Chapter 1 - THE BIRTHDAY THAT TURNED INTO A NIGHTMAREThe living room had never looked more beautiful.
Pink balloons floated beneath the ceiling.
Silver ribbons hung from the staircase.
A giant banner stretched across the wall.
HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY, EMILY!
Children ran through the house wearing paper crowns.
Music played softly in the background.
The smell of chocolate filled the air.
At the center of everything sat Emily.
She wore a purple princess dress with tiny silver stars sewn into the skirt.
Her blonde hair was tied into two little ponytails.
She couldn't stop smiling.
“Daddy!”
David crouched beside her.
“What?”
“Can we cut the cake now?”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because Grandma hasn't taken a picture.”
Emily groaned dramatically.
“Grandma always takes too many pictures.”
David laughed.
“She says you're growing too fast.”
Emily looked toward the kitchen.
Her grandmother, Martha, stood there.
Seventy-five years old.
Silver hair.
Gentle eyes.
The woman who had practically helped raise Emily.
Martha smiled faintly.
But something was wrong.
David noticed it.
“Mom?”
Martha looked at him.
Her lips moved.
“What?”
“I asked if you're okay.”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
But her voice sounded strange.
Almost frightened.
David was about to walk toward her when another group of children called him.
“Uncle David!”
“Come see this!”
He turned.
“Just a second, Mom.”
Martha reached for him.
“David…”
He stopped.
“What?”
She whispered something.
He couldn't understand.
“Mom, what are you saying?”
Her eyes darted toward the cake.
“Emily…”
“What about her?”
Martha's hands trembled.
“Cake…”
David frowned.
“It's fine.”
“No.”
Her voice became urgent.
“Stop…”
David smiled awkwardly.
“Mom, it's her birthday.”
He walked away.
Martha remained standing in the kitchen.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the cake.
Something inside her seemed to break.
Then Emily's mother, Claire, called everyone over.
“Okay, everybody!”
“Birthday time!”
The children cheered.
Emily climbed onto her little chair.
David carried the cake toward her.
It was enormous.
Three layers.
Chocolate frosting.
Purple flowers.
White sugar butterflies.
Emily's eyes widened.
“It's perfect!”
Everyone laughed.
“Make a wish!” someone shouted.
Emily closed her eyes.
She smiled.
Then—
CRASH!
Martha stepped forward.
Before anyone could react, she raised her foot.
And stomped directly into the center of the cake.
Chocolate exploded across the carpet.
Frosting splattered onto the walls.
The children screamed.
Emily froze.
Her smile disappeared.
“Grandma?”
Martha stared at the destroyed cake.
Then she screamed.
“YOU CAN'T EAT IT!”
Everyone went silent.
David stared at his mother.
“Mom?”
Martha suddenly grabbed Emily by the hair.
“You little brat!”
Emily screamed.
“Daddy!”
David reacted instantly.
He rushed forward.
“LET HER GO!”
He pulled Martha away.
Martha fought wildly.
“No! No! You don't understand!”
David shoved her backward.
“Get away from my daughter!”
Martha fell.
The room became chaos.
Claire grabbed Emily.
Children cried.
Someone called 911.
Martha sat on the floor.
Her hair was disheveled.
Her breathing was rapid.
She looked terrified.
Not angry anymore.
Terrified.
“Peanuts…”
She whispered.
David froze.
“What?”
Martha pointed toward the cake.
“Peanuts…”
Then she began crying.
“Emily can't…”
David stared.
His heart started pounding.
An ambulance arrived minutes later.
Police officers entered.
Paramedics restrained Martha and prepared to take her to the hospital.
One officer handed David her handbag.
“This fell during the incident.”
David nodded.
“Thank you.”
He opened it.
Inside were keys.
A wallet.
A medication bottle.
Then he saw a crumpled piece of paper.
He unfolded it.
It was a bakery receipt.
Across the back were several lines written in Martha's shaky handwriting.
David read them.
PEANUTS.
THEY USED PEANUT FLOUR.
EMILY CANNOT EAT IT.
STOP THEM.
David's blood ran cold.
He looked at the ruined cake.
Then at Emily.
His daughter had a severe peanut allergy.
A tiny amount could send her into anaphylactic shock.
He suddenly remembered his mother trying to speak to him in the kitchen.
“Cake…”
“Stop…”
He had ignored her.
Because he thought she was confused.
David looked at the cake again.
May you like
And suddenly, destroying it didn't look like madness.
It looked like desperation.
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