The large dining room inside the Dallas mansion was decorated for an elegant holiday dinner party.
Bright white walls framed a massive piece of American flag artwork above the fireplace.
Victoria sat at the head of the dark mahogany table with several wealthy neighborhood guests.
She adjusted her expensive gold bracelet while serving slices of roasted turkey onto fine china.
To everyone in the room, Victoria appeared to be the perfect new stepmother.
She laughed at every joke and poured wine into sparkling crystal glasses for her friends.
Little two-year-old Lily wandered slowly into the brightly lit dining room from the hallway.
The little girl wore a soft cream dress and held a small blue plush toy.
Her bright eyes were red, and quiet tears rolled down her chubby toddler cheeks.
Toddler Lily: Hungry! Bread please!
Victoria froze as the guests paused their cheerful dinner conversation to look at the child.
The stepmother felt an overwhelming sense of annoyance at being interrupted during her party.
She glanced around the table to see if any guests looked displeased by the distraction.
Stepmother Victoria: Lily, go back to the playroom immediately with your nanny.
Toddler Lily: Hungry, bread please!
Lily raised her small hands toward the basket of warm rolls near the center table.
Victoria scowled as she reached across the table and grabbed a single plain bread roll.
She stood up from her chair and stared coldly down at the defenseless toddler.
Instead of handing the bread gently to Lily, Victoria threw it hard onto the floor.
Stepmother Victoria: Then eat!
The dry roll bounced across the polished wood floor, stopping right near Victoria's high heels.
Lily let out a soft cry and dropped down to her knees on the ground.
She picked up the piece of bread, tears streaming fast down her pale little face.
The dinner guests gasped in shock, completely stunned by Victoria's sudden cold action.
Victoria simply cleared her throat and brushed off her silk dinner dress with a sneer.
Guest Sarah: Victoria, that was completely cruel to a tiny two-year-old girl.
Stepmother Victoria: She needs to learn manners and stop interrupting my adult guests.
Victoria sat back down, picking up her fork as if nothing wrong had happened.
Lily sat on the floor, holding the piece of bread tightly with both small hands.
She sobbed quietly, too afraid to move away from the massive dining table.
Victoria looked down at the floor with absolute contempt for her young stepdaughter.
She believed her husband Mark would be away on business until late that evening.
She thought no one in power would ever question how she managed the household.
The heavy front door suddenly slammed shut in the front entry foyer of the house.
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