Hey, Mom, don’t sip from that cup! The new guy slipped something in it! Maria’s jaw dropped when she heard…

I’m not thirsty. I insist. Isla sat between them, clutching her stuffed fox so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Leonard let out a breath, then stood abruptly. Actually, I just remembered. I have an early meeting.

I’ll take this with me. He grabbed a thermos from the counter and turned away, pouring the tea into it while Clara’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t going to drink it.

He never intended to. That was all the confirmation Clara needed. As soon as he left, she locked the door behind him and turned to Isla.

Are you absolutely sure about what you saw? Isla nodded, tears welling in her eyes. He opened the cabinet, took a bottle with no label, and he poured a few drops into the cup. I saw him, Mom.

I swear. Clara knelt, holding her daughter’s trembling hands. I believe you.

I believe you with all my heart. She took the cup, still warm, and poured its contents carefully into a clean glass jar. She didn’t want to call the police yet, not without proof, but if Leonard thought he could fool them, he was wrong.

That night, Clara didn’t sleep. She lay in bed pretending to be asleep when Leonard returned. He moved around quietly, as if nothing had happened, even humming a tune while brushing his teeth.

But Clara felt his presence, like a shadow crawling up the walls. In the morning, she took Isla to school, and instead of heading to work, she went straight to a private lab in the city. The test would take two days, the technician said, two days of pretending, two days of danger.

Back home, Clara acted normal. She cooked. She smiled.

She played along. Leonard, now cautious, was sweeter than ever, bringing her flowers, massaging her shoulders, offering to run errands. But every time she turned away, she felt his eyes on her, watching, measuring, planning.

Two days later, the results arrived. Clara sat alone in her car, reading the report with shaking hands. The tea had tested positive for benzodiazepine, a powerful sedative, untraceable if consumed in small amounts, but capable of altering memory and consciousness.

She couldn’t breathe. Tears flooded her eyes. It was real…