Elena: Stop right now! What are you doing to him?!
Victoria whirled around, her emerald green satin dress rustling loudly in the quiet space.
Victoria: Mind your own business and get back to your cleaning!
Elena: I will not stand here while you frighten a helpless baby!
Elena quickly knelt on the hard floor and gathered the small boy gently into her arms.
The child pressed his wet cheek against Elena's navy uniform and slowly quieted down.
Victoria took two fast steps toward Elena, her eyes flashing with pure rage.
Victoria: You are a paid employee in this house, Elena!
Victoria: You do not tell me how to treat my stepson!
Elena: You locked him in the drafty hallway to make him cry!
Elena: Arthur would be heartbroken if he saw how you treat his son!
Victoria sneered and stepped closer, raising her hand to gesture threateningly.
Victoria: Arthur will never believe a word from a simple maid over his wife!
Elena: Then he will believe what he sees with his own eyes.
Elena pulled her smartphone from her apron pocket with her trembling left hand.
She tapped the screen, showing the active recording light blaring red in the bright sunlight.
Victoria stared at the tiny screen, her face losing all of its color in a single second.
Victoria: Delete that footage right now, or I will have you fired!
Elena: Fire me if you want, but this video stays on my phone.
Victoria made a sudden grab for the device, but Elena backed away toward the grand entrance.
The baby held tightly onto Elena's collar as the confrontation grew more heated.
Victoria gasped in frustration, holding her sharp fingernails close to her sides.
Victoria: You are making the biggest mistake of your entire life!
Elena: No, Victoria, you made the mistake when you forgot that people are watching.
Elena locked her phone screen and held the child securely against her shoulder.
She backed away toward the front room, keeping her gaze firmly fixed on the furious woman.
The silence in the grand hallway felt heavier than ever before as both women waited.
Elena knew the battle had just begun, but she felt completely ready to face it.