Julian: Is this true? Did you touch her personal property?
Clara: I haven't touched anything that belongs to her.
Veronica: She's lying! My diamond bracelet is gone!
Veronica: It's worth two hundred thousand dollars!
Veronica: She took it while she was serving drinks at my table!
Veronica wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand, crying loudly for the audience.
Veronica: Julian, call the security guards immediately!
Veronica: Throw her out and lock her up!
Julian: Calm down, Veronica. We will handle this properly.
Julian turned to face Clara, his expression stern and cold.
Julian: What is your name?
Clara: Clara Mercer.
Julian: Well, Miss Mercer, stealing from a guest at my charity gala is a serious crime.
Clara: I am not a thief, Mr. Sterling.
Clara: Your guest stepped into my space and tried to assault me.
Clara: I defended myself, as anyone has the right to do.
Veronica: You're just a servant! You have no rights here!
Veronica: Look at her uniform! She's desperate for money!
The guests around them began whispering to one another, nodding their heads in agreement with Veronica.
Guest 1: She really shouldn't have hit Miss Vance.
Guest 2: Who does a maid think she is, striking an heiress?
Guest 3: If the bracelet is missing, she definitely took it.
Clara stood her ground, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. She refused to show any fear in front of these arrogant people.
Clara: Search me right now if you want.
Clara: Empty my pockets. Search my tray. I have nothing to hide.
Veronica: No! She hid it in the staff locker room!
Veronica: She knew she couldn't keep it on her during the party!
Veronica: Send the guards to search her locker right now!
Julian nodded to the head of security standing near the wall.
Julian: Mark, take two men and check the staff quarters.
Mark: Yes, sir. Right away.
Clara: Go ahead and check.
Clara: You won't find anything in my locker either.
Veronica sneered, slowly pushing herself up off the floor with the help of two friends.
Veronica: Oh, they'll find it, darling.
Veronica: And when they do, you'll be spending the night in a cell.
Clara: You seem very confident about what's in my locker, Miss Vance.
Veronica: Because thieves like you are entirely predictable.
Clara: Or because you had someone plant it there before you started this scene?
Veronica's face flushed with anger, her eyes widening slightly at Clara's calm words.
Veronica: How dare you accuse me of planting evidence!
Veronica: Julian, are you going to let this maid insult me in your own house?!
Julian: Everyone quiet down!
Julian: We will wait right here until security finishes searching the lockers.
Julian: Nobody leaves this room until we get to the truth.
Clara stood perfectly still under the bright lights of the ballroom. She knew exactly what Veronica was trying to do, but Veronica had made one massive mistake—she had no idea who Clara really was, or why she was wearing a server's uniform in the first place.