These people did not love each other.

They had a common food source, and now the food source had stood up in the living room and turned off the tap, and they were turning on one another with the speed of animals who have just discovered the herd cannot feed them all.

Leticia had built her whole authority on this — on being the one who decided who got what — and she was learning, in real time and in front of everyone, that authority bought with money evaporates the instant the money does.

There was a lesson in it so complete that Rafaela almost pitied her mother-in-law.

Almost.

Leticia shouted until her voice cracked, then spun and pointed at Rafaela.