Mark stepped quickly into the bedroom, accompanied closely by his stylish second wife, Vanessa.
The sudden sight of his unconscious wife on the bed instantly froze him in place.
Mark: Madeline! Poppy, what happened in here?
He rushed across the polished hardwood floor, his dark navy shirt rustling with fast movement.
Vanessa followed right behind him, her designer heels clicking sharply against the glossy floor surface.
Her eyes scanned the room rapidly, lingering for a fraction of a second on the nightstand.
Poppy wiped her red eyes with her small hands and looked up at her father.
She raised her tiny hand, pointing her finger directly toward Vanessa with total conviction.
Poppy: She gave Mommy the bad milk!
The little girl's voice was remarkably clear despite her lingering tears and trembling lips.
Mark stopped dead in his tracks, looking back and forth between his daughter and Vanessa.
Vanessa's face flushed with instant anger as she took a quick step back toward the door frame.
Vanessa: No! She is lying!
Vanessa raised her hands in dramatic defense, her voice rising sharply in volume and tone.
Vanessa: Mark, you cannot possibly listen to a hysterical toddler right now!
Mark felt a heavy knot form in his stomach as he observed Vanessa's extreme reaction.
He knelt down beside Poppy, taking her small shoulders gently into his steady hands.
Mark: Poppy, sweetie, look at me and tell me slowly what you saw happen.
Poppy: She poured something inside Mommy's glass while you were out at work!
Vanessa gasped loudly, clutching her chest as if she had been personally insulted by everyone.
Vanessa: This is completely absurd and malicious!
She moved backward nervously, her shoulders tense and her defensive stance faltering noticeably under scrutiny.
In her sudden rush to step away, her leather designer handbag slipped right off her arm.
The heavy leather purse struck the glossy marble floor with a loud, resounding thud.
The magnetic latch popped open upon impact, spilling several personal items across the room.
Among the contents, a small plastic prescription pill bottle rolled out across the floor tile.
It came to a complete stop right at Mark's leather shoes in the bright sunlight.