Chapter 4 - The Fall
The physical impact of the shove lifted Olivia slightly off her feet. Because she was pregnant, her center of gravity was already compromised. She lost her balance instantly.
A terrified, ear-piercing scream echoed through the mansion. It was a sound of absolute, primal terror that would haunt the guests for the rest of their lives.
Olivia tumbled backward. The grand wooden staircase, which Vanessa had just descended, was directly behind her.
Time seemed to slow to a terrifying crawl. Olivia’s arms flailed desperately, trying to grab onto the smooth wooden banister, but her fingers only brushed the polished surface.
Her body struck the heavy, solid oak of the first step with a sickening thud.
She tumbled down the long, sweeping staircase. Her back, her shoulders, and her legs struck step after unforgiving step. The beautiful ivory dress tore against the sharp edges of the wood. She tried to curl her body inward, curling into a tight ball in a desperate, frantic attempt to shield her stomach from the violent impacts.
With a final, terrible crash, she hit the marble floor at the base of the stairs.
Guests gasped in collective horror. Several women in the crowd screamed, covering their mouths with their hands. Waiters froze in shock, dropping their heavy silver trays.
Crash.
Champagne glasses shattered against the marble floor, sending shards of crystal flying in every direction, the expensive wine pooling around the broken glass like spilled blood.
For a long, agonizing moment, no one in the massive ballroom moved. The shock of the violence had paralyzed the entire room. They simply stared at the base of the stairs.
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Then, the paralysis broke. People rushed forward toward Olivia, their faces pale with terror.
She lay completely motionless on the cold, hard stone.
