11
1000 Words
“What the hell happened here?” Aidan’s voice cut through the room like a knife.
Nobody answered him. He walked inside the living room wearing a perfectly tailored black tuxedo and brown tussled hair that made him looked very handsome.
His sharp gaze swept across the living room, taking in every detail.
The overturned silver tray.
The drops of blood staining the white tiles.
Vanessa clutching her bleeding hand.
And me…
Standing a few feet away with blood running down my own palm and a burning handprint still visible across my cheek.
His eyes narrowed.
“What happened?” he repeated, slower this time.
Vanessa was the first to speak.
“Aidan…”
Her voice trembled as fresh tears filled her eyes.
“I… I don’t know what came over her.”
She looked at me as though she was genuinely frightened.
“I only corrected her for serving my guests carelessly.”
She lifted her injured hand.
“And then she completely lost control.”
The women sitting around the living room exchanged uncertain glances.
No one spoke. No one confirmed her story.
“I never…” I whispered.
Vanessa continued as though she hadn’t heard me.
“She called me names.”
Aidan’s gaze shifted toward me.
“Is that true?”
I lowered my eyes, unable to say anything.
“I corrected her because she wasn’t doing her job properly, and suddenly she started calling me names.” Vanessa dabbed at the corner of her eye dramatically. “Before I could react, she grabbed the broken glass.”
My eyes widened.
“No!”
“I tried to stop her.” Vanessa sniffled. “She must have panicked because the next thing I knew…”
She held up her bleeding palm.
“…I was cut.”
“I didn’t touch you!” I cried, unable to stop myself.
“I never touched you!”
The room fell silent.
Vanessa looked hurt by my accusation.
“So now you’re calling me a liar?”
“I…” My voice caught in my throat. “You are lying.”
Her lips trembled.
“Aidan…”
She moved closer to him.
“I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”
I looked at the guests desperately.
Surely one of them would speak.
One of them had seen what happened.
My eyes met those of the woman who had spoken earlier. She looked away.
Another guest suddenly became interested in her champagne.
Another adjusted her purse.
None of them spoke.
Not one.
My heart sank. I was completely alone.
Aidan remained silent for several long seconds.
His expression revealed nothing.
Then, without warning, he walked toward me.
Every step echoed through the room.
He stopped directly in front of me.
“So…”
His voice was calm.
“Did you attack her?”
I looked up into his eyes.
“No, sir.”
“Look at me and answer.” He said.
I forced myself to meet his gaze despite the tears threatening to fall.
“I didn’t attack her.”
“Then how did she get cut?”
“She picked up the glass herself,” I said desperately. “I swear she did.”
Vanessa let out a bitter laugh.
“Listen to yourself.” She shouted.
I ignored her.
“Please believe me.” I said desperately.
Aidan didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, his eyes dropped to my injured hand.
The cut across my palm was much deeper than Vanessa’s.
Blood was still dripping onto the marble floor.
He frowned.
“How did your hand get cut?”
I blinked.
“What?”
“Your hand.”
I looked down.
“I… I cut myself while cleaning the broken glass.” I said, trying hard not to cry yet.
“You were cleaning it with your bare hands?” He asked.
I nodded. “Why?” He asked.
“She told me to.” I answered.
There was silence in the room.
Aidan slowly turned toward Vanessa.
“You made her clean broken crystal gloves?” He asked her as though he couldn’t believe that she could do something like that.
Vanessa hesitated.
“Aidan. Are you serious? You’re asking me that? Are you believing her over me?” Her voice was sharp and defensive.
“I just want to know what on earth happened here.” He said coolly.
“I asked her to pick the broken pieces. I didn’t think she’d be careless enough to cut herself. And then call me names when I wanted to correct her.”
The room grew noticeably colder.
Something in Aidan’s expression changed.
He looked around the room.
“Ladies.” He said, turning to the women who have grown eerily quiet since he stepped into the living room.
Every one of them straightened when he addressed them.
“You were all here.” He began
No one answered.
“You all witnessed what happened.” He continued.
The silence was deafening.
His eyes settled on the woman who had earlier objected to Vanessa’s treatment of me.
“You.” He pointed at her.
She stiffened.
“Tell me exactly what happened here.” He demanded.
Vanessa’s smile disappeared. “Aidan…”
The woman looked from Aidan to Vanessa then back to Aidan.
Her fingers tightened around her champagne glass.
“I…”
She swallowed hard.
“I don’t…”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed a silent warning towards her.
The woman took a shaky breath.
Then closed her eyes for a brief second.
When she opened them again, she looked directly at Aidan.
“Mr. Hartwell…” She said as the entire room held its breath.
“I think…”
She paused.
Then pointed toward the security camera mounted in the corner of the living room.
“…if you want the total truth, the cameras saw everything.”
Every head turned toward the ceiling.
Including Vanessa’s.
For the first time since Aidan walked in…
The color drained from her face.
- Writer
