Chapter 3

Ellen stood dumbfounded. "What does this have to do with me?"

"They ate the lunch you prepared and started vomiting and having diarrhea. You're saying it's not your fault?" Samuel raged, veins bulging on his forehead. "Even if you're upset about them being close to Rosalyn, you can't play with their lives. That's just vicious."

Ellen shook her head in denial. "I didn't make the lunch."

After Rosalyn moved into the old house, Ellen stopped preparing lunches for the kids.

Every lunch she had made before was crafted with carefully chosen ingredients, impossible to cause food poisoning.

"Who else could it be?" Samuel scoffed coldly.

Ellen frowned, about to retort, when the emergency room door opened.

"The kids are fine now. Parents, be more careful. They can only have liquids for a while. How could you be so irresponsible?"

The two children opened their eyes weakly. Before Ellen could question them, they eagerly pointed fingers. "Mom made the lunch and forced us to eat every bit of it," they said in unison.

Ellen's body went cold, her voice trembling.

She closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them, only clarity remained.

With a cold laugh, she stepped forward, grabbing both children's arms and questioning them sharply. "Who told you to frame me?"

Belen burst into tears, struggling to cling to Samuel's arm. "We're not lying! Mom gave us the lunch. I thought she was trying to apologize, but she wanted to hurt us! Dad, I'm so scared!"

Nathan sniffled, looking aggrieved. "Dad, how could Mom be so cruel to us?"

Ellen laughed in exasperation, clenching her fists and demanding through gritted teeth. "Belen, Nathan, who gave you that lunch? Who taught you to lie? This is slander, and I..."

Samuel's hand swung down hard, slapping her.

He glared at her viciously. "I don't care if you're losing it, but the kids are my line in the sand. Hurt them, and I won't hold back."

"I told you it wasn't me," Ellen said, biting her jaw tightly, meeting Samuel's gaze fearlessly.

With a cold laugh, she raised her hand and slapped him back just as hard.

"You dare hit me?" Samuel clutched his face, disbelief etched across it.

His voice roared with fury. "They're only five! Would they lie to frame their own mother? You're so petty you nearly killed your own flesh and blood, and now you hit me? You're asking for it!"

Murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he grabbed Ellen's neck, squeezing slightly.

The children's cries grew louder, their faces pale.

Belen wiped her tears, whimpering. "Dad, does your face hurt? How could Mom do this to us? It's too much!"

Nathan sobbed loudly. "I don't want this awful mom! I hate her!"

Samuel threw Ellen to the ground, pulling the kids into his arms and comforting them softly. "You'll be okay."

Nathan wiped his tears, turning to Ellen with accusations. "Mom, we're your own kids. If you knew how awful food poisoning feels, you wouldn't treat us so cruelly."

Ellen's heart sank at his words.

She snapped her head up to look at Samuel, the pain of her nails digging into her palms grounding her.

Samuel let out a cold huff, a cruel smirk curling his lips. "Since you don't know how wrong you are, maybe you need to experience food poisoning yourself."

He waved his hand, signaling the bodyguards to pin Ellen to the ground. "Force the rest of the food into her."

The bodyguards roughly shoved the remaining food into Ellen's mouth.

She struggled and fought, the greasy food smearing everywhere in the chaos.

When it was over, she collapsed on the floor, utterly disheveled.

A wave of intense humiliation washed over Ellen as she glared at Samuel. "Do you even know who I am? You'll regret what you've done today."

Before she could finish, her face twisted, and she clutched her stomach in pain.

She grabbed a trash can, retching violently until she was nearly vomiting bile, unable to stop.