Chapter 9 - The Family Dinner Turned War Zone
Sunday night was the final night the Alcantara family would spend under the roof of The Pines Manor as its legal owners.
The magnificent estate was shrouded in an eerie, suffocating silence. The staff had all resigned that morning after their union representatives discovered the estate was entering insolvency. The massive crystal chandeliers were turned off to conserve fuel for the failing generator, leaving the great hall lit only by a few sputtering wax candles placed in silver holders.
Mateo, Teresa, Mariana, and Javier sat at the grand dining table, but there was no food. Only open bottles of wine, empty water glasses, and stacks of legal demands.
“We should file for emergency Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” Mateo said, his voice slurred from exhaustion and whiskey. “It would grant an automatic stay. It would freeze the auction for at least thirty days.”
“Our corporate counsel already told you that won’t work!” Javier snapped, slamming his palm against the mahogany table. “Altavista bought our debt through a non-recourse senior mortgage holding. The foreclosure is cross-collateralized with the land deed. Bankruptcy will only protect our personal assets, and we don't have any personal assets left! Everything we own is tied up in the estate’s equity!”
Mariana burst into hysterical tears. “Where am I supposed to live?! All my credit cards were declined this afternoon! The bank canceled my line of credit! I tried to buy a coffee and the cashier looked at me like I was a criminal!”
Teresa stood up, her eyes wide and manic in the candlelight. “We are the Alcantara family! We built this town! We brought tourism to this lake! They cannot erase us in a single weekend over a spoiled city girl who couldn't handle a little rain!”
“She wasn't a spoiled city girl, Mother!” Javier roared, standing up so violently his chair tipped backward, crashing onto the Persian rug. “She is a Mendoza! She had more wealth, more class, and more power in her little finger than our entire pathetic bloodline ever possessed! And she was willing to share all of it with us!”
Javier walked around the table, pointing an accusing finger directly at Teresa’s face.
“You wanted to teach her a lesson about obedience? Well, congratulations, Mom! Look around this room! Look at this dark, cold, empty house! You taught her a lesson, alright! You taught her that we are nothing but arrogant, broke, miserable parasites who deserve to lose everything we have!”
“Javier! Watch your mouth!” Mateo shouted, struggling to stand.
“No, Dad! I’m done!” Javier screamed, tears streaming down his flushed face. “I threw away the only woman who ever truly loved me for this fake, hollow family pride! I sat in that car like a coward and let you treat my wife like a dog! I am just as disgusting as you are!”
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Javier turned around, grabbed his keys from the sideboard, and stormed out into the night, the heavy front door slamming shut behind him with the finality of a falling guillotine.
Teresa collapsed into her chair, clutching her chest as dry, choking sobs racked her body. The silence returned to the great hall, thick, suffocating, and absolute.
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