David: Chloe, stay right here on the sofa. Do not move an inch.
Chloe: David, please! Don't go up there! She's out of her mind!
David: She tried to kill you and our child in my own home, Chloe[cite: 1]. This ends right now.
I wiped a drop of sweat from my forehead, my breath coming in ragged gasps[cite: 1]. The adrenaline was still pumping through my blood, making my fingers tingle against the smooth grain of the wooden rod[cite: 1]. I looked down at Chloe one more time to make sure she was resting comfortably.
Chloe: The baby... I felt the baby kick just now, David. We're both breathing.
David: Thank God. Just keep your hand on your belly and rest.
Chloe: What are you going to do?
David: I'm going to make sure she never touches another living soul again.
I turned toward the grand curved staircase, my leather shoes snapping against the marble steps like thunderclaps[cite: 1]. Up on the landing, Martha didn't even run. She stood near the gold railing, her arms folded across her grey apron, looking down at me with an arrogant smirk.
Martha: You think you're a hero, David? You're nothing but a boy who got lucky today.
David: Why did you do it, Martha? We paid you a fortune! We treated you like family for ten years!
Martha: Family? You brought an outsider into this luxury house! You gave her the keys to the entire family estate!
David: She is my wife! And that child inside her is my blood!
Martha: That child was going to wipe out your sister's entire inheritance! Do you have any idea how much money is in that trust fund?
David: You did this for money? My stepmother paid you off, didn't she?
Martha: Your stepmother knows what belongs to this family. You brought this girl in, gave her a legal stake in the mortgage and the company, and thought nobody would fight back.
David: You pushed a pregnant woman off a balcony for a paycheck, Martha!
I reached the top landing, the wooden rod held firm in my right hand[cite: 1]. Martha's smirk faded slightly when she saw the look in my eyes. She took a quick step back toward the hallway, reaching for her pocket.
Martha: Don't come any closer, David. I'll call the police and tell them you attacked an old woman!
David: Go ahead and call them! Tell them you threw my wife over the edge[cite: 1]!
Martha: Nobody will believe a maid tried to murder someone! They'll think she fell! It's your word against mine!
David: You forgot about the security cameras, Martha. Every single angle in this foyer records directly to the cloud.
Martha froze, her face draining of color[cite: 1]. She glanced up at the small black dome camera mounted right above the framed American flag artwork[cite: 1]. She realized in an instant that her entire life was over.
Martha: You... you tricked me!
David: You destroyed yourself!
She lunged forward, clawing at my face with her sharp fingernails[cite: 1]. I dodged her swing, grabbed the collar of her uniform, and backed her up directly against the same gold balcony railing where she had shoved my wife seconds earlier[cite: 1].