The morning sunlight streamed bright through the high glass windows of the grand foyer.
Elena polished the dark marble railings with a soft white cloth until they shone bright.
She had worked for the Sterling family as a housekeeper for over three years now.
The mansion was massive, quiet, and filled with expensive art from all around the world.
Yet the large rooms often felt cold to anyone who walked through the front doors.
Marcus Sterling was a wealthy businessman who ran a very successful investment firm in city.
He lost his late wife two years ago during a sudden and very painful illness.
Since that day, his whole world revolved around his baby son, small little Tommy.
Six months ago, Marcus married Victoria, a younger woman from a prominent local family.
Victoria wore fine silk dresses and always carried expensive designer handbags everywhere she went.
She spoke with a smooth voice whenever Marcus was sitting nearby in the living room.
However, her whole attitude changed completely the second Marcus left for his downtown office.
Elena noticed how Victoria looked at little baby Tommy whenever the house was quiet.
Victoria never held the child with warmth or smiled at him with real affection.
She treated the baby like an annoying obstacle that stood in her own way.
Elena kept her thoughts strictly to herself because she needed this steady job badly.
She supported her elderly mother and paid high rent on a small town apartment.
Every morning, Elena made sure baby Tommy had his clean clothes and fresh warm milk.
She loved the little boy deeply and protected him from any harm or sadness.
On this warm Tuesday morning, Victoria walked down the wide hallway in green satin.
Her high heels clicked sharply against the shiny white tiles near the central staircase.
She pushed the modern black baby stroller slowly toward the top of the stairs.
Elena stepped out from the nearby master bedroom with a basket full of towels.
She saw Victoria pause right near the top step and look around the hall.
Victoria did not notice that Elena was standing silently in the soft hallway shadows.
The green dress woman placed her hand firmly on the soft leather handlebar grip.
She gave the stroller a sudden firm nudge forward toward the steep drop.
Elena dropped her laundry basket immediately and gasped out loud in total shock.
The wheels began to roll quickly toward the edge of the polished marble stairs.
Elena sprinted forward across the slick marble floor with all of her remaining speed.
She dove forward and caught the metal frame right at the very edge.
The front wheels tipped slightly over the top step before coming to a stop.
Baby Tommy let out a loud startled cry from inside his padded seat.
Elena pulled the heavy stroller safely back onto the flat carpeted upper hallway.
She immediately unbuckled the terrified child and gathered him into her strong arms.
Elena: Oh my goodness, sweetie, are you okay?
Victoria turned around quickly with a look of fake panic across her smooth face.
She clutched her gold necklace tightly and backed away toward the wall painting.
Heavy footsteps echoed loudly from the heavy front entrance doors on the ground level.
Marcus walked into the sunlit atrium carrying his black leather work briefcase high.
He heard his young son crying loudly and stopped dead in his tracks.
Marcus: What happened?! Who did this?!
Elena held the weeping child close to her chest and pointed right up.
Elena: She pushed him down toward the stairs!
Victoria: Don't listen to her! It was an accident!
Marcus froze in place as cold fury washed over his whole tense face.