Clara: Stay back!
Victoria: Move out of my way, you miserable pest!
With a burst of adrenaline fueled by pure maternal protection, Clara stood up from the marble floor while holding the baby securely with one arm. Before Victoria could register the movement, Clara's free hand swung forward with terrifying speed and precision.
Clara: This is for trying to harm an innocent baby!
Three hard impact slaps echoed through the grand foyer in rapid succession, the sharp sounds ringing out like gunshots. The force of the strikes caught Victoria completely off guard, knocking her back across the polished marble floor.
Victoria: Ah! How dare you lay your filthy hands on me!
Clara: That was for the baby! And if you ever try it again, the next round won't just be slaps!
Victoria stumbled backward, clutching her stinging cheek as her immaculate hair came loose from its professional styling. Her eyes widened in absolute shock and humiliation as she stared at Clara, a woman she had considered beneath her notice just moments before.
Victoria: You... you actually hit me? Do you know who my husband is?
Clara: I don't care if your husband owns the entire country! No one has the right to throw a baby!
Victoria: He is going to sue you into bankruptcy! You will lose everything you have ever owned!
Clara: Let him try. Let him see what his precious wife was doing while he was away on business.
Victoria’s expression shifted from anger to a flicker of genuine panic as she realized that witnesses might not be as easy to dismiss as she originally thought. She straightened her silk dress with shaking hands, trying to regain a shred of her usual aristocratic composure.
Victoria: You are fabricating a malicious lie, and no one will ever believe a word you say.
Clara: Truth has a way of coming out, Victoria. You can't hide behind your money forever.
Victoria: Watch me. By the end of this day, you will be begging me for mercy on your knees.
Clara: I would rather die on my feet than beg a monster like you for anything.
The argument hung heavy in the air, charged with a volatile mix of adrenaline and hatred. Victoria bared her teeth, stepping forward again despite the stinging pain in her face, ready to launch a counter-attack. But the heavy double doors at the far end of the grand foyer suddenly shuddered, interrupting their impending clash with a thunderous noise that shook the foundations of the mansion.