Evelyn: How dare you touch me in my brother's house!
Vanessa: Touch you? If you lay another finger on my daughter, I will tear this mansion down!
Evelyn: She refused to sign the trust waiver, Vanessa! She was being disrespectful to Julian!
Vanessa: She is seven years old! She cannot sign legal papers, and you have no right to touch her hair!
I shifted my eyes toward the golden velvet armchair near the center of the hall. Julian sat there with his legs crossed, adjusting his gold silk pajamas. He slowly tapped his smartphone screen, his face twisted into a smug, mocking smile.
Julian: You should have called Evelyn before coming over, Vanessa. She was just teaching the kid how things work in a real billionaire family.
Vanessa: You sat there and watched your own sister pull our child's hair?
Julian: I watched my sister try to secure our family business from a greedy ex-wife.
Vanessa: You miserable coward.
I didn't think twice. I turned around, marched across the light marble floor, and swung my hand with everything I had. The heavy slap echoed through the high-ceilinged hallway like a gunshot. Julian’s head snapped sideways, his phone flying out of his hand and crashing onto the floor. The force of the blow knocked him back against the soft velvet cushions of his chair.
Julian: You... you just hit me!
Evelyn: Julian! Oh my God, look at your cheek!
Vanessa: THAT was for watching! Hannah, we're leaving right now.
I immediately dropped to my knees on the cold marble, wrapping my arms around Hannah’s trembling shoulders. She buried her face into the bronze satin of my dress, her small fingers clutching my waist as she sobbed hysterically. Several wealthy house guests and servants stood frozen in the hallway archway, their mouths wide open in shock.
Hannah: Mommy, she pulled so hard... my head hurts so bad!
Vanessa: I've got you, baby. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again. Look at me, Hannah. You are safe.
Julian: You are not walking out of this front door, Vanessa! Guards, block the hallway!
Vanessa: Tell your guards to step close to me, Julian! See what happens when the police look at the red marks on my daughter's scalp!
Julian slowly pushed himself up from the armchair, holding his red, swollen cheek with one hand. His eyes were wide with pure rage, but he motioned for his two security guards to stay back.
Evelyn: Call our divorce lawyer, Julian! Call Marcus right now!
Julian: You think you can assault me in my own mansion and just walk away?
Vanessa: Don't you ever come near us again!
I stood up, holding Hannah tightly against my hip. I glared fiercely at the crowd of shocked onlookers standing near the gold-trimmed doors. Nobody dared to take a step forward as I carried my weeping daughter down the grand staircase and out toward my car.