Mark took three long strides into the center of the grand dining hall.
The sharp sound of his leather dress shoes made Evelyn jump in surprise.
Her head snapped around quickly and her face turned pale as fresh snow.
Evelyn: Mark! I had no idea you were coming home today!
Mark: Clearly you did not expect me back until tomorrow morning Evelyn.
Lily looked up from the floor and let out a loud dramatic sob of relief.
Lily: Daddy! You came back home to save me!
The little girl scrambled up off the floor and ran straight toward her father.
Mark dropped his heavy suitcase onto the floor and bent down on one knee.
He wrapped his strong arms around Lily and lifted her up into his chest.
Lily buried her face in his neck and cried tears of pure exhaustion.
Mark: Shh sweetie daddy is right here with you now.
Evelyn: Mark darling please let me explain what just happened!
Mark: Do not call me darling ever again Evelyn.
Mark stood up tall while holding Lily tightly against his side.
His dark eyes locked onto Evelyn with pure disgust and growing rage.
Evelyn: She was misbehaving and refused to listen to my rules!
Mark: I heard every single word you just said to her.
Evelyn: I was only trying to teach her proper table manners for dinner!
Mark: You knocked her plate off the table onto the ground!
Evelyn: No! She reached out her small hand and knocked it over herself!
Lily: She lied daddy! She pushed my plate with her hand!
Mark looked down at the broken plate pieces scattered across his expensive floor.
He saw that the food was pushed far away from where Lily was sitting.
It was obvious that someone had knocked the plate across the room on purpose.
Mark: You lied straight to my face in my own home.
Evelyn: I would never lie to you about something like this Mark!
Mark: You thought you could treat my motherless child like this when I left?
Evelyn: You are making a huge mistake over a tiny minor accident!
Mark pointed his index finger directly at the dining room exit door.
Mark: Get out of this room right now before I lose my mind.
Evelyn gasped loudly and adjusted the strap of her bright red dress.
Evelyn: You cannot talk to me like I am some common worker!
Mark: I am telling you to step out of this room immediately.
Evelyn: Fine! I will go wait in the guest bedroom until you calm down!
She turned on her high heels and stormed out toward the grand stairs.
Mark carried Lily over to the comfortable soft couch in the living room.
He set her down gently and wiped the moist tears from her soft cheeks.
Mark: Did she ever treat you like this before today Lily?
Lily: Yes daddy whenever you went outside to work in the yard.
Mark felt a heavy knot form deep inside his upset stomach.
He realized that Evelyn had been hiding her true nature for months.