03 Dilemma

Ronan

I wasn’t angry. I couldn't blame my father for letting Glenda and her daughter off the hook because he was right. 

I walked out of the study, seething with anger. I had never cheated on Leah our entire time together. Even if she forgave me, she would hold this over my head.

My mind was spinning with questions and frustration. I felt betrayed and confused. How could someone I treated well do something so terrible?

I returned to my room. I took out my phone to call Leah, but her number was switched off. I could just imagine the tears she must be crying at this moment.

When I shut the door to my room, I yelled, trying to release my frustration. Why didn't Leah give me a chance to speak? Why didn't she give me a chance to defend myself?

I was furious. 

I looked at my bed, wondering if I would ever lie on it again. I walked over and ripped the remaining sheets off, and that was when the blood stains caught my eye.

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. I checked again to be sure, and it was what it was. Blood stains. I ran my fingers through my hair in shock.

"Fuck!!!" I shouted. My mind was racing, trying to make sense of it all. My mind was spinning, and then, slowly, I remembered a detail that the whole mess had made me forget.

We had returned from the club, and I asked Camila to serve us something to eat and drink before my friends finally left. 

They didn't leave until the early hours of the morning. I had kept Camila up until then, and she had taken care of us. I remember feeling nervous about the wedding. My friend Abel was the only one left, and I filled his ear with my anxieties about the wedding. 

Camila had served us drinks, but even he had left the event after a while. Camila had poured two drinks before he left, and since Abel had gone, I told her she could have the other one. I even tried to make small talk with her while she cleaned.

 I was excited and nervous about my wedding. That was all I could remember.

I went to the table, picked up the decanter, and examined it. It wasn't the same one my friends drank from; it was a new one, with “Happy married Life” written on it.

 Looking at the decanter, I wondered if it contained drugs. The decanter did not belong to my house, and it looked cheap. Why did this detail skip my mind? Had Camila done this deliberately, as my mother had implied? 

Seeing the blood stains on the bed made me pause. It couldn’t have been her. She wouldn't have. I was confused. 

I knew I could send the drink in the decanter for a test, but deep down, I didn’t want to get Glenda and Camila in trouble. Should it turn out to be drugged, my father would end their lives without hesitation. 

He was right. As painful as the situation was, making them pay with their lives would be too much. If it were deliberate, then I would deal with it my own way. I planned to stay away from Camila and request a new servant. One that wouldn’t be ambitious.

I sat on the foot of the bed, thinking of how best to solve this matter. 

My life had turned upside down in a matter of hours, and I didn't know how to fix it.

I spent the entire day in my room, feeling lost and unsure of what to do. In the evening, my phone rang. It was Mira calling to check on me.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

I sighed deeply. "How is she?" I asked, referring to Leah.

"Still crying. She won't come out of her room," Mira replied. My heart sank. I could only imagine how hurt Leah must be feeling. If I were in her shoes, I would feel the same way.

"I was drugged, Mira," I told her, hoping she could help me explain my side of the story to Leah.

"By that bitch," she said angrily.

I shook my head. "I don't think she did it, Mira," I said softly in an attempt to protect Camila. There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"May I speak with Leah?" I asked, hoping for a chance to talk to her directly.

"She isn't in a good mood. I will speak to her," Mira said before hanging up. I could tell that my defence of Camila had upset her.

There was a knock on my bedroom door. 

"Come in," I said, not really caring who it was. 

To my surprise, it was Camila pushing a food cart. She was the last person I wanted to see. She looked as if she didn't want to be here either. She looked distraught and unsettled, as if she was trying to function through the mess.

Camila was silent as she nervously set the food down. I could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes.

"Master Ronan, your dinner," she said, her voice shaky and full of fear.

"Did you drug the drink in the decanter?" I finally asked her. I realised that just as Leah didn't give me a chance to explain, I hadn't given Camila a chance either. 

She quickly shook her head, and I saw tears streaming down her face. She was traumatised, too. It was supposed to be her first time, but she had no memory of it either. 

My father was right to go easy on her. Although I had a lot of work to do to fix things with Leah, I couldn't punish Camila as she seemed to be suffering as well.

"Who gave you the liquor that you served?" I asked her. She shook her head, unwilling to tell me who it was.

"It is the only way I would believe you had no hand in this, Camila," I said. She remained silent, tears streaming down her cheeks. It was clear she didn't want to get anyone in trouble.

"I will find out, you know," I said, urging her to speak.

"It was no one. I poured the drink into the bottle and brought it up myself," she said, indirectly taking the blame. It was then that I knew she was protecting someone, likely her mother. I didn't push it further. 

We were both in pain. There was no need to make things worse. There was no point in punishing someone who was already suffering. I planned to let it go. I still had a wedding to salvage.

"Master Ronan, I would like you to request a new servant, please. I do not think it is wise for me to serve you after this," Camila said, her voice trembling. She wanted to escape from all this chaos.

"There will be no need. You may go," I replied. She nodded and left the room quietly.

I sat there, deep in thought, trying to figure out what to do next. Camila was an innocent woman who had been used by her mother, probably in a desperate attempt to climb up the social ladder. But at what cost? It had cost me my relationship with Leah, a woman I loved dearly.

I didn't want to be a cold-hearted bastard, but how could I navigate this situation without hurting anyone? I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. 

I looked at the tray of food that had been served, and for the first time, I didn't trust it. The events of the past day had left me paranoid and unsure of everything.