Chapter 31 Rachel's Face Developed Red Spots
The next day.
It was the first day of school at Prestige High.
At 7:30 AM, Tobias groggily rolled out of bed, his hair a tangled mess.
He was brushing his teeth in the bathroom when he suddenly heard a scream from Rachel's room, followed by the sound of something shattering. The noise jolted him awake.
It wasn't just Tobias who was startled. Even Robert and Jenny on the third floor were woken up, as well as Kevin, who had just finished showering. Hearing Rachel's scream, they all rushed over.
Amelia, already awake on the first floor, also hurried to Rachel's room.
When they opened the door, they were shocked to see the floor covered with shards of a broken mirror.
"Rachel? What happened?" Jenny, wrapped in a shawl, looked stunned as she called out.
Rachel, trembling in her pajamas, turned around with her hand over her face. "Mom, look at my face," she said, her voice quivering with tears.
Rachel's eyes were filled with tears, and as soon as she lowered her hand, everyone gasped.
Especially Jenny, who looked utterly incredulous.
Rachel's cheeks were dotted with several red blotches of varying sizes, stark against her skin.
"Mom, my face is ruined! What am I going to do?" Rachel cried, collapsing into Jenny's arms, looking nothing like her usual composed self.
Rachel wasn't exactly beautiful, more like plain but neat. She spent a lot of money on beauty treatments, makeup, and clothes, making her look elegant and stylish.
But now, with her bare face and those red blotches, she looked quite shocking.
It was indeed a startling sight.
"What happened?" Robert asked, equally shocked. "Rachel, how did your face end up like this?"
Kevin quickly asked, "Did you eat something you're allergic to? Or is it eczema? How did these red blotches suddenly appear?"
Tobias was just as surprised, but Jenny was speechless. She knew exactly what those red blotches were from—the effects of the red lychee pollen she had intended for Amelia.
But Amelia...
Jenny quickly turned to look at Amelia, who stood at the back. Amelia's face was still pristine, her beauty even more striking in its simplicity. Her big eyes looked at Rachel with genuine concern.
Jenny felt a sharp pain in her chest.
What was going on?
Why was Amelia perfectly fine while Rachel had the red blotches?
Could the cook have mistakenly put the pollen in Rachel's porridge instead of Amelia's? Or did the maid serve the wrong bowl?
Given the situation, it seemed the only explanation was that Rachel had accidentally consumed the porridge meant for Amelia.
"Rachel, don't worry," Kevin said, taking a deep breath. "I'll call Dr. Palmer right now to check on you."
Kevin reached for his phone, but Jenny snatched it away.
"No, we can't call the doctor!" Jenny said sharply.
Kevin was taken aback. "Why not, Mom?"
Jenny was at a loss for words.
Red lychee pollen was toxic and only found in Vesperia. It wasn't something that could be easily explained if Rachel went to the hospital or if a doctor came to the house.
If Kevin found out that Rachel had been home all day and only ate food from the house, he would question the cooks and maids and possibly report it as a poisoning attempt.
If things escalated, how would they handle it?
As the Martinez family matriarch, Jenny couldn't admit she had obtained the pollen to harm her stepdaughter Amelia, only for it to backfire on Rachel.
So, calling a doctor was out of the question.
"I'm saying," Jenny took a deep breath, "Rachel's face looks like an allergic reaction. It's not serious enough to bother Dr. Palmer so early."
"And with Prestige High School starting today, we don't have time to deal with this. Rachel can wear a mask or use makeup to cover it up. We'll check again after school. It might clear up by tonight."
Rachel, her face tear-streaked, understood Jenny's implication.
She had seen the cook put the pollen in Amelia's porridge herself.
Whatever had gone wrong, she was now the one with the red blotches, and she couldn't say a word about it.
If Kevin found out that she and Jenny had intended to harm Amelia, he would be furious.
So, she had to bear it.
"Mom's right," Rachel sniffled. "It's probably just an allergy. I'll cover it up and go to school. Dad, Kevin, Tobias, don't worry."
"You guys go ahead. I need to change and get ready for school."
Since Rachel insisted, everyone left her room. Only Jenny stayed behind, likely to discuss something with Rachel.
Kevin and Robert went back upstairs, while Tobias glanced at Amelia.
Even though it was early, Amelia was already dressed and ready, wearing a simple white T-shirt and light blue jeans that Tobias had helped her pick out.
Her high ponytail revealed her smooth forehead, making her look fresh and clean.
Her clear eyes and delicate features were striking, even without makeup. Her skin was flawless, like a peeled egg, making Tobias want to reach out and touch it.
"Rachel said you were studying late last night. Did you stay up?" Tobias asked.
Amelia smiled. "You're the one with dark circles under your eyes. Looks like you didn't get enough sleep."
"I..." Tobias scratched his head. "I was gaming until about two. Now that school has started, I'll sleep earlier."
Amelia nodded. Tobias was about to head upstairs to change when Amelia stopped him.
"Tobias, wait..."
Tobias looked down as Amelia stood on her tiptoes, gently cupping his chin, making him hold his breath.
Her hand was cool, and her thumb brushed against his lips, wiping away a bit of toothpaste.
"Tobias, you were in such a hurry you left toothpaste on your lips," Amelia said with a sweet smile. "All done. Go change, and I'll wait for you downstairs."