By the second day of Mark's trip, Victoria had completely taken over the entire mansion.
She invited her wealthy socialite friends over for lunch, forcing Clara to serve them endlessly.
Clara had to clean up messes while holding baby Lily, who was stressed from the loud noise.
Whenever Clara tried to feed the baby, Victoria would find another task for her to complete instantly.
Victoria: Stop lingering around that child and go polish the silver in the dining room!
Clara: Ma'am, Lily needs her milk, she has not eaten in hours!
Victoria: She can wait until I say so, now move your feet right now!
Clara felt her blood boil, but she knew arguing back would only get her fired immediately.
She set the bottle down and walked into the kitchen with tears streaming down her face.
She pulled her phone from her apron pocket to call Mark's personal legal assistant in Chicago.
Before she could dial the phone number, Victoria stepped into the kitchen and snatched the phone away.
Victoria: Who said you were allowed to use your personal phone during work hours?!
Clara: Give that back to me, Miss Sterling, that is my private property!
Victoria tossed the smartphone straight into a sink filled with soapy water and dirty dishes.
Victoria: Now you have no way to spread your pathetic lies to my brother!
Clara reached into the water to save her ruined phone, her whole body shaking with anger.
Clara: You are a monster, Victoria, and Mark will see what kind of person you really are!
Victoria: Mark will always take my side over an uneducated servant girl like you!
Victoria grabbed the baby stroller and pushed it out into the drafty marble hallway aggressively.
She locked the little baby inside a cold storage room near the back entrance of the house.
The room was dark and chilled, far away from any warm fireplace or comfortable carpet.
Little Lily began to cry loudly in fear, her tiny cries echoing against the stone walls.
Clara ran down the hallway and threw herself against the locked storage room wooden door.
Clara: Let her out of there right now, Victoria, she is terrified!
Victoria: She will stay in there until she learns to stop making so much noise!
Clara: I am calling the police if you do not open this door this instant!
Victoria stepped up close and shoved Clara roughly back against the hard stone wall.
Clara stumbled and hit her arm against a heavy wooden frame, leaving a painful dark mark.
She did not care about her own pain; all she cared about was saving the innocent baby inside.
She dropped to her knees on the cold marble floor, pleading with all her remaining heart.
Clara: Please, stop this cruel game, leave the baby alone and punish me instead!
Victoria stood over her with a cold, triumphant smile on her well-groomed face.
Victoria: No one is going to save you or that child from my rules in this house.
She had no idea that a sudden change in court schedules was about to ruin everything.
Mark's trial in Chicago had ended early after the opposing legal party surrendered completely.
He was already riding in a taxi from the airport, coming back home a full day early.