Arthur stood inside the tall glass doors of the grand family estate.
The air inside the giant white house felt cold and quiet.
He held his small baby boy wrapped in a blue blanket.
Arthur: We are finally safe inside our home, little guy.
The young father walked across the polished marble floor of the foyer.
His stepmother Evelyn watched him from the top of the wide stairs.
Evelyn: You should not have come back to this house, Arthur.
Arthur: My father left this home to my newborn son in his will.
Evelyn: That paper means nothing in my mansion.
The old woman adjusted her black silk dress with sharp fingers.
She had managed the family trust fund for over twenty years.
Arthur stepped closer to the bottom of the grand staircase.
Arthur: My father wanted his grandson to grow up right here.
Evelyn: Your late father was weak and confused at the end.
Maria the house maid came out from the side kitchen door.
She carried a clean warm bottle for the crying infant.
Maria: Please let the child rest, Mrs. Vance.
Evelyn: Mind your business and polish the silverware in the kitchen.
Maria lowered her head but stayed near the young father.
She had worked for the rich family for fifteen long years.
She knew every dark secret hidden behind the painted walls.
Arthur: Show some respect to Maria, stepmother.
Evelyn: Respect is earned by wealth and power, not by service.
Arthur wiped a tiny tear from his baby boy's soft cheek.
The baby whimpered softly under the bright foyer lights.
Arthur: Where are the legal papers for the family estate?
Evelyn: Locked inside the wall safe upstairs where they belong.
Arthur: The court lawyer said I have full legal access today.
Evelyn laughed softly with a cold and harsh sound.
She held a black leather envelope tightly behind her back.
Evelyn: You have nothing until I sign the trust release forms.
Arthur: You cannot hold my son's future hostage anymore.
Evelyn: Watch your tone inside my house, young man.
Arthur took a deep breath to calm his beating heart.
He looked around at the expensive oil paintings on the walls.
His late father had built this real estate empire from nothing.
Arthur: I know what my father wrote in his real trust agreement.
Evelyn: You know only what your foolish dreams tell you.
Maria stepped forward and touched Arthur's elbow gently.
Maria: Be careful, sir, she called the lawyer earlier today.
Arthur: Which lawyer did she talk to, Maria?
Maria: The divorce lawyer from the city office upstairs.
Evelyn glared down at the maid with fierce dark eyes.
Evelyn: You are fired as of this very minute, Maria!
Maria: You cannot fire me for telling the truth, ma'am.
Arthur: Maria stays right here with my baby and me.
Evelyn: We will see about that when the police arrive.
The old woman turned toward the upstairs balcony door.
Arthur felt a cold sudden fear grip his chest inside.
He wrapped his arms tighter around the small baby bundle.
Arthur: What did you do with the original birth certificate?
Evelyn: It is right where it needs to be for my custody lawsuit.
Arthur: Custody lawsuit for my own child?
Evelyn: You have no job and no mansion without my signature.
Arthur took his first quick step up the marble stairs.
The story was just beginning inside the quiet house.