Before Julian could step completely into the bright light of the grand hallway, sudden heels clicked sharply against the imported Italian tile near the master kitchen entrance. Victoria Vance strode into the hallway, her expensive silk designer dress swaying around her legs as her face twisted into an expression of absolute disgust. She was a woman who valued order and quiet above all else, spending thousands of dollars every month to maintain an image of absolute perfection for her wealthy social circle. Seeing her maid standing in the main entryway crying into a cell phone while holding a sick, messy toddler was more than her fragile patience could handle on a Tuesday morning.
Victoria: What on earth is this terrible noise? Clara, have you completely lost your mind bringing a sick kid here?
Clara spun around quickly, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to pull her crying daughter closer to her chest to shield her from Victoria's sharp voice. Lily whimpered louder, frightened by the sudden loud noise echoing off the high white crown molding above them. Clara lowered her head immediately, her eyes staring down at the polished floorboards as she tried to wipe her tear-stained face with the sleeve of her maroon apron. She knew Victoria had a zero-tolerance policy regarding personal business during work hours, but this was a matter of life and death for her child.
Clara: I am so sorry, Mrs. Vance! It is an emergency! Lily is very sick and the pharmacy needs payment right now!
Victoria: I do not care about your personal financial problems! You are paid to clean this house, not turn my hallway into a dramatic hospital ward!
Victoria took two fast steps forward, her eyes flashing with intense anger as she looked at the young mother standing before her. She did not see a desperate parent fighting to save her sick child; she only saw an annoying disruption to her peaceful morning schedule and a potential stain on her clean floor. Clara opened her mouth to apologize again, begging for just a few minutes to figure out a solution, but Victoria was not willing to listen to another word from her staff. Raising her right hand quickly, Victoria delivered a loud, sharp slap straight across Clara's left cheek before the maid could even react.
The sharp sound of the strike echoed through the empty hallway like a gunshot, making the bright recessed ceiling lights seem to flicker for a brief second. Clara gasped loudly as her head snapped to the side, her skin instantly turning a bright blotchy red from the sudden physical force of the blow. She instinctively turned her body completely around, shielding little Lily with her back and arms so the child would not be shaken by the violent motion. Tears spilled over her eyelashes in a heavy flood, but she kept her jaws clamped tight to stop herself from screaming out in pain.
Victoria: Know your place in this house! You do not yell on the phone in my home!
Victoria stood over her with her hand still raised slightly, her chest heaving as she adjusted her expensive diamond bracelet. Clara huddled low against the hallway wall, clutching her feverish child so tightly that her knuckles turned completely white under her skin. She felt utterly humiliated, small, and completely helpless, stripped of all human dignity in a place where she had worked tirelessly for years. Little Lily began to sob hysterically into her mother's shoulder, sensing the intense fear and pain running through Clara's body as they stood trembling together in the center of the massive house.