Mark pulled his expensive grey car into the driveway of his massive marble mansion.
He had rushed home early from a high-stakes business meeting in the city.
A strange feeling in his gut told him that something was terribly wrong.
His sweet six-year-old daughter Lily was at home with his new wife Victoria.
Mark loved Victoria, but lately, her attitude toward little Lily had changed completely.
He gripped his leather briefcase tightly as he walked toward the grand front entrance.
The heavy wooden doors creaked loudly as Mark pushed them open into the mansion.
He stepped onto the black and white checkerboard marble floor of the foyer.
The sudden sound of crying echoed down the high ceilings of the empty hallway.
Mark froze in place as his heart began to beat wildly in his chest.
He hurried briskly through the doorway, his leather shoes clicking against the hard tile.
In the center of the foyer stood Victoria in a beige sequin evening gown.
She was holding an expensive glass of red wine over little Lily's trembling head.
Dark red liquid stained the little girl's white dress completely as she sobbed loudly.
Victoria looked down at the child with a cold and harsh glare on her face.
Mark stared at the scene with absolute shock and sudden rage filling his mind.
He could not believe his own eyes as he watched his wife intimidate his daughter.
The quiet mansion felt freezing cold as the terrible realization hit him like a truck.
Victoria turned her head quickly when she heard Mark's heavy footsteps on the floor.
Her eyes grew wide as she quickly pulled the empty wine glass back toward her chest.
Mark took a deep breath and let out a furious scream that echoed everywhere.
Mark: What is going on here?
Victoria began to gasp in panic as she tried to fix her silk evening gown.
She forced a fake smile and stepped away from the weeping little girl immediately.
Victoria: Honey, she spilled it on herself!
Victoria: She was playing with my glass and had a terrible accident!
Mark looked at his daughter's terrified face and knew Victoria was lying to him.
Lily shook her head frantically while holding her tiny hands over her red cheeks.
Mark's temper flared beyond anything he had ever felt in his entire life before.
He stepped forward with long strides and forcefully pushed Victoria away from his daughter.
Victoria lost her balance instantly on her high heels and spun backward in surprise.
She fell hard onto the cold checkerboard marble floor with a loud gasp of shock.
Mark did not even look back at Victoria as she groaned on the hard ground.
He immediately dropped down to his knees beside his frightened little girl on the floor.
Lily reached out her tiny arms toward her father, crying hysterically without stopping now.
Mark wrapped his strong arms around her gently, pulling her tight against his expensive suit.
He noticed a small red mark on her forehead where she had bumped the wall.
Mark: It is okay, sweetie. Daddy is here.
Lily buried her face into Mark's shoulder, her small body trembling with pure terror.
From high above, the grand crystal chandelier cast bright light over the dramatic scene.
Victoria sat on the floor, rubbing her arm while glaring furiously at the father and child.
The happy home Mark had tried so hard to build was breaking apart right now.