Sarah stood up slowly while holding her sobbing toddler tightly against her shoulder.
Her hands shook uncontrollably from the terrifying rush of sudden adrenaline.
Victoria stood just a few feet away with her arms crossed over her green dress.
She held a calm expression on her face as if nothing dangerous had happened.
Sarah: You deliberately unlocked that gate while my toddler was walking right toward it!
Victoria: Lower your voice right now, Sarah, before you cause a dramatic scene.
Sarah: You put my little boy in danger on purpose just to hurt me!
Victoria: It was a total accident because the latch was already loose this morning.
Sarah: I watched your hand unhook the safety latch with my own two eyes!
Victoria took a slow step forward, her tone turning cold and venomous.
Victoria: Nobody will ever take the word of an ex-wife over Mark's legal spouse.
Sarah: Mark cares about his child's safety more than anything else in this world.
Victoria: Mark trusts me completely, and you are just a bitter outsider here.
Leo continued to cry loudly into Sarah's neck, still shaken by the sudden commotion.
Sarah rubbed her toddler's back gently to calm his frantic little breaths down.
She knew she needed to stay strong for the sake of her innocent young child.
The heavy oak front doors of the mansion suddenly swung wide open downstairs.
Mark walked briskly into the grand high-ceiling foyer wearing his sharp grey suit.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard his young son crying intensely.
Mark looked up toward the upper staircase landing with total panic in his eyes.
Mark: What on earth happened up there, Sarah, is Leo alright?
Sarah: Mark, come up here right now, your wife just did something horrific!
Victoria immediately changed her composure from cold arrogance to sudden tearful distress.
She clutched her hands together tightly and let out a dramatic, shaky breath.
Victoria: Oh thank goodness you are home early, Mark, she is wildly attacking me!
Mark rushed up the grand marble stairs two steps at a time to reach them.
He immediately placed a protective arm near Sarah and checked on little toddler Leo.
Mark: Sweetheart, tell me what happened, why is the safety gate unlocked and wide open?
Sarah: She deliberately unlatched the gate and stepped back when Leo toddled over!