Sarah turned the corner into the grand living room, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. Sunlight hit the sparkling emerald-green diamond dress Victoria wore as she stood over the white leather sofa. Little Leo was lying on his back, his tiny legs kicking frantically in the air as tears streamed down his red cheeks. But Victoria was not leaning down to soothe him. Instead, her hands were pinned tightly around the infant's wrist. Her face was twisted into a malicious sneer as she lowered her head directly over the baby's soft skin, holding his hand firm against the cushion.
Before Sarah could even shout out a warning, Victoria opened her mouth and maliciously bit down hard on the baby's tiny hand. The infant shrieked in unbearable pain, his voice cracking as he tried to pull his little arm away from her teeth. Victoria did not let go immediately; she pressed deeper until visible red teeth marks bruised the soft skin, leaving a tiny drop of crimson blood pooling near his small knuckles. Victoria pulled back with a cold, mocking smirk on her face, completely unbothered by the child's violent weeping under the giant American flag mounted above them.
Victoria: Shut your mouth right now, you worthless brat!
Sarah saw red. All fear of losing her job, all hesitation about wealth and power, completely vanished from her mind in a single instant. She moved faster than she ever had in her entire life. Her shoes slapped loudly against the marble as she crossed the threshold into the room. She reached Victoria in two massive strides. Without taking a single second to hesitate, Sarah drew back her right hand with everything she had in her body and delivered a booming, open-handed slap straight across Victoria's sharp cheekbone.
The force of the slap cracked through the giant living room like a gunshot. Victoria's head snapped back violently to the side, her emerald earrings jingling loudly as her eyes went wide with sudden shock. She stumbled backward two steps, clutching her face in utter disbelief. Sarah did not give her a chance to recover or speak. She immediately stepped in front of the sofa, placing her own body between the cruel stepmother and the injured child, and scooped little Leo tightly into her protective arms.
Sarah: GET YOUR VILE TEETH OFF THIS INNOCENT BABY!
Victoria: How dare you strike me! You dirty maid, you are fired!
Sarah: You are a monster! He is just an infant!
Victoria: I will have you thrown in prison for touching me!
Sarah wrapped her apron around Leo's small bleeding hand, ignoring Victoria's furious screams. The baby burried his wet face into Sarah's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably as his tiny body trembled from the trauma. Victoria stepped forward, her hand raised to strike Sarah back, her eyes burning with rage. But before her hand could descend, the heavy oak double doors of the front foyer suddenly slammed open with a heavy, booming crash that shook the entire hallway.