—I don’t understand what kind of theater this is —she said with a nervous laugh—. This house is already in my name.
The lawyer barely looked at her.
—Before we talk about the house, there is a much more serious matter.
Ramiro stepped forward, instinctively recovering the authoritarian tone he had always used.
—Any issue gets discussed inside. Not in front of strangers.
—No, Mr. Cárdenas. This issue will be discussed wherever my client decides, because for years you made decisions for her in secret.
The silence turned dense.
Valeria then came out from inside the house. She was carrying no suitcases, no urgency, no fear. She only watched. Patricia frowned when she saw how calm she was, as if that were a provocation even more unbearable than any shouting.
Attorney Salcedo opened the folder.
—Mr. Ernesto Cárdenas established 3 identical inheritance trusts for his grandchildren: Emiliano, Fernanda, and Valeria. Each beneficiary was to be notified upon reaching legal adulthood and assume full control at age 25.
Fernanda blinked in confusion.
—What trusts?
The lawyer turned a page.
—Mr. Emiliano Cárdenas received access to his years ago. Fernanda’s was kept reserved for a later date. Valeria’s, however, was deliberately concealed.
Patricia let out a sharp exhale.
—That’s not true. We only wanted to protect her. Valeria was always impulsive.
Valeria gave a dry laugh.
Impulsive.
She, the daughter who had paid rent, transportation, tuition, and food while the others lived supported by the family. She, the one who handled alone everything that in that house was considered far too unimportant.
