Chapter Nineteen: Close Calls and Poisoned Cakes
Daphne's POV
“You f*cking bitch!” The voice screeches. Fincing, I move the cellphone away from ears before it does lasting damage.
“You have the nerve to call me? After all this time?” I roll my eyes at the theatrics of it all.
“Calm down. You're making a big deal out of this. I'll be at your place in fifteen minutes.” Then I distrupt the call before they are able to get another word in. Then I pick up my things and walk out the office to my car.
Six hours later (9:05pm)
Mr Finn drops me home and I dismiss him for the day. With groceries in hand, I walk up the steps and open the door. A fuming husband and a distraught looking sister are waiting for me inside.
“And where the hell have you been?”
“Busy.” I bite out.
“Busy? That's a damned lie. I called the office and they said you left early in the afternoon so where the hell have you been?”
Before I could answer, Daphne appears from behind Gregory's shoulders and gasps, her eyes are as wide as saucers
“Sis, you hair.” She presses her fingers to her lips in shock.
I can't blame her. I must look like a totally different person, even I was shocked when I saw myself in the mirror.
Greg does a double take as he stares at me in shock. He was too busy ranting earlier to notice.
Waves of chestnut brown hair cascade down my back. Even under the harsh light of the salon, my auburn hair glints through it, making ice blue eyes pop out. My face is radiant from the spa treatment I got.
U“You changed your hair.” He is looking at me with a glint of lust in his eyes. Chloe notices this and pouts.
“Well, I preferred it when your hair was black.” She says grudgingly. Of course she does. She was the one that suggested the shade after all. The color made me my skin look sallow and sickly.
I smile. “I felt it was time for a change.” Meanwhile, Greg is still looking at me with the same awestruck expression that he had.
Daphne also notices it and as usual, redirects the conversation to make her the center.
“Is that what you were doing all day, Sis? You should have called. I was hungry and Greg said you promised to make me duck roast.” She has a hurt expression on her face. She really expects me to make dinner for her after the day I've had? No way in hell.
I walk up to her and caress her cheek. “I'm sorry, little Sis. I can't make dinner for you tonight but I did bring you the strawberry shortcake you wanted.”
My husband finally steps out of the stupor he was in. “You went to the Salon? Is that what you were doing? We've been waiting for dinner all this time. Your sister was hungry.” He fumes
“You actually left the office for a make over?” He says incredulously.
Gregory's rage is obvious. It's almost certain that I'm going to get a beating. With the events that happened today, it is almost inevitable. Added to the fact that I have been ignoring his texts and calls all day, he’s a ticking time bomb. I'm surprised he didn't descend on me the moment I stepped into the house.
I already have a contingency plan for this, though. “Things were just too complicated for me at the office, Honey. I know you think I can do it but the stress was getting to me. I needed to leave.”
Reinforcing his ego is the best way to get out of the situation. Today's events made him testy so he is very sensitive about it. I also notice Chloe’s annoyed expression when I say that Greg believes in me.
“His chest puffs up and he clears his throat. “Of course, I understand that as a woman, you have no idea about managing such a big business but you should at least be professional about it. It doesn't give you any excuse to just leave at your leisure. What would the board say?”
I offer a similar sweet, submissive smile that Chloe often gives him. It charms him. I guess we really are sisters. “I know, darling, I'll apologize tomorrow when we have the meeting.” He nods in approval, obviously glad that he is playing me in the direction he wants me to go.
“See that you do.” He says. From the corner of my eye, I notice that Chloe's mouth tightens in disapproval. She doesn't like that I am let off the hook so easily. But Greg is too busy riding on the high that my praises give him.
“I'll just go upstairs and change real quick, I will be down to make dinner. You said you wanted lasagna, right Greg.” He hums in reply.
“But what about my duck roast, Sis?” She whines.
“I'm sorry, honey. I couldn't find any duck at the store. Besides, even if I did. It would take too long to thaw anyway.” Her face scrunches up at the fact that she can't have her way.
“So what do you expect me to eat right now?”
“Didn't you hear, sweetheart? My husband said he wants Lasagna so that's what we are having.”
She looks like she is on the verge of throwing a tantrum. “But what if I don't want to have lasagna?” She pouts. I pretend to think for a moment before I reply.
“Hmm…..You could always order pizza.”
“Pizza?!” She echoes back, an incredulous look on her face.
“The number for a pizza place is in the directory on the kitchen counter dear, help yourself to whatever you want, my treat.”
“You should have come home earlier, Sis. Greg texted you that I wanted duck roast, right?”
“Yes he did honey. But the line for the shortcake you ordered was too long. I even had time to go for a haircut while waiting in line!”
I place the dessert box in her hands. “I promise to make duck roast tomorrow, okay? In the meantime, enjoy your dessert my love, I'll be right back to make dinner.”
I don't wait for her reply and quickly go upstairs to change, heaving a sigh of relief as I shut the door behind me. I'm past one hurdle. I just have to be careful not to tick that bastard off. There's no telling what Chloe could do or say to him.
I am barely done putting my clothes on when I hear a loud scream.
“Daphne!!!!!”
I hurry down the steps two at a time to find Chloe writhing on the ground, gripping her stomach, a piece of half eaten strawberry shortcake on the floor.
Greg holds her close to
his chest and glares at me in hatred and anger.”You evil bitch, why did you poison your sister?”