Julian: You crazy woman! You just assaulted your boss in front of the entire board of directors!
Clara: You slapped a seven-year-old child because you lost a piece of jewelry, Julian!
Julian: She stole my wife's four-carat diamond ring! It was sitting on the napkin right by the champagne fountain!
Clara: My daughter is not a thief! She has more honor in her little finger than you have in your entire body!
Julian: Security! Get this crazy woman out of my building! Fire her immediately and call the police!
Two tall security guards in black suits stepped out from the crowd, moving toward Clara. But before they could reach her, an elderly man in a dark navy suit stepped forward from the VIP area.
Arthur: Hold your ground, security. Nobody moves an inch.
Julian gasped, his face turning pale as he looked up from the floor at Arthur Vance, the founder and chief executive officer of Vance Enterprises.
Julian: Uncle Arthur! You saw what she did! She kicked me! She physically attacked me in front of our investors!
Arthur: I saw you strike a defenseless little girl, Julian. I saw a full-grown man slap a child so hard she fell to the stone floor.
Julian: She stole Victoria's engagement ring! It's worth two hundred thousand dollars!
Clara: Show him your hands, Lily.
Lily held out her tiny, trembling hands. Her palms were completely empty, showing only red marks from her fall onto the floor.
Lily: I didn't take any ring, grand-man... I was just looking at the chocolate frosting...
Victoria: She probably hid it in her pockets! Check her dress pockets right now!
Victoria Vance, Julian's wife, stepped out from behind the champagne table, her silk dress rustling as she glared at Clara and Lily with complete disgust.
Clara: Do not lay a finger on my child, Victoria. If you want to find your ring, why don't you check your own husband's coat?
Julian: What are you talking about?! Why would I have my wife's ring in my coat?!
Clara: Because I saw you pick it up off the napkin five minutes ago when you thought no one was looking, Julian. You slipped it right into your left breast pocket.
Julian's eyes widened in sheer terror. He instinctively reached his hand toward his grey suit jacket, but Arthur was already stepping closer.
Arthur: Reach into your pocket, Julian. Put everything in your jacket on this table right now.
Julian: Uncle Arthur, this is ridiculous! You're going to take the word of an assistant over your own nephew?!
Arthur: Put your hand in your pocket, Julian. Or I will have security search you myself.
Julian's hand trembled violently as he slowly reached into his inner breast pocket. He pulled out his leather wallet, a silver pen, and a sparkling diamond ring that caught the chandelier light.
The entire ballroom let out a collective, horrified gasp.
Victoria: Julian... why do you have my ring in your pocket?!
Arthur: You knew you had the ring, Julian. You framed a child to hide what you were doing.
Julian: No! It was a mistake! I picked it up off the napkin so it wouldn't get lost! I forgot I put it in my coat!
Clara: You didn't forget, Julian. You wanted an excuse to cause a scene so you could fire me before the quarterly audit tomorrow morning.
Julian stared at Clara, his mouth opening and closing as the trap snapped shut around him.