Derek worked for his father and described himself as an entrepreneur.
Aunt Patricia chaired committees, collected invitations, and treated proximity to wealthy people like a spiritual achievement.
My mother, Carmen, believed appearances were not merely important but moral.
Then there was me.
Unmarried.
Thirty-eight.
Opinionated.
Financially independent.
I had started with a duplex, then bought another, then a warehouse, apartment buildings, commercial properties, and eventually Riverside.
Whenever I tried to talk about any of it, someone changed the subject.
So I stopped talking.
My phone buzzed.
Patricia again.
We’ve already paid the $8,500 deposit. Non-refundable. This will be the Christmas the Martinez family deserves.
That number caught my attention.
I opened Riverside’s booking system.
There it was.
Patricia Martinez.
Christmas Eve.
Grand Ballroom.
112 guests.
Formal dinner.
Deposit received: $8,500.
I stared at the screen,
