Victoria: You are making a huge mistake, David! I am your wife! You cannot believe the rambling accusations of an old woman over me!
David: Do not call her an old woman! My eyes are perfectly fine, Victoria! I stood right there and saw your foot on her fingers!
Victoria: I was resting my shoe to give myself leverage to pull her heavy dress out of the water!
David: You think I am stupid? You think I didn't see the smile on your face when she was screaming for help?
David stood up slowly, stepping between Victoria and his shivering mother. Standing at six feet two inches, his presence towered over Victoria, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. The navy blue suit jacket was gone, leaving his white dress shirt stained with pool water and dirt, but his posture was firm and unyielding. Victoria took another step back, her back pressing against the cold glass of the patio sliding door.
Victoria: David, please calm down. Think about our reputation in town. Think about your company’s stock prices if news of a domestic fight gets out!
David: You are worried about stock prices while my mother is sitting here coughing up water from her lungs?
Victoria: I am thinking about our future! We can hire a private nurse for her... someone who can keep her safe inside!
Grandmother Rose: David... my ring... the silver ring is gone!
David looked down at his mother’s hand. The ancient silver ring that had belonged to his grandmother was missing from her pale, wrinkled ring finger. He glanced toward the pool, where the quiet water reflected the harsh sunlight, then turned his gaze sharply back to Victoria. He noticed a small, wet bulge inside the side pocket of Victoria’s purple satin dress.
David: What is in your pocket, Victoria?
Victoria: Nothing! It is just my lip gloss and my car keys!
David: Hand over whatever is in your pocket right now before I drag you to the police station myself.
Victoria: You have no right to touch my personal belongings!
David stepped forward rapidly and grabbed Victoria’s wrist, pulling her hand away from the pocket. With his other hand, he reached into the satin fabric and pulled out the ancient silver ring, along with a folded piece of heavy parchment paper. The paper was slightly damp at the edges, bearing the official stamp of the city registrar's office. It was the original land grant deed to the Oakridge estate that David had kept secured in his private office safe.
David: You broke into my safe. You stole my mother’s ring right off her finger while she was sitting out here, didn't you?
Victoria: She gave it to me! She said she wanted me to have it as a family heirloom!
Grandmother Rose: That is a lie! She snatched it off my hand right before she shoved me into the pool!
David: You are a thief and a psychopath, Victoria. You took her ring so she wouldn't have anything left to fight for.
Victoria’s face twisted in rage as her lies were stripped away one by one. She snatched her wrist out of David’s grip and stepped back, her composure shattering completely into bitter, desperate hatred. She no longer looked like the refined, elegant woman who attended charity galas and high-end dinners. Her blonde hair was disheveled by the wind, and her eyes burned with dark malice.
Victoria: So what if I took it? You owe me everything, David! I gave up my life in the city to move into this old, dusty museum with you and your pathetic mother!
David: You moved here for my money, and now you are going to leave with absolutely nothing.