The grand curved staircase inside the Wilmoth estate rose up beneath a towering American flag mounted on the stone wall[cite: 1].
Victoria stood at the top landing in a sleek white gown, looking down with cold eyes at five-year-old Emma[cite: 1].
Victoria: Step aside, you little beggar. You take up entirely too much space in this hallway[cite: 1].
Emma: I was just waiting for Daddy to bring my coat[cite: 1].
Victoria: Your father should have left you at the public orphanage where your worthless mother died[cite: 1].
Emma: Don't talk about my mommy like that[cite: 1]!
Victoria sneered, stepping forward and placing two manicured hands directly on Emma's small shoulders[cite: 1].
With a sudden, vicious thrust, she hurled the little girl down the steep marble steps[cite: 1].
Emma screamed at the top of her lungs, her small frame tumbling violently over the sharp edges[cite: 1].
Emma: DADDY[cite: 1]!
Down in the foyer, Clara dropped her cleaning bucket, the water splashing across the slick tiles[cite: 1].
She threw herself forward onto her knees, opening her arms wide at the bottom of the curved flight[cite: 1].
The girl slammed hard into Clara's chest, the impact knocking the air right out of Clara's lungs[cite: 1].
Clara clutched the sobbing child tightly against her black-and-white uniform, checking her head for fractures[cite: 1].
Victoria descended the stairs slowly, one step at a time, holding her white train above the stone[cite: 1].
Victoria: Accidents happen so easily in big houses like this[cite: 1].
Clara's vision flared red as she set Emma gently against the marble newel post[cite: 1].
She rose to her feet, marched straight up to the bottom step, and swung her open palm with all her strength[cite: 1].
The first slap cracked across Victoria's jaw, snapping her head to the left[cite: 1].
Before Victoria could utter a sound, Clara brought her backhand across the other cheek with a second deafening crack[cite: 1].
Clara: Don't you ever dare to touch her again[cite: 1]!
Victoria stumbled backward on her heels, gasping as two crimson handprints flared across her skin[cite: 1].
Before she could shriek for the estate guards, the heavy mahogany front doors flew open with a thunderous bang, revealing a sight that froze everyone in place[cite: 1].