Chapter 177
"No... that's not..."
No one paid her any attention. The footage continued.
After the maid left, she circled around to the dog kennel. She glanced left and right, confirming no one was around, then pulled a key from her pocket, opened the iron gate, and let Diesel out.
The maid then jogged over to a shadowy corner of the garden.
And there, someone was already waiting.
Dahlia.
The two of them hid behind a tree, their eyes fixed on Lucinda in the distance, clearly waiting to watch the show unfold. It was all captured perfectly on camera.
Every trace of color drained from Dahlia's face. "No... that's impossible..."
The surveillance footage continued. What happened next was identical to what had occurred that afternoon.
Diesel charged at Lucinda, then was subdued by a single glance from her. It wagged its tail and trotted over affectionately.
Lucinda discovered the drug, looked toward the two figures behind the tree, then scooped up dirt and flung it all over Dahlia.
Diesel caught the scent of the drug and turned to pounce on the real target.
Dahlia screamed as she was chased around the yard, tumbling into the lawn, utterly disheveled.
The entire process was captured clearly.
The surveillance ended. The entire room was deathly silent.
The next second, a sharp slap rang out.
Dahlia's head snapped to the side. Half her face swelled up rapidly.
She clutched her cheek, disbelief written all over her face, murmuring, "Mom..."
Valencia was trembling all over, her eyes red. "Dahlia! What on earth were you doing? Do you realize that was a full-grown hunting dog? What if Cindy had actually been bitten? What if something had happened? How could you be so vicious?"
Tears instantly streamed down Dahlia's face. "Mom... I didn't... I just wanted to play a joke on her... I really didn't mean to hurt her... I didn't think it would turn out like this..."
"A joke?" Valencia's voice trembled with rage. "Letting a crazed dog loose to bite someone—that's a joke? Smearing drugs on Cindy—that's a joke? Dahlia, do you think I'm an idiot?"
Just then, footsteps sounded from outside.
"What's going on?"
Wesley strode in, followed by Manuel, who'd just gotten home.
The two quickly reviewed the surveillance footage. The living room fell silent once again.
Manuel looked at the figure hiding behind the tree, waiting to watch the show. He felt like he was looking at a stranger. His heart felt cold.
"Dahlia." His voice was heavy. "I always thought you were just a little willful. I never imagined you'd do something like this."
Dahlia's face went deathly pale. "Manuel... I really know I was wrong..."
She dropped to her knees with a thud, tears streaming down endlessly. "Mom, I'll never do it again. I really just wanted to play a joke on her. Please forgive me this once..."
Valencia closed her eyes, her chest heaving violently.
After a long moment, she slowly opened them. The indulgence that used to fill her gaze when she looked at Dahlia was gone. "Dahlia, I've always loved you like my own daughter. But today, you've disappointed me completely."
As those words fell, Dahlia's body swayed violently. Her face turned as white as paper.
Lucinda, standing not far away, simply watched everything quietly.
Manuel was silent for a long time before speaking again, his voice heavy. "Dad, Mom, have Dahlia move out."
One sentence. The entire living room went deathly still.
Dahlia's head snapped up. She looked like she couldn't believe her ears. Every trace of color drained from her face. "Manuel..."
But Manuel wouldn't look at her anymore. His gaze was full of disappointment. "I don't want Cindy to face any more danger. This time it was a dog. What about next time? Will there be something else?"
"Dahlia, you're not a child anymore. You need to take responsibility for your actions."
Dahlia trembled all over. Tears burst forth like a dam breaking. "No... Manuel, please don't..."
She practically crawled over and clutched desperately at Manuel's pant leg. "Manuel, I know I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please don't make me leave! I've lived at the Douglas Estate for over twenty years—this is my home!"
She sobbed heartbreakingly, slamming her forehead hard against the floor.
After just a few strikes, her forehead was red and swollen.
"Mom! Dad! Please! Don't make me leave! I really know I was wrong!"
Valencia watched the scene, her eyes reddening slightly. But remembering the surveillance footage, she ultimately steeled her heart and turned her face away.
Wesley stood nearby, his expression equally complicated. Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, suddenly—
A figure dropped heavily to her knees.
Everyone looked over at once. It was Uma.
Her face was deathly pale. Tears poured out instantly.
"Mrs. Douglas! This has nothing to do with Ms. Douglas! It was all me!"
Dahlia's body stiffened. She whipped her head around to look at her.
Uma gritted her teeth, as if throwing caution to the wind. "I was jealous of Ms. Wipere! I also felt it was unfair to Ms. Douglas! Ms. Douglas has lived in the Douglas family for over twenty years. Since childhood, she's been kind to everyone—good to the servants, never putting on airs with us lower staff."
"But after Ms. Wipere came back, everyone started revolving around Ms. Wipere. Ms. Douglas didn't do anything wrong, but she's treated like an outsider!"
As she spoke, her eyes grew redder and redder. "I just couldn't stand it! Why? Ms. Douglas has lived in the Douglas family for over twenty years! Just because Ms. Wipere is the biological daughter, everyone dotes on her and protects her. So what about all the years Ms. Douglas spent here? What do her feelings count for?"
No one in the living room spoke. Uma sobbed, her face streaming with tears, and continued. "Ms. Douglas has been kind to me. My son almost lost his job before, and it was Ms. Douglas who helped him keep it. I've always remembered that kindness, so I wanted to stand up for Ms. Douglas."
Dahlia's pupils contracted slightly. Her tears fell even harder. "Uma, stop talking..."
But Uma acted as if she hadn't heard, continuing on. "I was the one who got that drug. I was the one who bribed the new maid. I told her to bump into Ms. Wipere. I was the one who let the dog out. Ms. Douglas didn't know anything. She only realized something was wrong later and ran over to see. Before she could stop it, the dog went after her."
She grew more agitated, even starting to slap herself. "It's all my fault! It's all on me! Mrs. Douglas, if you want to punish someone, punish me! Ms. Douglas has nothing to do with this!"
The living room fell silent again. Valencia frowned, clearly surprised.
Manuel's face also darkened. "What about the surveillance?"
Uma's body trembled. She gritted her teeth. "I deleted the surveillance too. I was afraid of being exposed, so I deleted the data early on."
At this point, she couldn't help but look up at Lucinda, a trace of fear in her eyes. "I didn't expect... I didn't expect Ms. Wipere could actually recover it."
After saying this, she lowered her head as if resigned to her fate.
Lucinda stood to the side, not having said a word the entire time. But now, she suddenly let out a soft laugh.
That single sound drew everyone's eyes to her.
Dahlia's heart tightened sharply.
Lucinda slowly lifted her gaze, her cool eyes landing on Uma's face. "So loyal?"
Uma's body stiffened.
Lucinda spoke slowly and deliberately. "You prepared the drug, you arranged the person, you deleted the surveillance, you let the dog out—you did everything. So I'm very curious..."
She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving in an extremely faint arc. "How did you know when I'd be coming back?"
One sentence. Uma's face instantly went white.
Lucinda continued. "You're a servant in charge of logistics. Where did you get the authority to access the surveillance system?"