word.

A guy squeezed in from the side. "Carla, your dad was at Pinnacle Academy for another kid's parent-teacher conference. Are you gonna ditch your dad now?"

Carla looked up. "Can you even crack the top fifty in your class?"

The guy froze. "What's it to you?"

Carla retorted, "Get into the top fifty first, then you can talk about my family."

Someone nearby burst out laughing.

The guy's face turned red, and he ran off.

I handed Carla her water bottle. "Go on, get inside."

She looked at me. "Is everything really okay at the shop?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Is Maya going to make up more stuff?"

"She's already made up enough. Nothing new there."

After Carla went through the school gate, Evie came out of the guardhouse.

She looked at me, like she wanted to say something but held back.

I said, "Ms. Newton, just say it."

She sighed. "That video from last night spread like wildfire. Some parents have already reached out to the school. They're saying Carla's speech on stage was inappropriate and made a bad impression."

I asked, "Is she in trouble with the school?"

Evie shook her head quickly. "I don't agree with that. Carla's grades are solid, and she's always been steady. The principal wants you to come in and talk."