Elena checked the hallway clock as the afternoon light poured through the tall windows.
She adjusted her blue blouse and walked softly down the shiny marble corridor.
Her baby boy was resting peacefully inside the white cradle in the main room.
She had worked in this home for two long years as a trusted housekeeper.
The family treated her well, but recent weeks brought a strange tension into the house.
A distant relative named Ruby had arrived last month with big demands and cold eyes.
Ruby always wore bright red silk dresses and walked like she owned the entire estate.
She constantly made harsh comments about the staff and questioned every tiny house expense.
Elena kept her head down because she needed this job to support her young child.
The father of the house was Julian, a wealthy man who was often away on business trips.
Julian trusted Ruby to help manage the household while he handled his corporate affairs.
That trust was a terrible mistake that everyone in the house would soon regret.
Elena heard a strange humming sound coming from the nursery as she approached the double doors.
It sounded like an electrical appliance left plugged into the wall outlet near the window.
She quickened her step because her instinct told her something was deeply wrong inside.
When she pushed the door open, her heart froze inside her chest from pure shock.
Ruby was standing directly over the white cradle with a dark smile on her face.
In her right hand, Ruby held a glowing hot iron close to the sleeping baby.
Elena did not hesitate for a single second when she saw the danger above her son.
She sprinted across the smooth floor and shoved Ruby completely away from the wooden crib.
Ruby stumbled backward and hit the side table, dropping the heavy iron onto the rug.
The baby woke up instantly and began to cry from the sudden loud commotion nearby.
Elena scooped her little boy up into her arms and checked him over with trembling hands.
His little foot was red, but the iron had not directly touched his skin yet.
She hugged him tight against her chest and wiped her tears with her blue sleeve.
Ruby pulled herself up off the floor with a furious expression on her painted face.
Her red dress was wrinkled, and her sharp eyes glared at Elena with intense hatred.
She pointed a finger at Elena and raised her voice to a loud scream.
Ruby: You insolent servant, you will pay dearly for putting your hands on me!
Elena: You were going to hurt my baby girl with that hot iron!
Ruby: Nobody will ever believe a word that comes out of your mouth!
Elena held her crying baby tighter and backed toward the doorway for safety.
She needed to get out of the room before Ruby attempted another dangerous move.