PARALYZED BY DECEIT

Chapter 3: A Sudden Turn

Keira's POV

The ringing in my ears from my alarm blaring was what I had woken up to. I reached over groggily to turn it off, realizing that I had overslept. Panic set in, and I threw off the covers before racing to the bathroom. I showered and got dressed quickly; my heart was beating fast.

As I ran downstairs, the smell of food cooking on the stove hit me. I was quite shocked to find Kae standing in the kitchen, flipping pancakes as if she were a master. The comforting warm smells of newly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon filled the kitchen.

"Kae, let me finish," I said, trying to relieve her.

But Kae just smiled and told me to sit down and eat. "I've got this, Kaira. You just sit and relax."

"I can help," I insisted.

"No, really, I've got it," Kae said, her voice firm but friendly.

I was taken aback by her sudden kindness, but there was no questioning. I would sit down at the table, feeling a little dazed from my rushing around that morning.

"Good morning, all," my father said as he took his seat at the head of the table. "I see Kae has taken charge of breakfast."

"Yes, Dad," Kae said, smiling sweetly. "I thought I'd help out."

My father smiled, seeming to approve of Kae's initiative. "Well, thank you, Kae. That's very thoughtful of you."

Soon, we were all gathered, except Nadia,around the table, having breakfast. My father reminded us about the business party tonight and dropped his credit card on the table.

"Go shopping and get your nails and hair done," he instructed Kae and me, "I want you both looking your best tonight."

"Okay, Dad," Kae said, picking up the credit card.

I nodded, feeling a well of anxiety suddenly. I was not exactly relishing the party, but knew I had to put on a good face.

After breakfast, I stood up to clear the plates. Kae assisted me, and we did the job in silence. After we were done, I went into my room to fetch my phone and purse.

Upon entering my room, I felt a wave of nausea overcome me. I began to see the world blur around me as I struggled to stay upright in the room. I tried to sit on my bed, but my legs simply gave out from underneath me.

"Help!" I screamed right before my body hit the floor with a thud.

"Kaira!" I heard the voice of the old maid, though it sounded so vague and hazy.

Suddenly, my head felt seared with pain, and my mouth was filled with the taste of metal. I tried to call for help, but my voice came out no louder than a whisper.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor amidst a pool of blood. I had passed out, with blood streaming from my mouth.

"Kaira, oh my god!" This time, the voice of the maid was louder, and I could tell how panicked she sounded.

The body felt very heavy to raise; it did not act upon my command. The voice was very clear, screaming for help, but everything else was a blur.

"Somebody call 911!" shouted the old maid.

A hand touched my forehead, and the maid's voice whispered in my ear, "Kaira, stay with me. Please stay with me."

But I couldn't reply. It was all growing black.

As I slowly opened my eyes, bright sterile lights of a hospital room greeted me. Trying to get up, I had a wave of dizziness overwhelm me, and so I lay down. My head was pounding, my mouth dry and metallic.

A soft voice spoke beside me. "Welcome back, Miss Kaira. My name is Dr. Lee. You were rushed to the hospital by your maid after she found you unconscious on the floor."

I tried to remember what had happened, but my memories were hazy. I vaguely recalled eating breakfast, and then.nothing.

"What.what happened to me?" I stammered, trying to piece together the events of the morning.

The expression of the doctor was empathetic. "You had acute food poisoning. We've run some tests, and it looks like you'll be okay, but you need to rest and recover."

I knew something was off immediately; it was too good to be true that Kae was making breakfast. She must have spiked my food so I'm bedridden and won't be able to attend the dinner party, I thought, angry and betrayed.

Lying in bed, bemused about what was going on, it suddenly clicked in my head that I was supposed to have met with Officer James last night but was stopped by Nadia. I fumbled through my usual pocket for the phone in darkness and then dialed immediately his number, which then went directly into voicemail.

"Where is the maid?" I asked Dr. Lee.

"She left as soon as we rushed you into the emergency ward, but promised to come back after she is done with the work she had at hand." Dr Lee answered.

"Okay," i mumbled." Can i go home now? I feel much better already."

"Sure " Dr Lee said and few minutes later, i was outside the hospital.

I tried calling Officer James again,but the call went straight to voicemail.

I went to the police station to meet him, praying he would be there. But then I came into the station and got an eerie silence. The officers were all grim, their faces masks of sadness.

I approached the front desk with a quiver. "I'm looking for Officer James," I said.

The officer behind the desk glared up at me with sympathetic eyes. "I'm so sorry, Miss. Officer James was in an accident on his way home last night. He.he didn't make it."

I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. My eyes were wide in shock, and I couldn't catch my breath. The words just seemed to hang there, not fully taken in. Officer James was dead.