Three weeks passed quickly as Sarah settled smoothly into her daily domestic duties at the estate.
She cleaned the massive rooms, polished the silverware, and tended closely to sweet baby Leo.
David Vance was often away on urgent business trips across the country for his firm.
Whenever David was home, he treated his baby son with immense affection and boundless devotion.
He would sit for hours in the nursery after work, reading stories to the little boy.
David: You are going to grow up strong and kind, my sweet little son.
David: Daddy works hard every day just to build a bright future for you.
Sarah loved watching David interact so lovingly with his innocent little boy in the evenings.
However, whenever David left town for work, Victoria's entire attitude shifted dramatically for the worse.
She treated the household staff with harsh disdain and barely spent five minutes with baby Leo.
Victoria often complained loudly on her phone about how much the child disrupted her social schedule.
Victoria: I cannot stand being cooped up in this boring house all day long!
Victoria: The baby cries constantly and it completely ruins my daily peace and quiet!
Sarah often overheard Victoria shouting at her wealthy friends during loud phone conversations.
It soon became obvious to Sarah that Victoria had only married David for his massive fortune.
She didn't care about the baby or the home at all beyond what they provided her.
One afternoon, Sarah was quietly dusting the grand mahogany bookcase inside the ground floor library.
She heard Victoria arguing heatedly near the open doorway with an unknown male caller.
Victoria: You need to be patient, Arthur!
Victoria: David is trusting me more every day with his personal legal accounts.
Victoria: Once the family trust is finalized, we will have all the wealth we need.
Sarah held her breath behind the tall wooden shelf, trying not to make a sound.
She wondered who Arthur was and why Victoria was discussing the family money so secretly.
The next morning, David left early for an important emergency business conference in Chicago.
He kissed his baby son goodbye near the front foyer with dark circles under his eyes.
David: Please take good care of my boy while I am away, Sarah.
Sarah: I promise you, Mr. Vance, he will be safe with me always.
David: Thank you, Sarah, your dedication brings me real peace of mind when traveling.
After David departed in his sleek black sedan, a heavy tension settled over the estate.
Victoria spent the rest of the day pacing around the grand home in an irritable mood.
She ordered Sarah to perform endless unnecessary tasks all across the sprawling three-story residence.
Sarah worked tirelessly without complaining once, keeping her main focus on baby Leo's care.
By evening, storm clouds gathered over Dallas, bringing heavy rainfall and loud rolling thunder sound.
Baby Leo became fussy from the loud noise outside and began crying softly in his nursery.
Sarah rocked him gently in her arms until he finally fell asleep against her chest.
She had no idea that a dark crisis was about to unfold on the grand stairs.