After dinner, the group gradually dispersed. Maggie and Lisa sat silently through the whole affair, speaking neither to anyone else or to each other. Maggie thought if she just stayed at the banquet table forever, then nothing else could happen. Finally, only Maggie, Lisa and Pedro remained. Pushing his chair away from the table, Pedro clapped his hands. Speaking into his phone, he summoned Consuelo. She immediately appeared. "Consuelo, take these lovely ladies back to their room. I will be there shortly." Silently, Lisa and Maggie followed her back upstairs to their room. When the three of them were in the room, and out of view of anyone else, Consuelo gave Maggie an impromptu hug. In a low voice, she intoned, "I feel so bad for you. But you have to do whatever Pedro says. You don't know what he is capable of. I would help you if I could. But I have to serve him--or he will kill my family." Consuelo stepped back, and without looking at the others, closed the door behind her.
Lisa began to cry. "Mom, please don't do this."
Maggie, also crying, replied, "Lisa, try to understand. There is really no choice. Let's just try to get through this." There was a knock at the door. The two women composed themselves as best they could. Staring into space, Maggie forced herself to say, "Come in."
Pedro entered with a big smile on his face. "Let's sit down over here and get a little acquainted first." He motioned the two of them to the living area in the center of the room. He had Maggie join him on the sofa. Lisa took a nearby chair.
Making small talk, Pedro began, "So, you ladies are from Chicago. What brought you to Cancun?"
Innocently, Maggie responded, "It was Lisa's college graduation present."
Turning to Lisa, Pedro inquired, "Well, good for you. What is your degree in?"
Lisa only glared at him. Maggie answered the question. "Her degree is in marketing."
Still addressing Lisa, Pedro asked, "I will bet a pretty girl like you had lots of boyfriends in college, didn't you?"
Before Maggie could respond for her, Lisa retorted, sarcastically, "That is none of your business."
Angrily, Pedro jumped to his feet. Looking at Maggie, he shouted, "I will not tolerate this disrespect from our daughter." Then turning to Lisa, he bellowed, "You need to be taught a lesson in manners, young lady. Get up." Maggie made a move to intervene, but Pedro motioned her to stay put. When Lisa ignored his command, Pedro pulled her out of her chair. Turning her around, he bent her over the chair. Taking off his belt, he continued, "You are going to get a spanking, young lady,"
Lisa implored her mother to intervene. "Mom, you cannot be okay with this."
"Your mother agrees with me," Pedro said. "I will give you ten strokes--and your mother will call them out. They do not count unless she does." With that, his belt snapped against Lisa's buttocks. Maggie did as she was told.