Chapter 5

For the next few days, there was no main plot, but there was plenty of side drama.

Bianca's pain attacks got more frequent and more bizarre.

Sometimes she'd be eating dinner and suddenly clutch her stomach and scream that something had stabbed right through it.

Sometimes she'd be walking down the hall and drop to her knees, howling that her ankle tendon had snapped.

But every checkup said she was healthy enough to run a marathon.

The staff started whispering.

"Do you think Miss Carrington is... you know..." Someone tapped their temple.

"She's milking the poor-little-me act way too hard."

"Mrs. Rhodes is the one I feel sorry for. Mr. Rhodes yells at her all the time."

I listened to all of it and kept my mouth shut. The truth? I'd eaten way too much crawfish with way too much beer and spent a long night in the bathroom. Then I'd pulled something during a yoga stretch.

A week after the pool, the next big plot event rolled around.

Sebastian threw Bianca a lavish birthday party, and I, his actual wife, sat in a corner.

Bianca wore her signature white dress and stood at Sebastian's side, smiling sweetly. When she spotted me, her eyes went dark for a second before her perfect smile snapped back into place.

"Daisy, you look stunning tonight." She walked over and handed me a glass of champagne.

I took it but didn't drink. First, I pinged the System in my head.

"Sys, does the pain transfer cover poison? Like whatever she just put in this glass?"

The System answered right away. "Yes. Every negative effect on your body, pain and physical reactions included, transfers one hundred percent to Bianca. The drug will still be in your system, but you won't feel a thing."

Got it. I was basically a walking pill bottle. I take the pill, she gets the side effects.

"Thanks, Bianca." I clinked my glass against hers, smiling, and knocked it back in one go.

A flicker of triumph crossed her face. She drained her own glass too.

Halfway through the party, I started to feel... well, nothing at all.

But something was off with Bianca.

From across the room, I watched her cheeks flush pink. She kept fanning herself, and her eyes had gone glassy.

A society wife standing next to her asked, "Miss Carrington, are you all right? Your face is so red."

"I'm f-fine... just a little warm..."

She tugged at her neckline as she said it.

I looked down at the slice of cake I'd just picked up. Mango mousse. Not bad.

Ten more minutes, and Bianca could barely stand.

But even like this, she hadn't forgotten her plan for me.

She gripped the edge of a table, breathing hard, then wobbled over and took my hand.

"Daisy, you've had too much to drink, haven't you? Let me take you to the lounge to lie down..."

I recited my line with a straight face. "I am a little dizzy..."

She was the one seeing double, so she'd never notice. Besides, the lounge had its own dessert table. Up there, I could eat as much as I wanted.

Bianca half-dragged me up to the second-floor lounge, pushed the door open, and steered me inside.

"Y-you rest here. I'll go get Sebastian..." Her voice shook. She stumbled out in a hurry.

I heard her outside telling a server, "Mrs. Rhodes had too much to drink. She's in the lounge. Could you please ask Mr. Rhodes to come up?"

Then her footsteps turned around, came right back into the lounge, and went straight into the bathroom.

She must have been seriously dizzy. She couldn't even find her way out.

Not my problem, though.

The second she was gone, I sprang off the couch and made a beeline for the dessert table in the corner.

Oh, wow. A three-tier tower. Macarons, tiramisu, strawberry shortcake, a chocolate fountain... Whoever the Rhodes family chef was, they deserved a raise.

I loaded up a plate, plopped onto the couch, and started inhaling.

I'd gotten through about three slices of cake when the door eased open.

Three shifty-looking guys poked their heads in, spotted me, and froze.

I froze too, half a bite of tiramisu still on my fork.

"Are you guys lost?" I asked with my mouth full.

The ringleader checked his phone, then looked at me. "Red dress... You're Mrs. Rhodes?"

"That's me." I nodded and went back to my cake.

The three of them exchanged looks.

"But the lady who hired us said... she said you'd be drugged, and you'd be... into it," the ringleader said, looking very confused.

"Oh, that. Guess it hasn't kicked in yet? Wanna wait a bit?" I licked my fork.

The three of them just stared at me.

Right then, strange sounds drifted out of the bathroom.

"Mmm... so hot... I can't take it..."

The bathroom door swung open.