
Suki Langford, a manipulative sweetheart, joined the restaurant as an apprentice. Knowing my father had a severe nut allergy, Suki still mixed almond flour into the gluten-free batter. He collapsed from anaphylactic shock in the middle of his birthday banquet and died before the ambulance even arrived.
I stood there frozen in horror. Before I could say a word, Suki had already burst into tears and thrown herself into my husband Derek Shaw's arms.
"Claire, I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I only added a little almond flour because I thought it would improve the texture…"
Derek immediately pulled her behind him and glared at me.
"Your father's health was his own responsibility," he snapped. "If he could die from a single bite of food, how is that Suki's fault?"
I nearly lost my mind.
During the argument that followed, Derek shoved me backward into the industrial oven behind me. My skin blistered instantly beneath the scorching heat. By the time the staff dragged me out, most of my body had already been badly burned.
After I was hospitalized, Suki volunteered to take care of me. She even brought what she claimed was a homemade burn remedy. What she never told anyone was that the ointment had been mixed with concentrated lemon extract.
By the next morning, my wounds had turned badly infected. I died of septicemia less than twenty-four hours later.
Right before I lost consciousness, I heard Suki crying softly in Derek's arms.
"It's all my fault," she whispered through tears. "If I hadn't prepared the ointment incorrectly, Claire wouldn't have died…"
Derek stroked her hair gently and lowered his voice to comfort her.
"Stop blaming yourself. Severe burns carry a high risk of infection to begin with. This had nothing to do with you."
In the end, thanks to Derek's connections and careful arrangements, both my father's death and mine were ruled tragic accidents.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the morning of my father's birthday banquet.

