Chapter 34: Choose
Mira didn’t wait to think. She just ran.
Even though her vision was nothing but a blur of expensive wallpaper and polished floors, she didn’t stop.
Even when her feet got caught on the rugs, causing her to stumble, she still didn’t stop.
The need to get the poison out of her body was the only thing in her mind.
She shoved open yet another heavy door, and this time, it led her into the cool, fresh air. The morning sunlight was so bright as she staggered across a perfect green lawn, and then her legs gave way beneath her.
She collapsed onto the grass as her world spun.
Her stomach was still twisting into more knots, and they made her double over as she crashed onto the lawn.
The grass was soft under her knees, and soon her stomach betrayed her completely. She threw up, hard.
Violent retches shook her whole body as the fancy breakfast that she’d just eaten came up in painful waves.
Even though her throat burned and her eyes watered, she was happy to keep getting them out of her.
"Oh God," she gasped in between. "Oh God, oh God..."
Soft hands suddenly touched her shoulders, and she could feel them kneel beside her and hold her hair back from her face.
"It’s okay," the gentle voice said. "Let it out."
It was Callis, and she was kneeling in the grass beside her, not minding that her expensive dress was getting dirty.
She simply continued to rub Mira’s back in slow circles, and Mira found her touch surprisingly comforting, even though she wanted to push her away.
But she was too weak and scared. She just reached again as her stomach cramped painfully.
"Callis... they... the food..." she gasped.
"Calm down first, Lorena. Calm," Callis hushed her in a calm voice.
"They poisoned me," she was finally able to let out, even though she was now sobbing. "Someone poisoned me!"
She could barely see through her tears as her whole body was now shaking.
"Shhh," Callis kept on whispering as she rubbed her back. "You’re going to be okay. Just keep breathing."
When Mira finally looked up, she saw that Callis’ eyes weren’t on her. They were looking toward the house, and she followed her gaze.
The crowd of people was at the doorway, and they were all watching. All staring at the broken girl throwing up on the perfect lawn.
Mira was sure this seemed like a show to them, mere entertainment.
She looked away.
Heavy footsteps thundered toward them, and even Mira didn’t need to look up to know who it was. The air itself always seemed to change whenever Lucas was around.
"Take her inside," he ordered in a tight but controlled voice. But underneath, anyone could hear the rage. "Now."
"Call the doctor," Lucas added as he snapped at someone else. "Right now!"
The crowd immediately scattered like mice. Everybody moved faster whenever Lucas used that tone.
Minutes later, the bedroom felt like a hospital room. It was too quiet, almost like a place where bad things had happened before.
Mira lay on the huge bed while still shivering under layers of blankets. Her stomach still felt bad and empty, like someone had taken sandpaper and scraped her insides with it.
Callis also continued to fuss around her, doing things like bringing water or damp clothes for her forehead.
Being her usual kind self. Being the only person in this house who didn’t look at her like she was garbage.
Lucas, on the other hand, was pacing the room.
Back and forth. Back and forth. Almost like a wolf that had been locked up in a cage. His hands were held in fists while his jaw was locked very tight.
Every few steps, his eyes would flick to Mira and then away again.
When the doctor finally arrived, Mira almost cried with relief.
The old man was gentle and professional as he checked her pulse, looked in her eyes, and asked quiet questions that were necessary.
"Well?" Lucas demanded impatiently before the doctor had even finished putting his stethoscope away.
The doctor straightened up. "It’s not poison at all," he said calmly. "It’s just some kind of laxative, but only meant to upset her stomach."
Only?
"Just?" Mira snapped as she tried to sit up. "Only? What the hell are you talking about? I felt like I was dying!"
The doctor’s countenance didn’t change as he continued. "I understand that it was unpleasant, but you’re not in any real danger—"
"I felt like I was dying!" Mira yelled again.
"And how would you know what death feels like, Lorena?" Lucas cut in without any emotion in his voice.
His words felt like a slap to Mira as she stared at him like he was crazy. The question was, as usual, meant to hurt or put her in her place.
Even now, even when someone had tried to hurt her, he still had to find ways to be cruel?
But then his eyes were still fixed on her hands and the way they had refused to stop shaking.
The doctor quickly packed up his bag like a smart man. He was already feeling the tension in the room, like electricity before a storm.
"She’ll be fine by tomorrow," he said on his way out. "She just needs rest and lots of fluids."
The door soon closed behind him with a soft click.
Lucas did not wait. He was already moving toward the bedroom door. "Bring them," he called out to someone in the hallway. "Bring all of them this instant."
Mira was confused. "What are you doing?"
But Lucas didn’t bother answering her. He just stood there and waited.
A minute later, they filed in.
A lot of maids. Cooks. Servers. Maids. All of them.
They lined up along the wall like soldiers, with their heads down and hands clasped in front of them. Even Mira could see the fear in their faces and the way their shoulders were tense.
"Who tampered with her food?" Lucas started sternly.
What met him was silence.
Mira looked from one face to another, as if searching for guilt in them, or for shame. Anything that would give away the person who had done this to her. But there wasn’t anything. They all looked the same.
They were definitely covering for each other, or maybe they just did it together.
"I asked a question," Lucas said as he stepped closer to them in an intimidating stance.
But he still got nothing.
And his presence seemed to vanish. "If no one confesses," he clenched his fists, "then I will punish every single one of you."
A few of the younger maids shivered nervously, but no one still spoke up.
Then he did what Mira hadn’t seen coming. He turned to her.
"You choose," he let out. "They have offended you after all. So choose what you want me to do to them."
Choose?
Mira was shocked at that as she looked at the faces of the servants.
Someone in this room has indeed poisoned her, or at least made her feel all this on purpose. But then, it could as well be all of them, and they deserved to be punished too.
But then that wasn’t what she was just feeling. All the fear, humiliation, and insanity of the last hours crashed down on her at once.
Everything is madness.
How on earth was she supposed to choose a punishment?
So she broke. The tears she could no longer hold back streamed down her face, and she shook her head violently.
"I don’t want anything! I don’t want this at all!" she cried in a broken voice. "I don’t want to choose a punishment! I don’t even want to be here at all! Can’t you see it too? Nobody in this place wants me alive! They all hate me! Including you! I just want to leave! Please, the only thing you can do for me is let me leave!"
As if she was a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum, Lucas only looked at her tears like they were some weak and pathetic trick and snapped.
"You’re being dramatic."