Chapter 127
Stella couldn’t quite grasp what Marvin was trying to say.
Marvin continued, “I just checked, and Mr. O’Brien’s table ordered the exact same thing as ours. Stella mentioned that Keen has a nut allergy, and we did order a slice of nut-filled cake.”
Stella shot a cold look at Rachel. “Now, do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Rachel’s shoulders slumped as she stared at the floor. “I… I didn’t know the cake had nuts in it,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Haynes jumped in before Stella could respond, his tone defensive. “Come on, Stella. It was an honest mistake. You’re acting like she did this on purpose.”
“It was Keen who saw what you were having and insisted on having the same. This isn’t Rachel’s fault,” Haynes added.
Stella turned her gaze to Haynes. “Fine, she didn’t know Keen was allergic to nuts. But as Keen’s father, didn’t you?”
Haynes avoided Stella’s gaze. “I don’t eat sweets often, so I wasn’t aware cakes could have nuts in them.”
“Sweets?” Stella’s eyes narrowed. “Keen is lactose intolerant. He can’t have dairy-laden desserts like cream cake. You might not have known about the nuts, but surely you knew about the milk and cream?”
Haynes looked uncomfortable under Stella’s questioning.
Rachel tried to jump in and support Haynes. “Ms. Cameron, children are always drawn to sweet treats, especially desserts.”
“The more you tell them they can’t have it, the more they want it. Sometimes they might even sneak a taste. It’s better to let them have a small bite in front of us than to eat it behind our backs…”
Stella interrupted Rachel without hesitation. “Is that the flawed logic you’re using to convince Haynes and Keen that it’s okay?”
Rachel looked like a deer caught in headlights, seemingly helpless.
“I didn’t mean it that way. Ms. Cameron, you’ve got me all wrong…”
Haynes finally snapped, throwing his hands up. “Jesus, Stella – at least this way we’re here if something happens! You’d rather he stuffs his face with god-knows- what when no one’s looking?”
Stella wasn’t about to back down. “Letting him eat something that could cause a severe allergic reaction, potentially endangering his life, is what you call better?”
Haynes fell silent. After a moment, he finally spoke, “This was… just an unfortunate accident.”
Stella responded with a sarcastic smile.
Just then, Marvin, sitting beside Stella, chimed in. “Stella, it’s so strange.”
Stella glanced down at Marvin. “What’s strange?”
Marvin, with childlike innocence, remarked, “Mr. O’Brien and Rachel keep saying everything they do is for Keen’s benefit, yet they don’t even know he’s allergic to nuts. They know he can’t have sweets, but they still let him eat things that aren’t good for him, claiming it’s for his own good. That’s really strange!”
A nearby medic couldn’t help but join the conversation.
“Letting a kid have a bit of dessert every now and then isn’t usually a big deal, but it has to be when they’re healthy.”
“From what you’ve said, this child is lactose intolerant and allergic to nuts, meaning his digestive system is likely quite sensitive.”
“High-calorie, heavy foods like desserts aren’t great for adults in excess, let alone kids.”
“In this situation, giving him such food isn’t doing him any favors—it’s harmful.”