Chloe: What... what did you just call her, Daniel?
Daniel: Mother! What happened to you?! Why are you soaked in water?!
Eleanor: Ask your charming fiancé, Daniel. She decided to give me a proper greeting to my own estate.
Daniel turned toward Chloe, his face pale with utter disbelief and growing rage.
Daniel: Chloe, did you throw a bucket of water on my mother?!
Chloe: I... I didn't know! She was wearing a gray uniform! She looked like the cleaning staff!
Eleanor: I put on the old staff uniform because I was organizing the basement storage room before you arrived, Chloe.
Daniel: That gives you the right to throw ice water on a human being, Chloe?!
Chloe: Daniel, babe, listen to me! It was an accident! She startled me, and I reacted!
Eleanor: An accident? You shouted at me that this was your house now and told me to learn my place.
Chloe: I was just trying to assert authority over the house staff! You know how important this mansion is for our social standing!
Daniel: This mansion belongs to my mother, Chloe! The Sterling trust fund owns every single stone in this building!
Chloe took a step back, her hands shaking as her eyes darted between the soaked older woman and the enraged man beside her.
Chloe: Your mother owns the trust fund? But you told me you were the CEO of the Sterling Investment Group!
Eleanor: He is the CEO because I appointed him, dear. And I can remove him with a single phone call to my estate lawyer.
Chloe: Mrs. Sterling... please, I didn't know it was you! I swear I wouldn't have done that if I knew!
Eleanor: That makes it even worse, Chloe. It means you treat working people like garbage when you think nobody is watching.
Daniel: Mother, let me get you a dry towel right now. Please, go upstairs to the guest room.
Eleanor: I don't need a towel, Daniel. I need you to explain why you brought this woman into our family.
Chloe: Daniel, tell her! Tell her we love each other! Our wedding is scheduled for next month at the country club!
Daniel: Chloe, shut up! Just be quiet for one second!
Eleanor: There won't be any wedding, Chloe. Not in this city, and certainly not with my family's money.
Chloe: You can't do that! The wedding venue deposit is non-refundable! My parents already sent out two hundred invitations!
Eleanor: Then your parents can pay for the cancellation fees, because my trust fund won't be writing another check for you.
Chloe: Daniel, are you going to let her speak to me like this?! Stand up to your mother!
Daniel: You threw water on an elderly woman, Chloe! In her own home! What is wrong with you?!
Eleanor lifted the small digital recorder from her apron pocket, holding it up so the bright green recording light was visible.
Eleanor: Every word you said from the moment I walked out of that hallway is saved right here.
Chloe: You recorded me?! You set me up!
Eleanor: You set yourself up the moment you allowed cruelty to dictate your behavior.