C70 Truth Beneath The Glass

As I placed my phone down, another thought suddenly crossed my mind. Chris. His guilty expression. The way he kept serving food to Sarah. The way Sarah blushed every time he spoke. I quickly picked up my phone again and sent him a message. "Brother... are you still hiding it from me?" A second message followed. "Have you fallen for Sarah?" Then a third. "What happened to the lone wolf who swore he'd never date anyone? What changed your mind?"

Chris’s phone vibrated just as he stepped into his home. He paused at the doorway, reading Mike’s message. The moment his eyes scanned the words, a heavy guilt settled in his chest. He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he slipped the phone into his pocket and walked inside as if nothing had happened.

The dining room was already set. His mother, Valeria, and his father, David, were halfway through dinner. Valeria looked up first. “You’re home.” David gestured calmly toward the empty seat. “Sit.” Chris obeyed but shook his head before they could offer him food. “Mom, Dad… I already ate at Mike’s house.” Valeria raised an eyebrow, folding her arms slightly. “You seem to enjoy their cooking more than mine lately.”

Chris quickly raised his hands. “No, no, it’s not like that. Today’s meal was just… really good. We all enjoyed it.” David looked up from his plate. “Mary’s cooking?” Chris shook his head. “No, Dad. It wasn’t Aunt Mary.”

Both parents paused. “Then who cooked?” they asked at the same time.

Chris leaned forward slightly, his expression brightening as he spoke. “Alicia. She cooked everything herself. And after that, she even cleaned the entire kitchen.” Valeria blinked. “So your girlfriend cooked, and now you’re this excited?” Chris almost choked on his words. “No! Mom, she’s not my girlfriend.” Valeria tilted her head knowingly. “You talk about her every day, but she’s not your girlfriend?”

David added calmly, “And you’re saying Mary wasn’t even there, yet she cooked in their house?” Chris exhaled. “Mike’s parents weren’t home. They came back after everything was already done. They were shocked too.” He continued explaining how Alicia had cooked multiple dishes, how precise she was, and how she left without even tasting the food. The more he spoke, the more animated he became.

Eventually, he excused himself and went to his room. The moment the door closed, he collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. His phone lit up again. Mike. Chris opened the message. “Brother, are you still hiding it from me? Have you fallen for Sarah?”

Chris shut his eyes for a moment. The guilt returned immediately. He typed slowly:

“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.” He didn’t send more. He simply placed the phone down and exhaled.

At the same time, Sarah Wood was sitting at the dining table of the Wood mansion. Monica was in her arms, restless and refusing to sleep. Around her sat Kelvin, Tracy, and Samantha. Ben was absent again. The absence itself felt louder than words.

Sarah barely touched her food. Her mind was elsewhere on the footage, on the glass, on the truth she had just uncovered. Kelvin noticed her silence. “You won’t eat?” Sarah slowly placed Monica back into Samantha’s arms. Then she looked up. “Dad… is there something you’re hiding from me about Mike and Chris?”

The table went still. Samantha froze slightly. Tracy blinked in surprise. Kelvin’s face tightened. “It’s a long story. You don’t need to worry about it.” Sarah’s voice rose slightly. “I’m not a child anymore. I’m asking because I already know something is wrong. Why is everyone hiding things from me?” The room grew heavier.

Kelvin sighed. “Mike and Samantha were dating in the past.” Sarah nodded immediately. “I know that already.” That answer surprised everyone. Kelvin continued carefully. “Mike, Ben, and Chris… they grew up together. Things changed over time. Samantha and Mike… they broke apart. And now there’s Monica.” Samantha lowered her gaze, tightening her hold on the child.

Sarah remained silent for a moment. Then she spoke again. “So you’re telling me… Ben has been targeting Mike?” That sentence hit the room like a stone. Tracy frowned. “Targeting Mike? What are you talking about?” Kelvin narrowed his eyes. “Sarah, explain properly.”

Sarah took a breath. “At the celebration party,” she began, “my dress was stained with wine. I left to change. When I came back… I saw Chris collapsing outside his room.” Samantha’s grip tightened. “Christopher Chambers?” Sarah nodded. “Yes, Mom.” She continued. “I helped him. He told me he only drank one glass. That already didn’t make sense.”

She paused. “With Mike’s help… and Alicia’s… we checked the security footage.” Kelvin’s expression darkened. “Hotel footage?” “Yes,” Sarah said firmly. “I saw it myself.” The room became completely silent. “Ben called a waiter,” she continued, “gave him a small bottle. The waiter poured it into a glass. That glass was meant for Mike.” Samantha’s eyes widened slightly.

“But the glasses were moved around when the managers came in,” Sarah said, voice shaking slightly now. “Chris accidentally took Mike’s glass… and he collapsed instead.” Kelvin slowly leaned back in his chair. Tracy covered her mouth. “Oh my God…” Sarah’s voice softened. “Chris was never the target. Mike was.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Samantha’s eyes slowly filled with tears. Because deep down, she already knew. Her hands trembled as memories resurfaced, the same pattern, the same confusion, the same night she could never fully remember. She whispered, almost breaking. “So it was him back then…” Her voice cracked. “It was Ben…”

The tears came faster now, unstoppable. “I thought… I thought I imagined it… but it was him all along…” Kelvin looked away, his jaw tight, guilt written all over his face. Tracy stood frozen, unable to speak. Samantha broke down completely, her shoulders shaking as she held Monica tighter.

Sarah stood still, watching everything collapse in front of her eyes, the truth she had uncovered was not just a story anymore. It was damage. Real damage. And somewhere in that silence, one thing became clear. Nothing in their world would ever be the same again.