From down the hall, Maria, a loyal young housemaid, came rushing around the corner carrying a thick stack of medical files and estate documents. Seeing the horrifying abuse taking place by the wheelchair, Maria dropped her professional composure and ran toward them. "Stop! She didn't do anything wrong!" Maria cried out, attempting to step between the terrifying matriarch and the distressed pregnant bride. But Eleanor turned with blinding speed, her face contorted in absolute rage at being defied by a staff member. She raised her hand and delivered a thunderous slap across Maria's face, the sharp impact echoing loudly off the polished marble walls.
The force of the strike sent Maria stumbling backward across the slippery floor before she crashed hard onto the marble tiles. The thick folder in her hands burst open upon impact, scattering dozens of white papers, medical records, and legal contracts all across the hall. Maria lay on the floor, holding her stinging cheek in utter shock, unable to rise as Eleanor stood over her like a tyrant. Clara watched the senseless violence from her wheelchair, weeping helplessly as orange stains smeared around her mouth and chin, her small body shaking with terror as she realized how completely isolated they were in this massive mansion.
Clara looked up at the towering matriarch through a haze of tears, her red hair clinging messily to her damp cheeks. The bright sunlight streaming through the tall arched windows highlighted the vibrant orange residue dripping down her neck, serving as a terrifying testament to Eleanor’s ruthlessness. "Please..." Clara whimpered, her voice cracking into a soft, trembling whisper as she hugged her swollen belly tighter. Eleanor merely sneered, wiping her manicured fingers with a linen napkin, completely untroubled by the pain she had inflicted on two defenseless women inside her home.