Arthur guided Lily to a soft velvet sofa in the main living room.
He sat beside her and held her hands gently in his own.
Her skin was cold, and her knuckles were red from scrubbing floors in icy water.
Victoria stood near the marble fireplace, clutching her glass tightly.
Arthur: Tell me everything from the beginning, Lily.
Lily: The moment your flight took off on Monday, she took my phone away.
Victoria: I took her phone because she was neglecting her schoolwork!
Arthur: Be quiet, Victoria, or I will have security escort you off this property!
Victoria opened her mouth to argue, but the cold glare from Arthur silenced her instantly.
Lily wiped a tear from her cheek with her sleeve.
Lily: She dismissed the regular cleaning staff on Tuesday morning.
Arthur: She dismissed the staff?
Lily: Yes, she told them you were cutting back on household expenses.
Arthur narrowed his eyes at his wife, who looked away toward the window.
Lily: Then she handed me this uniform and a bucket of ice water.
Arthur: And the scratches on your arms?
Lily: She made me move heavy wooden boxes out of the basement yesterday afternoon.
Victoria: I was trying to teach her discipline and hard work!
Arthur: You do not discipline my daughter by treating her like forced labor!
Victoria: She spends all your money on clothes and never contributes anything!
Arthur: She is a teenager attending high school!
Victoria: She needs to understand how hard life really is!
Arthur took a deep breath, trying to control the fury surging through his veins.
He looked around the grand living room that used to feel like a warm home.
Now it felt like a cold prison where his daughter had suffered in silence.
Arthur: Where was the housekeeper, Mrs. Gable?
Lily: Victoria fired her two weeks ago while you were away in Chicago.
Arthur stood up slowly from the sofa and stepped toward his wife.
Arthur: You fired Mrs. Gable, who has served my family for ten years?
Victoria: She was overly expensive and interfered with my authority!
Arthur: You lied to me on the phone and said Mrs. Gable was taking a short vacation.
Victoria lowered her glass onto a side table, her fingers shaking slightly.
Victoria: I did what I thought was best for this household, Arthur.
Arthur: You abused my trust and harmed my only child.
Victoria: You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment right now!
Arthur: My judgment has never been clearer in my entire life.