The words stung, each one a needle pricking Amber's already frazzled nerves. She bit back a retort, unwilling to give Sonya the satisfaction of seeing her react.
Sonya, however, wasn't done. She demanded tea, then steak for dinner, her entitlement as suffocating as the air in the kitchen. Amber, irritated and distracted, slipped while chopping vegetables, nicking her finger. Blood welled instantly, a vivid contrast against the cutting board.
Feigning concern, Sonya quickly offered to drive Amber to the hospital. But there was no genuine sympathy behind her suggestion.
As if fate conspired against her, they ran into Iris in the hospital hallway.
"Sonya! You came to see me? That's so sweet of you!" Iris exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she clutched Sonya's arm. Without giving Amber or Sonya a chance to explain, Iris cheerfully dragged them into her hospital room.
Amber's head throbbed. She knew all too well the precarious line Calvin walked between his family and Iris. He despised Sonya and Felix, his illegitimate brother and made it clear they were not to have any interaction with Iris. Calvin's resentment toward them ran deep, stemming from complicated family dynamics.
Amber hesitated for only a moment before following them into the room, her unbandaged finger forgotten. She couldn't risk leaving Sonya alone with Iris, knowing full well how volatile the situation could become.
Inside, Iris was all smiles, blissfully unaware of the tension simmering beneath the surface. "Calvin, you brought mango cake for me again?" she squealed, her face lighting up as she noticed the box in Calvin's hand. "How did you know I've been craving this so much lately? It's like we're connected!"
Amber froze as Iris bounced over to Calvin, taking the cake from him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Driver lady, will you be staying to eat cake with me?" Iris asked, her tone light and casual, completely oblivious to the significance of her words.
Though she couldn't figure out when the Sawyers had hired a female driver, Iris had seen Amber twice now, always accompanying family members. This woman had to be a driver, there was no doubt about it.
Amber's heart sank. The fact that Calvin had introduced her to Iris as his driver the other day only deepened her pain.
"Driver lady, do you like mango cake?" Iris asked with a curious smile.