As the last traces of air slipped away, Raymond was struck by a thought–one he’d never considered from the very beginning.
Miss Sinclair had forgotten to tell him… how to save himself.
The edges of his vision blurred. Terror clawed at him, and his hands flailed desperately for anything to hold onto.
He wanted to live.
He had to live!
“Cough–cough–cough-”
A gush of water burst from his chest, and he gasped for air.
Slowly, Raymond’s eyes fluttered open. Celestine, soaked to the skin, hovered over him, her face alight with relief. “Raymond, you’re awake!”
“Mom…”
The word slipped out, his mind a blank slate.
As consciousness returned, sluggish thoughts began to form. He’d nearly died just now. His mother had saved him.
But soon, he’d need to keep lying–to say it was his mom who’d pushed him into the
water.
Yet…
He parted his lips, wanting to say something to Celestine.
Suddenly, a noisy crowd swarmed the edge of the pool.
Leading the charge, Dahlia wailed with abandon. “My darling boy! Oh, my precious! Granny’s here–are you alright?”
Celestine was jostled aside, left disheveled and stranded beyond the throng.
Raymond spotted his grandmother–always the one to dote on him. Tears welled up, and in his distress, hé burst into sobs. “Grandma, I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you again.”
“My sweet boy, you nearly gave me a heart attack!”
Grandmother and grandson clung to each other, crying in each other’s arms, the
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scene heavy with sorrow.
Joanna spoke up at just the right moment. “Dahlia, Raymond’s still in those wet clothes. Let him get changed first–we can talk about what happened after.”
Sniffling, Dahlia wiped her eyes and helped Raymond to his feet.
Then, in full view of everyone, she strode over to Celestine, who stood frozen with shock.
A sharp slap rang out, landing hard across Celestine’s cheek–so forceful it left a red welt that threatened to bleed.
Her hair fell in a tangled mess, her head knocked to the side. Still, it wasn’t enough to satisfy Dahlia’s rage. She raised her hand again for a second strike–but this time, Celestine’s slender fingers caught her wrist midair.
Celestine’s gaze sharpened. “The first slap–I accept. I should have watched Raymond more closely, and he fell in. But the second? I suggest you reconsider. I just saved your grandson’s life. You’d do well to count your blessings and leave it
at that.”
Dahlia trembled with fury. “How dare you, Celestine! My grandson nearly died because of your carelessness, and you still have the nerve to argue? Do you realize you almost cost her her life? If anything had happened to my boy, I’d see you pay for it!”
“Mother, that’s enough!”
Chester, arriving just in time, paled at the scene.
Raymond tugged at his grandmother’s sleeve, his voice gentle. “Grandma, I’m okay. Really.”
Joanna addressed them calmly. “Dahlia, Chester–Raymond is old enough to know the dangers of a pool. How did he end up here, and in the deep end, no less? Thank goodness Celly was there to pull him out. Someone clearly wasn’t paying attention.”
Her words were measured, not outright blaming Celestine, but enough to stir doubts among the onlookers.
Chester glanced at Celestine, her clothes dripping wet, and the angry handprint vivid on her cheek. His gaze drifted lower–her stomach still rose and fell with each breath, no sign of anything amiss.
He let out a silent sigh of relief. She didn’t know she was pregnant yet. If she had,
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she’d never have risked her life for Raymond.
A voice rang out from the crowd. “I saw it! Mrs. Fordham pushed the young master into the pool!”
