The afternoon heat beat down mercilessly against the white stone patio of the Hayes estate, but Maya felt completely frozen.
Her black uniform clung to her trembling body like lead weight, pool water dripping into puddles around her worn sneakers.
Victoria: Get your filthy hands off him right now! Step away from my son, you monster!
Maya: Mrs. Hayes, please, he swallowed so much water! He couldn't keep his head above the deep end!
Victoria: Don't touch him! You almost killed him! Someone call the police!
Tires screeched viciously across the pea gravel of the circular driveway. A black luxury SUV roared to a halt.
Richard Hayes threw the car door open, leaving his leather briefcase on the front seat as he sprinted toward the patio.
Richard: Toby! What is going on out here? Why is my boy soaking wet?
Victoria lunged forward, her beige designer dress rustling as she yanked four-year-old Toby from Maya's trembling arms.
Victoria: Richard! Thank God you're home! She tried to drown him! She threw our little boy into the deep end!
Richard froze, his eyes widening in pure horror as he looked at his son's pale, blue-tinged lips and dripping hair.
Richard: You did what? You laid hands on my son?
Maya: Mr. Hayes, no! Please, God, no! That isn't what happened at all!
Richard: I pay you to clean my house, and you try to murder my only child?
Richard stepped forward, raising his heavy, clenched fist, his knuckles turning white as pure fury overtook his face.
Toby: Daddy, no! Stop! Don't hit her!
The four-year-old boy shrieked, kicking against Victoria's arms, reaching out desperately toward the wet maid on the floor.
Richard: Toby, get back! She's dangerous!
Toby: Maya jumped in to pull me up, Daddy! She didn't push me!
Richard stopped his fist inches from Maya's cheek, his chest heaving under his tailored dress shirt.
Richard: Toby... what are you talking about?
Toby buried his face into Richard'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 over the patio, leaving Victoria staring at the child with sudden, wide-eyed dread.