“Do you want me to go on?”
She kept quiet.
Diego took a step towards me.
“Lucía… we can fix this,” he said, with a voice that was no longer firm. There’s no need to go that far.
I turned my head slowly to him.
“To fix?
A small smile formed on my lips. It was not joy. It was tired.
“Five years asking for it… and now you want to fix it.
She looked down.
I didn’t know you were keeping all this…
“You never wanted to know anything,” I replied.
My mother-in-law intervened, altered.
“Lucia, this is getting out of hand. We are family, we can talk—
I looked at her.
Family?
The word came out soft, but loaded.
“Family was what you said when I gave you my money. Family is what you repeated every time I asked for him. Family is what you used to shut me up.
I took a step to the table.
“Yesterday we were family, too… when they threw my soup on me.
No one answered.
Because there was no answer.
My father-in-law skewed, awkward.
“There’s no need to overdo it for an incident.
“It wasn’t an incident,” I interrupted. It was the last time.
Camila’s phone rang again.
He looked at him as if he was burning him.
He didn’t answer.
“They’re going to seize,” he whispered. If this goes on like this…
“He’s going to go on,” I said.
He raised his head.
What do you want?
There she was.
Finally.
The right question.
I took a deep breath.
Not because of nerves.
By closure.
“First,” I said. My money. Complete. With interests.
“I can’t afford that now
“Then it sells,” I replied without hesitation. Properties. Cars. Whatever you have.
His face deformed.
“That’s all I have…
I looked at her fixed.
“I gave you everything I had, too.
Silence.
“Second,” I continued. Immediate transfer of any participation that is in my name.
“That’s absurd—
“It’s legal,” I cut her.
Pause.
—And third…
I looked at Diego.
His eyes prevented mine.
I will start the divorce process.
The blow was dry.
My mother-in-law took a step back.
“Divorce?” You can’t do that! And the child?
“The child,” I replied, “needs a mother who does not humble herself so that others feel great.
Diego reacted.
“Light, you’re exaggerating, this can be solved
I denied.
“No.
Not this time.
“This is already settled.
Camila dropped a nervous laugh.
“And you think you’re going to win? That you’re going to start from scratch like nothing?
I looked at her.
Easy.
I don’t start from scratch.
A pause.
I start without you.
That hit her more than any threat.
The phones were still vibrating.
The news ran faster than she could control.
Inspections.
Closings.
Audits.
All at the same time.
It wasn’t luck.
It was a consequence.
I took the folder.
I closed it.
“They have 48 hours,” I said. After that, everything is still legal.
I turned around.
I walked to the door.
“Lucía,” Diego’s voice stopped me.
I didn’t turn around.
“Sorry.
I closed my eyes for a second.
Five years waiting for that word.
And he came…
when it didn’t work anymore.
“Keep it,” I replied. I don’t need it anymore.
