Apologies and Ointment

With the undeniable physical proof of her severe allergic reaction silencing the room, the heavy tension shifted. The blistering red rash creeping up her forearm was impossible to fake. Margot calmly pulled her sleeve down to cover her swollen wrist, her expression untroubled as she turned her sharp gaze back to the family.

"Now that I have cleared my name," she announced, her voice steady and ringing through the quiet dining room, "I have a very important question for you, Missus Evelyn. I demand to know why you secretly transferred twenty-seven thousand dollars into the maid Amy Young’s personal bank account yesterday."

Evelyn’s face drained of color, her previous triumphant smirk vanishing in an instant.

Margot pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped the screen. She held it up, displaying a clear digital bank transaction receipt. "Knowing that a simple housemaid would never have the courage to frame me without receiving a massive bribe, I used my own resources to investigate Amy's financial records. The paper trail was easy to uncover."

"A-Amy's mother is dangerously ill!" Evelyn stammered defensively, desperate to salvage her shattered credibility. "She came to me begging for help. I was granting her a standard salary advance to cover the medical fees."

Alistair let out a deep, heavy sigh. His expression filled with cold disappointment as he dismantled his wife’s clumsy lie. "I was present when we hired Amy," he pointed out, his voice laced with quiet rage. "I remember very clearly that the girl is a registered orphan with no living family."

Evelyn opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out.

Alistair looked at Margot, his eyes reflecting deep guilt. "I promise to give you a proper, thorough explanation for this disgrace," he vowed. He then turned his stern gaze away from his wife. "Bennett, take Margot to the hospital immediately."

Outside, the night air offered a brief respite from the suffocating atmosphere of the mansion. As Margot opened the passenger door of Bennett’s car and slid into the leather seat, his deep, quiet voice broke the heavy silence.

"I apologize for everything that happened," he said.

Realizing he was apologizing on behalf of his mother’s terrible actions, Margot offered a soft, amused chuckle. She buckled her seatbelt and leaned back. "Are you all disappointed that I didn't get thrown out? Did you genuinely believe I was the thief?"

Bennett kept his strong hands gripped firmly on the steering wheel, his eyes focused straight ahead on the dark road. "I never believed it was you. I know you aren't nearly that stupid."

Margot smirked, agreeing with him. "You are right. Stealing petty jewelry would be foolish when I could simply marry into the family and become the wealthy Missus Ashcroft."

Bennett did not reply, his jaw set in a firm line as he navigated the city streets.

At the hospital, the on-duty doctor examined the angry, blistering welts on Margot's pale skin. The severe reaction had caused the affected areas to peel and swell dramatically. The doctor frowned and turned his ire on Bennett. Mistaking him for her partner, the doctor severely scolded him. "What kind of careless and neglectful boyfriend are you? You allowed her to touch pure gold despite knowing about her dangerous allergy? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Bennett’s lips pressed into a tight line, but he remained silent. He quietly accepted the harsh lecture, offering no defense as he paid the medical bill and retrieved the prescribed soothing ointment from the pharmacy counter.

When they returned to the quiet waiting bench in the corridor, Bennett sat beside Margot.

"Hands," he curtly demanded.

Margot extended her red, blistered arms. She watched him closely as he carefully opened the tube. He gently and meticulously applied the cold cream to her swollen skin, his large fingers moving with unexpected care. The cooling sensation provided immediate relief to the burning itch.

She offered a playful, lingering smile. "Despite your cold and indifferent exterior, you are actually sweet and attentive," she softly teased. "I think I like you even more now."

Bennett’s posture instantly stiffened. He pulled his hands back and coldly warned her once more, "I will never fall for you."

Margot chuckled, brushing his harsh rejection off as a joke. However, as she stood up from the bench to leave, Bennett stared at her retreating figure. A strange, unfamiliar emotion began to stir deep within his chest.