Clara lost her balance instantly as her foot slid off the smooth edge of the top step. She gasped in absolute terror, her hands reaching out blindly for the wooden railing, but her fingers only caught thin air. Victoria stepped back, her arms folded across her chest as she watched Clara fall backward down the flight of marble steps. The heavy silk dress swished wildly in the air as Clara tumbled backward, her head and back striking the hard marble steps with terrible force. Panic erupted inside her mind as every instinct urged her to protect her belly with both arms.
The sound of heavy thuds echoed through the high ceiling of the foyer as Clara tumbled down all twenty steps. She hit the final landing hard, her body rolling onto the cold marble floor near the base of the staircase. The world spun in blur of red and white around her. Pain shot through her hips, her lower back, and her abdomen like sharp blades of fire. She lay curled up on her side, clutching her baby bump with shaking hands while tears flooded her eyes instantly.
Clara: My baby! Please, my baby!
Her voice sounded small and broken in the vast, empty foyer. Upstairs, Victoria stood at the top of the staircase right beneath the framed American flag, looking down at the lying woman with cold, unmoving eyes. She did not call for help. She did not run down to check if Clara was breathing. She simply adjusted the dark maroon dress around her waist, her jaw set tight in a cruel mask.
Clara gasped for air, every breath bringing a wave of intense sharp pain. She looked up through her tear-soaked vision, seeing Victoria standing up high like a shadow. She could not believe that a human being could stand so still while another person lay bleeding on the floor.
Clara: Victoria... please... help me... call an ambulance...
Victoria: You brought this on yourself, Clara. You should have stayed in your own little world instead of inserting yourself into this family.
Clara: Why... why would you do this... to an innocent baby?
Victoria: Because this home, this land, and every single dollar in the trust fund belongs to the Montgomery name, not to a simple village girl with no background.
Down the long hallway leading to the grand ballroom, rapid heavy footsteps suddenly sounded on the marble. Mark had noticed Clara was gone longer than twenty minutes and had walked into the main hall just as he heard the final loud thud. He rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks, his heart dropping straight to his stomach. His eyes fell upon his pregnant wife lying helpless on the floor, weeping in agony.
Mark: Clara! Oh my God, Clara!
Mark sprinted across the foyer, his polished dress shoes slapping loudly against the floor. He dropped to his knees right beside Clara, his hands trembling violently as he hovered over her body, afraid to touch her in case he made the injuries worse. He saw the red marks on her skin and the tears running down her red cheeks.
Mark: Clara, baby, look at me! Do not move, stay right here! What happened?!
Clara: Mark... my stomach... it hurts so bad, Mark... she pushed me...
Mark: What did you say? Who pushed you?
Clara: Victoria... she was standing up there... she pushed my shoulder...
Mark slowly turned his head upward toward the top of the grand staircase. Victoria was still standing right under the American flag display, but her cold expression suddenly melted into fake shock the second she saw Mark looking at her. She put a hand over her mouth, acting as if she had just walked into the room.
Victoria: Mark! Oh my goodness, it was a terrible accident! She tripped on her long dress while taking a step!
Mark: Shut up! Just shut up!
Mark stood up from the floor, his body shaking with pure, burning rage. The love and warmth that usually filled his eyes vanished completely, replaced by a dark, deadly fury. He walked toward the stairs, climbing three steps at a time until he reached the top landing where Victoria stood backing away.
Mark: How dare you touch her?! How dare you lay a hand on my wife!
Victoria: Mark, calm down! She is lying to you! She lost her footing! I tried to catch her!
Mark: I saw your face when I ran into this hallway! You did not even move an inch to help her!
Mark reached out and grabbed Victoria by the collar of her maroon dress, his knuckles turning white as he pinned her back against the wooden railing near the American flag. Victoria let out a sharp gasp, her eyes wide with real fear for the very first time.
Mark: You have pushed this family around for years, Victoria. You took my father's money, you took control of his estate, but you will not take my wife and child!
Victoria: Let go of me right now! I am your father's widow!
Mark: Call the police! Right now, call the police and an ambulance!