Victoria sat on the cold floor, her hair messily falling out of its neat updo. She looked up at David with wide, frightened eyes, her hand covering her glowing red cheek. She had never seen her husband lose his temper like this. He had always been gentle, patient, and soft-spoken.
"David... please," Victoria pleaded, her voice trembling as she began to cry fake tears. "I was just stressed! The baby wouldn't stop screaming! You're never home, and I have to do everything myself! I made a mistake, please forgive me!"
"A mistake?" David said, his eyes burning with disgust. He looked down at her as if she were a complete stranger. "Dragging an innocent six-month-old child across a stone floor is not a mistake! Slapping a young woman who was trying to protect him is not a mistake! You are a monster!"
Clara reached into her apron pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Her hands were shaking, but she tapped the screen and held it out toward David. "Mr. Sterling... you don't have to take my word for it. I recorded everything over the last three days. Every time she screamed at him, every beat, every sound."
David took the phone from Clara. He pressed play on the audio file. Immediately, the small speaker broadcasted Victoria's sharp, cruel voice ringing clearly through the quiet hall: *"I don't care about this brat! He's just my ticket to the Sterling fortune! Let him cry until he faints!"* Then came the sound of a harsh slap, followed by Clara's painful cry and baby Leo's desperate sobs.
The audio played on, exposing every dark detail of Victoria's true nature. Victoria's face drained of all color. She scrambled to her feet, trying to reach for the phone. "Delete that! Give me that phone right now!"
David shoved her away forcefully, handing Leo to Clara. Clara held the baby tight, soothing him while David turned his full wrath back onto his wife. He pulled his own phone out and dialed a number on speakerphone.
"Mr. Vance," David said into the phone, speaking to his top divorce lawyer. "I need you at my house immediately. Cancel every agreement, revoke the prenup terms, and file for an immediate emergency restraining order and full legal custody. My wife will not receive a single cent from my estate or my family's trust fund."
"David, no! You can't do this to me!" Victoria shrieked, falling to her knees and grabbing his pants leg. "We have a marriage! Think about our reputation! Think about the media!"
"Our marriage is over," David said coldly, kicking his leg free from her grip. He signaled to the two security guards standing at the door. "Guards, remove this woman from my property immediately. If she ever steps foot on this land again, have her arrested for trespassing."
The two tall guards stepped forward without hesitation. They grabbed Victoria by her arms, dragging her toward the door as she screamed, kicked, and cursed at the top of her lungs. Her beautiful ruby satin gown was ruined, dragging along the wet driveway outside as she was tossed out past the heavy iron gates into the rain.