The heavy wooden ballroom doors swung wide open as footsteps echoed quickly across the floor.
Ethan Sterling pushed his way through the crowd of shocked guests standing near the entryway.
He wore his navy blue tuxedo with a small flag pin attached to his left lapel.
His face was tense as he saw his wife standing over the maid and child.
Victoria immediately changed her voice and put on a distressed look for her husband.
She pointed her trembling finger directly at Sarah while stepping toward the tall businessman.
Victoria: Ethan, thank God! She was attacking us in front of all our guests!
Sarah: Sir, that is completely untrue and you need to hear what happened!
Ethan walked swiftly across the wooden floor directly toward his wife without saying a word.
Victoria opened her arms expecting him to comfort her in front of the surrounding crowd.
Instead, Ethan stepped firmly between Victoria and the maid while raising his hand to stop her.
He grabbed Victoria by her velvet sleeve and pulled her away from Sarah and Lily.
Victoria stumbled backward on her high heels as her expensive pearl necklace snapped in two.
Hundreds of small white pearls scattered across the dark polished floor like falling hail stones.
The crowd gasped in shock as the pearls bounced against the furniture and floorboards.
Ethan stood tall over Victoria with a cold and stern look in his dark eyes.
Ethan: You're done. Get out of my sight right now.
Victoria: Ethan! How can you talk to your own wife like this in public?
Ethan: You are no longer my wife as of this exact moment tonight.
Victoria looked down at the scattered pearls on the floor as her face turned red.
She could not believe her husband was taking the side of a simple house maid.
The guests pulled out their phones to record the drama unfolding inside the mansion ballroom.
Ethan looked down at his daughter Lily, who was still holding onto Sarah's blue apron.
He saw the fear in his little girl's eyes and felt deep regret in his heart.
He had trusted Victoria to care for his home and child while he worked late hours.
Now he realized he had made a terrible mistake by letting her into their lives.
Ethan: Security, please escort Victoria out of my home immediately and lock the doors.
Victoria: You cannot throw me out! I am entitled to half of this mansion!
Ethan: You signed a prenuptial agreement that forfeits everything if you abuse my family!