Richard took his daughter by the hand and walked toward the living room.
Eleanor followed closely behind them while holding her glass of wine tightly.
The grand living room had large velvet couches and expensive oil paintings.
Richard pointed to the soft sofa and motioned for Lily to sit.
Richard: Sit down right here and rest, Lily.
Lily: Thank you, Dad.
Eleanor: You are ruining her character by coddling her like this!
Richard: Be quiet before I lose my temper entirely, Eleanor.
Eleanor: You cannot talk to me like that in my house!
Richard: This is my house, bought long before I met you.
Richard turned to look at the mantle above the brick fireplace.
A security camera sat hidden quietly inside a black digital clock casing.
Eleanor had forgotten that Richard had installed hidden cameras last year.
He pulled his smartphone from his inner coat pocket with steady hands.
Eleanor: What are you doing on your phone right now?
Richard: Checking the security footage from this morning.
Eleanor's face suddenly lost all of its natural rosy pink color.
Her hand began to shake slightly against the thin crystal wine glass.
Eleanor: There is no need to check any foolish video recordings.
Richard: If you did nothing wrong, why are you nervous?
Eleanor: I am not nervous about anything at all!
Richard opened the security application and selected the foyer camera view.
He rewound the footage to eight o'clock that very morning.
The video showed Eleanor standing near the mahogany entryway table.
She deliberately reached out her hand and pushed the glass vase off.
The heavy vase shattered into dozens of tiny pieces on the floor.
Lily came running out of the kitchen after hearing the loud crash.
The video clearly showed Eleanor screaming at the young girl immediately.
She dragged the girl toward the laundry room to force the uniform on.
Richard felt a cold knot of pure anger tighten inside his chest.
He held the smartphone screen right in front of Eleanor's pale face.
Richard: Explain this video to me right now, Eleanor.
Eleanor: That video does not show the full context here!
Richard: You intentionally broke that vase to frame my child!
Eleanor: She was disrespectful to me earlier that morning!
Lily: I only asked if I could call my grandmother!
Eleanor: You do not talk back to me in this house!
Richard: You are a monster, Eleanor.
Eleanor took a quick step backward toward the wooden hallway door.
She set her wine glass down on the side table with a bang.
Eleanor: I gave up my career to move in here!
Richard: You moved in here for my bank account and estate!
Eleanor: You signed a prenuptial agreement that protects my lifestyle!
Richard: That prenup has a very clear cruelty clause in it.
Eleanor's eyes widened with sudden panic as she heard those words.
She had forgotten the exact legal terms of their signed agreement.
Richard: If you mistreat my child, you get absolutely nothing.
Eleanor: You cannot prove anything in a court of law!
Richard: This camera footage is all the proof I will ever need.