Mark lowered the warm teacup back toward the saucer on the table.
He looked straight at his wife Sarah with deep curiosity and concern.
Sarah backed up slightly until her hands touched the edge of the kitchen counter.
Her hands were trembling behind her back as she tried to stay calm.
Mark: Sarah, why is Lily saying something like that?
Sarah: She is just making up wild stories from her morning cartoons.
Sarah: You know how creative her imagination can be sometimes.
Lily: I am not lying, Daddy!
Lily: I saw Mommy take a small bottle from the tall cabinet!
Lily: She poured a strange powder into your cup when you looked away!
Mark felt a cold chill run slowly down his entire spine.
He remembered feeling dizzy after drinking his tea over the past few weeks.
He had assumed the tiredness was just work stress and low sleep.
Now a dark thought entered his mind as he looked at Sarah.
Mark: Is there anything weird in this tea, Sarah?
Sarah: Of course not! How could you even ask me that?
Sarah: I am your loving wife who cares about your health!
Mark looked closely at the dark liquid inside the white porcelain cup.
He noticed a thin layer of strange grey residue floating near the top.
He turned the cup toward Sarah and offered it to her.
Mark: If there is nothing wrong, then drink it yourself right now.
Sarah stared at the held out teacup as if it were a deadly snake.
Her eyes filled with pure panic and intense terror in an instant.
Sarah: I do not like that kind of herbal tea, Mark!
Mark: Just take one small sip to prove Lily wrong.
Sarah: You are being completely ridiculous right now!
Mark: Prove it to me, Sarah!
Mark stepped closer to her while holding the cup in his steady hand.
Sarah panicked and violently struck the teacup with her open hand.
The porcelain teacup crashed onto the marble table and shattered into tiny pieces.
Hot liquid spilled across the white table and dripped onto the floor.
Lily gasped loudly and hid behind her father's tall frame.
Mark stared at the shattered pieces of porcelain in absolute disbelief.
Mark: What did you just do, Sarah?