The morning sun was bright over the sweeping lawn of the lakefront estate.
Sarah adjusted her apron as she carried a tray of iced tea toward the stone patio.
She had worked for the Miller family for over three years now.
Her main job was taking care of baby Clara and eight-year-old Leo.
Mark Miller was a busy CEO who adored his kids after losing his first wife.
He wanted a safe and happy home for his small family.
Then came Victoria, his elegant new wife of only three months.
Victoria appeared polite on the outside, but Sarah knew the truth.
Behind closed doors, Victoria was cold to the children and treated the domestic staff like dirt.
Victoria wanted Mark’s massive estate and life insurance policy all to herself.
She viewed the young children as obstacles to her full control over the inheritance.
Sarah kept her head down and tried to protect the kids whenever possible.
That warm summer afternoon, baby Clara was resting in her blue stroller on the patio.
The patio sat right next to a deep, sparkling swimming pool.
Sarah was folding towels near the back glass doors while keeping an eye on Clara.
Victoria walked out onto the tiles wearing a sleek beige dress and dark sunglasses.
She glanced around to make sure Mark was still inside his private office.
Then, Victoria casually bumped her hip against the heavy baby stroller.
The wheel brake had been secretly released just moments before.
The stroller began rolling quickly down the slight slope toward the dark blue water.
Sarah gasped in terror as she spotted the moving wheels from across the patio.
She dropped the stack of clean white towels directly onto the flagstones.
Without a single second of hesitation, Sarah sprinted straight toward the pool edge.
The stroller plunged over the edge and fell into the deep end with a heavy splash.
Sarah leaped into the air and dove headfirst into the cold water after the infant.
The cool blue water instantly wrapped around her uniform as she kicked her feet down.
She opened her eyes beneath the surface, frantically searching for the sinking blue fabric.
The heavy stroller was sinking fast toward the dark concrete bottom of the deep pool.
Sarah reached out with both arms, fighting the strong resistance of the water.
Her lungs began to burn, but she refused to stop swimming downwards.
She grabbed the handle of the stroller and unbuckled the safety harness under water.
Scooping the tiny infant into her chest, Sarah kicked with all her remaining strength.
She burst through the surface, gasping loudly for air as water ran down her face.
Clara was coughing and crying safely in Sarah's firm, careful arms.
Sarah swam to the stone edge and carefully lifted the baby onto the dry ground.
She climbed out onto the patio, shaking and soaked from head to toe.
That was when Victoria started shouting at the top of her lungs.