Victoria turned her back on the weeping child, smoothing down the rich velvet of her emerald green gown as if nothing unusual had just transpired within the sterile white walls. Lily remained curled in a tight ball on the floor right beneath the heavy oak vanity table, her chest heaving with deep, ragged sobs of absolute despair. Soft sobbing SFX echoed faintly against the mirrored cabinet doors, a haunting reminder of the cruelty that governed the household behind closed doors. Every breath the little girl took tasted like salt and dust, her small fingers clutching the ruined fragments of her birthday dress as if holding onto a ghost. She stared at the bright pink fabric now split into two pathetic pieces, her heart breaking all over again with every single twitch of her shoulders.
Lily: Why did you have to ruin it? Why do you hate me so much?
Victoria: Because you need to learn your place in this house, Lily. You aren't the center of attention anymore.
Lily: Mommy loved this dress... she spent weeks sewing it before she got sick.
Victoria: And now it's in the trash where it belongs. Get up off that floor before your father walks in and starts asking questions.
Downstairs in the grand entrance hall, the heavy mahogany double doors swung wide open, flooding the marble foyer with warm afternoon sunlight and a cool autumn breeze. David stepped across the threshold carrying a massive, vibrant bouquet of fresh sunflowers and pink roses wrapped in elegant white silk paper. His face was lit up with a warm, genuine smile as he anticipated the joy his daughter would feel when she saw the surprise he had bought for her birthday. Footsteps and door opening SFX resonated softly against the high vaulted ceiling, creating a peaceful atmosphere that was instantly shattered by a muffled sound echoing from the upstairs hallway. David froze in his tracks, his smile faltering as the unmistakable sound of a child crying reached his ears from the master wing.
David: Hello? Is everything alright up there?
Victoria: David? You're home early from the boardroom meeting.
David: Why is Lily crying like that, Victoria? What happened to her?
Victoria: It's nothing serious, David. Just a minor fashion disagreement between us.
The heavy flower bouquet slipped straight from David's fingers, tumbling through the air before hitting the polished marble floor with a dull, devastating thud. Bouquet hitting floor SFX echoed sharply through the open foyer, scattering bright yellow petals across the cold stone like drops of morning rain. David's eyes widened in sheer shock as the full weight of the crying sounds hit him, overriding every rational thought in his mind. He didn't wait for an explanation, his paternal instincts kicking in with the force of a freight train as he abandoned the scattered flowers right where they lay. Without a single second of hesitation, he turned toward the grand staircase and broke into an explosive, terrifying sprint down the upper hallway.
David: Lily! Daddy's coming! Hang on!
Victoria: David, wait, you don't understand—
David: Stay right where you are, Victoria! If you touched her, you're going to answer to me!
Victoria: You're making a massive scene over a silly piece of clothing!
David: Shut your mouth! I heard what you said to her!