The refrigerator was empty. My wife’s hands were trembling. And upstairs, my daughter was livestreaming her new designer bag, bought with the money meant for food. “Dad won’t do anything,” Mia whispered to her boyfriend.

I looked at him calmly. “Take off my watch.”

He hesitated.

“Mia said I could borrow it.”

“I didn’t ask who lied to you.”

The room went silent.

Brent slowly removed the watch and placed it on the counter.

Mia’s face reddened. “You can’t talk to him like that.”

“This is my house.”

She laughed bitterly. “Actually, you put most things in Mom’s name for tax reasons, remember? And she’s not exactly sharp lately.”

Elena’s hand tightened around mine.

There it was.