Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce

"I only used a sleeping drug on you. It won’t hurt you, I swear!"

Fiona Linton actually raised her hand as if taking an oath, her wide, innocent eyes blinking as she looked at Chloe Reed.

Chloe Reed nodded, then typed on her phone. An electronic female voice rang out, "It’s fine, as long as the misunderstanding is cleared up."

Fiona Linton smiled. "You’re so nice!"

But Daniel Hayes asked, "You hate the Holloway family so much. What did they do to you?"

The smile on Fiona Linton’s face vanished instantly. She clenched her hands into fists, and the rims of her eyes turned red.

"Jasper Holloway killed my parents in an explosion."

Her words hung in the air, and the basement fell silent.

Daniel Hayes thought for a moment before asking, "What were your parents’ names?"

He paused, then continued, "You know who we are, so we need to know who you are. Otherwise, how can we be sure you aren’t one of the Holloways in disguise, just trying to win our trust?"

Fiona Linton bit her lip. "I’ll give you their information. You can investigate it all you want."

Then, a thought struck her, and she asked, "By the way, how did you find out about me?"

Nathaniel Monroe spoke up then. "Through a woman named Judith Pierce."

"Oh, Aunt Jensen!" Fiona Linton’s eyes lit up. "We worked together on an international rescue team. She and Uncle Grant eventually transferred to another unit, and I came back to Nancastle. We still keep in touch every now and then!"

As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and found a photo of herself with Judith Pierce, taken when they were on the rescue team.

The conditions in the photo were terrible, but they were smiling, dressed in white medical coats.

Daniel Hayes examined the photo closely, then nodded. "Alright. We understand."

"Let’s go out," Fiona Linton said. "We can take our time with this."

The group left the basement.

The middle-aged woman from before was bustling about in the living room. When she saw Fiona emerge with the others, she asked, "Fiona, did you get the wrong people?"

Fiona Linton stuck her tongue out playfully. "I did. It’s a good thing I didn’t do anything serious to them, or I’d really be in the wrong."

Nathaniel Monroe retorted, "What more could you have done? You drugged us and tied us up. You’re completely out of control!"

Fiona Linton glanced at him, but knowing she was in the wrong, she didn’t argue back.

Auntie King smiled. "I’m sorry, young man. She was just too impulsive. She thought you were here to hurt her, so she was just trying to protect herself. Please don’t hold it against her."

Nathaniel Monroe’s expression froze for a moment. He quickly said, "Auntie, I was just complaining. I don’t blame her."

Auntie King nodded. "That’s good. I could tell you weren’t bad people the moment I saw you. Are you here to see Fiona because you’re not feeling well?"

Nathaniel Monroe nodded. "Yes, we are."

"Please, have a seat while I go start dinner. You all can talk, and please stay and eat with us tonight." Seeing the unusual way Fiona was treating her guests, Auntie King took the liberty of inviting them to stay.

"Have a seat," Fiona Linton said. "Tell me exactly what’s going on."

The group sat down, and Daniel Hayes explained how Chloe Reed and Walker Grant had been poisoned.

Fiona Linton took Chloe Reed’s hand and began checking her pulse. She didn’t have a very solemn demeanor; she chatted with Chloe as she worked, and Chloe simply nodded or shook her head in response.

After a moment, she withdrew her hand. "Let’s start with a detox," she said. "We’ll see how you respond to that."