Richard: Get away from her!
Victoria: Richard, calm down. She was being careless.
Richard dropped to his knees, his expensive suit trousers pressing into the hard floor as he scooped Lily into his arms. The little girl buried her sticky, tear-streaked face directly into his chest, her small fingers clutching tightly at his collar.
Lily: Daddy, my head hurts! She hit me!
Richard: I've got you, baby. Daddy's got you. You're safe now.
Richard stood up slowly, lifting Lily onto his hip. He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the dark berries and icing away from her weeping eyes. His hands were trembling, not from fear, but from a deep, furious impulse he could barely keep under control.
Victoria: Oh, don't be so dramatic, Richard. It's just cake. It wipes off.
Richard: You hurt my daughter!
Victoria: It was only a joke. A little playful discipline because she was sticking her fingers where they didn't belong. You know how spoiled she is.
Richard: A joke? You smashed a plate on a four-year-old child's head!
Victoria: She was going to ruin the photos. Look at her dress, it was already dirty before I even touched her. I barely tapped her.
Richard: Do not lie to me! I saw the plate shatter!
Victoria: You're making a scene in front of our guests, Richard. Think about how this looks for your family status. We have important people here today.
Richard: You think I care about appearances right now? Look at her face!
Victoria scoffed, adjusting the strap of her high-end designer dress and rolling her eyes toward the crowd of stunned family members and business associates who stood watching in total silence.
Victoria: She's fine. Children cry at everything. Now hand her to the nanny so we can finish setting up for the rehearsal dinner.
Richard: She is not going anywhere with a nanny, and you are never coming near her again.
Victoria: Don't talk to me like that. We are getting married in forty-eight hours. You need to pull yourself together and teach your daughter some manners.
Richard: You don't have a single maternal instinct in your body, do you?
Victoria: I am being practical! She needs to learn respect, and if you won't teach her, someone has to step up.
Richard: Step up by abusing her? Is that what you call it?
Victoria: Abuse? Don't use such ugly words. It was a harmless piece of cake. Stop acting like a crazy person.
Richard stepped forward violently, the sheer force of his movement making Victoria take a quick step backward. His eyes were dark, burning with a fury that made even the catering staff back away toward the kitchen doors.
Richard: You crossed a line today that you can never walk back from.
Victoria: Oh, please. Are you really going to ruin our future over a tiny spill?
Richard: You didn't just spill cake, Victoria. You showed me exactly who you really are.