Mark walked back into the kitchen, his body shaking with lingering adrenaline.
He knelt beside Sarah's chair and gently wrapped his arms around her and the baby.
Mark: Is she hurt? Is the baby okay?
Sarah: Emma is fine... she's just tired from crying.
Mark: Let me look at your cheek, honey.
Sarah winced as Mark gently touched the swollen skin near her eye.
Sarah: It hurts so bad, Mark...
Mark: I'm going to get some ice right now.
Sarah: No, stay here with me. Please don't leave the room.
Mark: I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.
Sarah: She showed up two hours ago with a key she copied.
Mark: A copied key? I thought I changed all the locks last month!
Sarah: She must have taken the spare key from the garage when she visited last week.
Mark: Why didn't you call me on the phone immediately?
Sarah: She grabbed my phone off the counter and threw it into the sink filled with water!
Mark looked over at the sink and saw Sarah's phone sitting at the bottom of the soapy water.
Mark: That evil woman...
Sarah: She told me that if I didn't scrub the entire house before you got home, she would make sure you lost your job.
Mark: How could she make me lose my job?
Sarah: She said she owns shares in the firm you work for!
Mark: She's lying! She doesn't own anything in my company!
Sarah: I didn't know, Mark! I was terrified she would ruin our life!
Mark: She lied to scare you so she could exert control over us!
Sarah: When Emma started crying because of her high fever, I stopped washing the floor to hold her.
Mark: And that's when she hit you?
Sarah: She called me a worthless street girl. She said I was using you for money.
Mark: You've been with me since we were in college! We didn't have a single penny back then!
Sarah: I tried to walk past her to get to the nursery, and she slapped me so hard I dropped onto my knees.
Mark: God, Sarah... I am so sorry I wasn't here to protect you.
Sarah: She forced me back into the kitchen and made me start scrubbing the dishes with one hand while holding Emma.
Mark: Has she ever done anything like this before when I wasn't home?
Sarah looked down at her hands, remaining completely silent.
Mark: Sarah? Answer me. Has she put her hands on you before?
Sarah: Last month... when you were on that business trip to Chicago.
Mark: What did she do?
Sarah: She came over and shoved me against the wall because I hadn't ironed her silk dresses fast enough.
Mark: Why didn't you tell me, Sarah?! Why did you keep this a secret from me?
Sarah: Because she threatened to cut off your father's life insurance payout!
Mark: She has no power over that insurance policy! It was set up in a private trust!
Sarah: I didn't understand the legal documents, Mark! I was just trying to protect our family's future!
Mark: You don't ever have to protect me by suffering abuse from that woman.
Sarah: I was so scared she would destroy everything we built.
Mark: The only thing getting destroyed from today onward is Evelyn's life.