The midday heat beat down relentlessly against the travertine terrace of the Vance estate, but Maya was shivering so violently her teeth rattled together.
Her black cotton uniform clung to her soaked skin like lead weight, water pooling around her worn shoes while four-year-old Toby gasped for breath in her lap.
Victoria: Get your filthy hands off him right now! Step away from my son, you monster!
Maya: Mrs. Vance, please, he swallowed so much water! He couldn't keep his head above the eight-foot marker!
Victoria: Don't touch him! You tried to drown him! Someone call the police!
Tires screeched viciously across the pea gravel of the circular driveway outside the security gate. A black luxury SUV roared to an abrupt halt.
Julian Vance threw the driver's door wide open, his leather briefcase tumbling into the dirt as he sprinted across the manicured lawn.
Julian: Toby! Toby! What is going on out here? Why is my boy soaking wet?
Victoria lunged forward immediately, her beige silk dress fluttering as she ripped Toby out of Maya's trembling arms.
Victoria: Julian! Thank God you're home! She tried to drown him! She threw our little boy into the deep end!
Julian froze, his eyes widening in pure disbelief as he saw his son's pale, blue-tinged lips and dripping blonde hair.
Julian: You did what? You laid your hands on my son?
Maya: Mr. Vance, no! Please, God, no! That isn't what happened at all!
Julian: I pay you to clean my house, and you try to murder my only child?
Julian stepped forward, raising his heavy fist into the air, his knuckles white with sudden, blind fury.
Toby: Daddy, no! Stop! Don't hit her!
The four-year-old boy shrieked, kicking against Victoria's arms and reaching out desperately toward the wet maid on the floor.
Julian: Toby, get back! She's dangerous!
Toby: Maya jumped in to pull me up, Daddy! She didn't push me!
Julian stopped his fist inches from Maya's cheek, his chest heaving under his tailored dress shirt.
Julian: Toby... what are you talking about?
Toby buried his face into Julian's trouser leg, sobbing uncontrollably while pointing his tiny finger directly at Victoria.
Toby: Mommy kicked my toy truck into the water... and then she walked away when I slipped!
A suffocating silence fell across the patio, leaving Victoria staring down at the little boy with sudden, wide-eyed terror.