Arthur sat at the head of the long oak dining table inside his suburban mansion.
The morning sun beamed bright through the grand crystal windows of the formal dining room.
He was a successful businessman who spent most of his long days working hard for his family.
His wife Victoria sat right across from him, quietly scrolling through her expensive smartphone.
She barely looked up as the personal maid set down a fresh tray of morning breakfast items.
Elena had worked as their live-in housekeeper for nearly three whole years without any complaints.
She was a kind woman who took great pride in keeping the grand house clean and orderly.
Arthur smiled warm at Elena as she poured fresh hot coffee into his white porcelain mug.
Arthur: Thank you so much for the fresh breakfast this morning, Elena.
Elena: You are very welcome, Mr. Sterling. Please let me know if you need anything else.
Victoria scoffed softly and set her phone down on the linen napkin beside her silver fork.
Victoria: You do not need to thank the hired help for doing her basic job, Arthur.
Arthur: Kindness costs us nothing, Victoria. She works hard for our household every single day.
Victoria rolled her eyes and reached over to butter a hot piece of toast for herself.
Elena kept her head down and quietly walked back toward the dark kitchen door in silence.
She knew that Victoria had a very cruel side that she hid from the rest of the world.
Over the past few months, Victoria had treated the staff with extreme coldness and constant anger.
Elena had noticed many strange changes in the large house over the past few weeks.
Victoria was often on the phone in low whispers behind closed doors late at night.
She often talked about large sum money transfers and legal life insurance settlement policies.
Elena had kept those quiet worries to herself because she did not want to cause any drama.
But deep inside her heart, she felt that something terrible was brewing in this wealthy home.
Arthur picked up his daily newspaper to read the front page stock market business news.
He was completely unaware that his peaceful morning was about to turn into an absolute nightmare.
Victoria watched her husband out of the corner of her eye with a strange, cold expression.
She reached for her crystal glass of sparkling water and took a tiny, careful sip.
Then she glanced toward the kitchen door to see if Elena was still hovering nearby.
Elena was watching through the small glass square window in the heavy swinging door.
Her heart beat very fast as she observed Victoria's strange and suspicious movements at the table.
Victoria pulled a small clear glass vial from the pocket of her expensive silk robe.
She quickly poured three small drops of a clear liquid into Arthur's full water glass.
The liquid dissolved instantly without leaving any trace or color in the clear drinking water.
Elena gasped softly behind the closed door and held her trembling hand over her mouth.
She realized right then that Arthur was in terrible, immediate danger from his own wife.