Christopher: "STOP!"
Victoria: "Darling, I was only teaching her a lesson."
Christopher: "A lesson? You have an elderly woman on her knees in front of the front doors!"
Victoria: "She was talking back to me, Christopher. She thinks because she raised you, she owns this place."
Margarethe: "Mr. Christopher, I didn't say anything mean! I just asked for my heart pills from the kitchen!"
Victoria: "Be quiet, old maid! You do not speak unless I ask you a question!"
Christopher: "Do not raise your voice at her in this house, Victoria!"
Christopher took three fast steps forward, stepping right between Victoria and the bucket. He looked down at Margarethe's red, swollen knuckles and felt his heart break. The younger maid, Sarah, was holding Margarethe by the elbows, trying to pull her off the floor.
Christopher: "Sarah, take Margarethe to the back living room right now. Get her a hot cup of tea and her pills."
Sarah: "Yes, Mr. Vance. Right away, sir."
Victoria: "Sarah, stay right where you are! If you take her away, you are fired!"
Christopher: "Sarah, listen to me and move! Now!"
Sarah helped Margarethe stand up, wrapping a arm around the weeping woman's waist as they slowly walked down the long carpeted hall. Victoria crossed her arms, her red silk dress rustling as she glared at her husband with an icy look.
Victoria: "You are making a big mistake, Christopher. You are letting the staff run over me in my own home."
Christopher: "This is not your home, Victoria. This house was bought by my father long before I met you."
Victoria: "We are married! That means everything you own belongs to me too, including this estate and your trust fund!"
Christopher: "Is that why you married me? For the estate and the trust fund?"
Victoria: "Don't be stupid. I married you because we belong together in high society. But I will not be disrespect by hired help!"
Christopher: "Margarethe is not just hired help! She stayed by my bed when I was sick as a child! She was more of a mother to me than anyone!"
Victoria: "Well, she is old and useless now! She drags her feet, she leaves dust on the tables, and she complains every single minute!"
Christopher pulled his phone out of his coat pocket, his thumbs tapping the glass screen with quick, hard motions. Victoria watched him, her eyes narrowing as she shifted her weight onto her back heel.
Victoria: "What are you doing? Are you ignoring me now?"
Christopher: "I am looking at the live feed from the security app on my phone."
Victoria: "So what? The cameras just show a lazy maid crying over work."
Christopher: "No, Victoria. The camera near the flag shows you dumping the bucket of water on the floor yourself two minutes before I walked through the door."
Victoria's jaw went slack. She took a step back, her eyes shooting up toward the high corner of the wall where the small black camera lens was hidden behind the flag frame.
Christopher: "You threw the water down on purpose so you could force her back onto her knees, didn't you?"
Victoria: "Christopher... wait, that was an accident! I tripped over the mop handle!"
Christopher: "You didn't trip. I watched you pick up the bucket and pour it out while laughing."
Victoria: "It was a joke! I was just trying to shock her into moving faster!"
Christopher: "You are sick. You are a mean, cruel person, and I am done with you."
Victoria: "You can't talk to me like that! I am your wife!"
Christopher: "YOU'RE DONE."
Victoria let out a sharp gasp, her eyes wide with shock as the words hit her. Her feet tangled in the long hem of her red silk dress, and she stumbled backward, sliding down onto the wet, polished floor with a loud, heavy thud.