The summer heat beat down mercilessly on the sprawling stone patio of the Vance estate.
Ten-year-old Evelyn wiped a line of sweat from her forehead as she looked at the long banquet table.
The table was loaded with ice-cold pitchers of water, fresh lemonades, and tall glass cups filled with red juice.
Evelyn had been playing outside in her simple ruby red silk dress for over two hours without a break.
Her throat was terribly dry, and she felt lightheaded from the blazing sun above the patio.
She walked slowly toward the drink station, hoping nobody would mind if she helped herself to a single glass.
Her father, Marcus, was inside the main house attending an emergency business call with his company lawyer.
Marcus had brought his daughter to this annual family reunion hoping to heal old rivalries with his relatives.
However, the wealthy side of the family had always treated Marcus and Evelyn like unwelcomed outsiders.
Evelyn reached out her small hands and carefully picked up two glass cups of sweet red juice from the table.
She intended to drink one cup herself and offer the second cup to her busy father inside.
Before she could take a single sip, a shadow fell over the little girl on the bright stone patio.
Her sharp-tongued grandmother, Beatrice Vance, stepped forward wearing an elegant white lace outfit.
Beatrice looked at the young girl with cold disgust and sneered at the silk dress Marcus had bought her.
Without saying a single word of warning, Beatrice lifted her foot and kicked the glasses directly out of Evelyn's hands.
The heavy glass shattered loudly on the stone ground, splashing dark red juice across the patio and onto Evelyn's shoes.
Evelyn froze in total shock, her big brown eyes filling with hot tears as she looked down at the mess.
She dropped to her knees, trembling as she tried to apologize for something she did not even cause.
Beatrice stood over her like an angry tyrant, showing absolutely no remorse for scaring the small child.
Several relatives standing nearby in fancy outfits simply watched the cruel act without saying a word to help.