Arthur and Clara pulled Julian up onto the dry stone floor together.
Julian lay shivering on his side, breathing heavily against the cool stone.
Arthur: This is my son!
Arthur pulled off his wool coat and wrapped it tightly around Julian's shoulders.
Victoria fell to her knees next to them, faking deep concern and tears.
Victoria: Oh thank goodness he is breathing, it was such an awful accident!
Clara sat on the pool ledge, drenched from head to toe and shaking with rage.
She pointed her trembling finger straight at Victoria's face with furious anger.
Clara: She tried to kill your son!
Arthur stopped rubbing his son's back and turned his head slowly toward Clara.
His expression grew stern and deeply skeptical in an instant.
Arthur: What are you pointing at?
Victoria: Arthur, the poor maid is hysterical and making wild claims.
Victoria: She must have bumped his chair by mistake while sweeping the patio.
Clara: That is a complete lie and you know it, Victoria!
Clara: I saw you grab his wheelchair and shove him into the water!
Arthur looked between his terrified wife and the drenched housemaid in confusion.
He loved his new wife and found it difficult to imagine such evil actions.
Arthur: Clara, calm down right now before you say something you regret.
Julian: Dad... it happened so fast... I felt a strong push from behind.
Victoria reached over and stroked Julian's wet hair with fake tenderness.
Victoria: You were startled by the dark, sweetheart, nobody pushed you.
Clara stood up from the wet stone floor, her chin raised high in defiance.
She knew that if she backed down now, Julian would never be safe.
She needed proof to break through Arthur's blind trust in his wife.
Clara remembered a tiny detail about the recent home upgrades Arthur had ordered.
She looked toward the tall dark green hedges lining the edge of the terrace.