Victoria grabbed Maya's left ankle with a very tight grip that surprised the girl.
She forcefully pulled the sparkly white shoe completely off Maya's tiny foot.
Victoria: Beggars must walk barefoot!
Maya gasped in fear and tried to pull her leg back toward her chair.
Maya: Please stop, those belong to me!
Victoria snatched the second white shoe right out of the open silver box.
She tossed both shoes roughly toward her own daughter Stella across the white table.
Victoria: Try these on right now, Stella.
Stella: They look way too small for my feet, Mom.
Victoria: Squeeze your feet in anyway so everyone sees you wearing them!
Several rich donors at the next table turned around in total shock.
Maya sat quietly on her velvet chair with tears welling up in her eyes.
She squeezed her small handwritten note inside the empty cardboard shoe box.
The note had been written by her late mother right before she had died.
It was a sweet birthday card that Julian had stored safely in the box.
Victoria snatched the cardboard shoe box too and tossed it under the table.
She laughed meanly while pointing a long red fingernail right at Maya's face.
Victoria: You do not deserve expensive custom items when my Stella has nothing.
Maya wiped a falling tear away using her pink sleeve without saying a word.
She looked around the huge room hoping to spot her father returning back inside.
The double glass doors of the grand hall opened wide a moment later.
Julian marched back into the dining hall with long confident footsteps across marble floor.
He immediately sensed something was very wrong from the tense quiet in the room.
Guests were whispering quietly behind their hands while pointing toward Victoria's chair.
Julian walked straight over to his daughter and noticed her bare left foot.
His face grew dark as he saw Maya shaking with small quiet sobs.
He knelt down beside her velvet chair and wrapped his big arms around her.
Julian: What happened to your new shoes, sweetheart?
Maya: Daddy... she said Stella deserves them more.
Julian stood up slowly as a deep rage washed over his entire expression.
He picked up the silver shoe box from the carpet under the table frame.
He saw his late wife's handwritten note crumpled up at the bottom corner.
He turned around slowly to face Victoria who sat smiling with fake calm.