The bright sun hit the kitchen table as I made pancake batter for Lily. Her cheek was still a little pink, but the ice pack had brought down the swelling overnight. She sat in her high chair, happily coloring on a piece of paper.
Lily: Look, Daddy! I drew a big doggy!
David: That's a beautiful doggy, sweetie. Eat your breakfast, okay?
The front door unlocked with a sharp click, and Chloe walked in, looking exhausted in her fancy evening dress from the night before. Her eyes were red, and her hair was messy.
Chloe: David, we need to talk right now.
David: Keep your voice down. Lily is eating.
Chloe: Do you have any idea what happened this morning?! My dad just got a call from the regional bank!
David: Oh? Did his loan go through?
Chloe: No! They completely rejected the entire twelve-million-dollar package! They frozen all our corporate accounts for a surprise tax audit!
David: That sounds like a personal problem for your father.
Chloe: David, stop playing games! My dad says someone high up in the investment group personally blocked the funds! Our whole family is going to lose the estate!
David: Maybe your mother can sell her diamond necklace to pay the mortgage.
Chloe slammed her leather handbag onto the counter, staring at me with pure anger.
Chloe: How can you be so heartless?! My family is facing complete foreclosure! My dad is having chest pains!
David: Where was this deep concern when your mother slapped our daughter, Chloe? You didn't give a damn about Lily's pain last night.
Chloe: My mom made a mistake, okay?! She was stressed out about the dinner party!
David: Hitting a child isn't a mistake. It's abuse. And you backed her up instead of standing up for your own kid.
Chloe: I was trying to keep the peace! You don't understand how business works, David! You work in an auto shop fixing oil leaks! You don't know what real money means!
I set down the frying pan and turned to look Chloe dead in the eyes.
David: You're right. I just fix oil leaks. So why are you coming to me to complain about your dad's financial problems?
Chloe: Because my dad thinks someone in town is sabotaging him! He wants me to ask if your uncle... the one who works in commercial insurance... knows anyone at the bank.
David: I'm not helping your father, Chloe. Not today, not ever.
Chloe: If my dad loses his company, I won't have anything left, David! My trust fund will be worthless!
David: Then I guess you'll have to live on my auto shop salary, won't you?
Before she could answer, her phone rang loudly. She grabbed it off the counter, her hands shaking as she pressed it to her ear.
Chloe: Dad? What's going on?
Richard: Chloe! Get down to the corporate building right now! The main creditor just showed up for an emergency foreclosure hearing!
Chloe: What?! Today?! Who is the creditor?!
Richard: It's Vance Capital Management! The CEO is downstairs in the boardroom right now demanding full handover of our building!
Chloe: I'm on my way, Dad! Hang on!
Chloe hung up the phone and looked at me with panic written all over her face.
Chloe: My dad needs me at the office. Take care of Lily until I get back.
David: Take your time, Chloe. I'll be heading over to that same boardroom in a few minutes anyway.
Chloe: What are you talking about? You can't go there! You'll ruin everything like you did last night!
David: Oh, I'm not going there to ruin anything. I'm going there to finish it.