Alexander, You Can't Handle Spice

"What's wrong?" Evelyn asked, her surprise evident.

Cassandra cut in, her tone laced with false concern. "Alexander really shouldn't have spicy chicken wings. Maybe you should give him something different."

Evelyn's hand stopped halfway. She instinctively looked at Alexander, waiting for his reaction.

Alexander gave a warm smile. He placed the wing Evelyn had intended for him onto his own plate. "Thank you, Evelyn," he said. "I'm sure anything you choose will be fine."

Cassandra's anxiety seemed to intensify. She frowned at him, her voice dripping with worry. "Alexander, you know you can't eat spicy food. You have a slight allergy to chili. It's not worth the risk."

She didn't wait for his answer. Quickly, she took the chicken wing off his plate.

A smear of chili oil remained on the plate's edge.

Cassandra's face turned stern as she addressed a servant. "Fetch a clean plate, immediately."

The servant paused briefly, glancing at Evelyn, then nodded and hurried to the kitchen.

Alexander's brow furrowed slightly. Annoyance flashed in his eyes at Cassandra's interference, but he kept his composure.

He turned to Evelyn, who looked flustered. "It's alright, Evelyn," he reassured her gently. "A little spice won't hurt me."

To prove his point, he reached for another chicken wing.

Evelyn, startled, moved the entire plate away from him. "No, Alexander, don't," she insisted.

Her expression showed genuine fear. "You're allergic to chili," she scolded, her voice soft. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Evelyn loved spicy food. It suddenly hit her that despite sharing many meals with Alexander, she'd never seen him eat anything with chili peppers.

Guilt washed over her.

She remembered the first time Charlotte had come to Serenity Oaks for dinner; Alexander had already known all about Evelyn's taste in food.

She, however, had been completely unaware of something as important as his allergy.

The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.

Seeing her distress, Alexander put down his fork. He took her hand in his. "It's really not important, Evelyn. I didn't even think about it, so please don't blame yourself."

A shadow passed over Cassandra's face as she watched their joined hands.

Cassandra pretended deep concern, her lips pressed into a worried line. "Alexander, allergies can be serious. Sometimes, they can be very dangerous."

She then turned to the servants, her voice sharp with accusation. "Why didn't any of you tell Evelyn about Alexander's allergy? He might ignore his health, but you should know better!"

Evelyn's cheeks flushed with shame. It was a painful reminder that despite their closeness, she still didn't know enough about him.

Cassandra saw Evelyn's discomfort and felt a surge of triumph. She seized the moment, serving more food onto Alexander's new plate.

"Here, Alexander, have some more fish. I remember it's your favorite," she said sweetly.

She turned her sugary smile to Evelyn. It didn't reach her eyes. "Evelyn, don't worry about it. You and Alexander haven't been married long. It's natural you wouldn't know all his preferences yet. But I've known him since we were kids. I know him inside and out. Since I'll be staying at Serenity Oaks for a while, please ask me if you need any help."

Evelyn's emotions were in turmoil as she looked at Cassandra's bright, fake smile. She just nodded vaguely, unable to form a response.

The rest of the meal continued under a cloud of tension.

As Evelyn stood up, ready to help Alexander with his usual after-dinner walk, Cassandra interrupted. "Alexander, wait! I have something for you. I think you'll love it."

Cassandra produced an elegantly wrapped gift box and presented it to him with a theatrical gesture.