I was having dinner at an upscale restaurant with my daughter and her husband. After they left, the waiter leaned down and whispered something that made me freeze in my seat.

Dinner dragged on for another thirty minutes. I ordered a fresh juice, claiming the first was too sweet, and I observed them. Every smile seemed strained, every movement tinged with nervous tension. I watched them both with a new, horrifying clarity.

When we finally parted ways outside, Rachel wrapped her arms around me with a strange, almost desperate tightness. “I love you, Mom,” she said—her tone too loud, too cheerful to be real. For a brief, aching second, I wanted to believe her.

I got into my car and stayed put, watching their car until it vanished around the corner. I was reaching for the ignition when a soft tap hit my window. I turned to see Victor—the quiet, composed waiter who had served us throughout the evening. His expression was solemn, and the sight of it sent my heartbeat skittering.

I rolled down the window. “Yes, Victor?”

“Mrs. Helen,” he said in a low voice, looking around nervously as if he feared being overheard. “Forgive me for intruding, but there’s something I… I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

He hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to do. “When you stepped out to answer the phone,” he began, swallowing hard. “I saw something. I was serving the next table, and… I saw your daughter put something in your glass. A white powder, from a small vial she took from her purse. Her husband was looking around, as if on watch, to make sure no one saw.”

My blood ran cold. Even though I had already suspected something, hearing the confirmation from a witness was devastating. It was a truth so monstrous I could barely comprehend it. “Are you absolutely sure about this?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Victor nodded, his gaze direct and firm. “Absolutely, ma’am. I’ve been working here for fifteen years. I’ve never meddled in a customer’s life, but I couldn’t stay silent about this. I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”

“Did you tell anyone else?”

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