David rushed to the foot of the stairs, breathless and deeply alarmed.
He saw Sarah holding Liam, who was still weeping loudly into her neck.
He saw Victoria standing tall and posture-perfect at the top landing.
“Is everyone okay?” David asked, looking back and forth between them.
“Dad! Victoria pushed the toy block to make Liam fall!” Sarah yelled.
David froze in place as if he had been struck by lightning.
“What did you just say, Sarah?” David asked in complete disbelief.
“She stepped on his hand area and kicked the block down!” Sarah cried.
Victoria gasped dramatically, placing a delicate hand over her own heart.
“David, darling, that is an absolute, unbelievable lie!” Victoria declared defensively.
“She saw him trip and is blaming me out of spite!” Victoria added.
“I saw you do it with my own eyes!” Sarah shouted back furiously.
“You have hated us ever since you moved into this house!” Sarah said.
David felt his blood run cold as he stood between the two sides.
He loved his new wife, but he treasured his children above everything.
He stared into Victoria’s eyes, searching for any sign of genuine truth.
Victoria’s face remained smooth, calm, and completely devoid of soft emotion.
“David, are you really going to listen to a childish fantasy?” Victoria asked.
“She has resented me since the day we got married,” Victoria sneered.
David slowly walked up the first three steps toward his daughter Sarah.
He reached out and took little Liam safely into his strong arms.
He checked his young son for any scratches, cuts, or serious bruises.
Liam was unharmed, thanks entirely to Sarah’s heroic and fast reaction.
“Go take Liam into the living room right now, Sarah,” David instructed.
“No, Dad, do not trust her alone!” Sarah begged her father earnestly.
“I need to speak with my wife alone right now,” David said sternly.
Sarah nodded slowly and walked down toward the warm living room sofa.
David turned his eyes back toward Victoria at the top of the stairs.
His face transformed from total confusion into a mask of pure rage.