“Get your belongings off MY lawn before I call the police!” My DIL claimed to have inherited the home when my father died away, so she tossed all of our possessions out on the yard! When my kid arrived a few minutes later, karma struck her hard.
I had been digging through decades’ worth of memories in moving boxes when Dad’s lawyer phoned about the will reading. I contacted my son, Matt, and requested him to come instead of me as I couldn’t face the lawyer’s office.
“Yes, Mom,” he said. “Are you certain you don’t require assistance in organizing Grandad’s belongings?”
I said, “Thanks, but I’m getting by.” Later today, I will pick up his possessions from the assisted living facility. Please let me know if there is anything particular you would want to remember him by when you stop by this afternoon.
I had no doubt that the will reading would be straightforward and devoid of any shocks. How foolish I was.
The scent of antiseptic and a hint of withered flowers filled the nursing home, tightening my throat. As a young nurse gave me Dad’s possessions, which were carefully wrapped in a simple, battered cardboard box, I drew a reassuring breath.
The nurse remarked, “Here you are, Ma’am,” in a soft but aloof voice as if she had said it a hundred times.
As I raised the package, I nodded and said a silent thank you.
Even though it wasn’t heavy, I felt as if it was pressing down on me. The modest items were inside: a few mystery books with dog-eared pages, his favorite old sweater, and a little Bible with a tattered cover from years of usage.
As I ran my fingertips over the sweatshirt, I detected a little but recognizable hint of his fragrance.
As I turned to go, the finality struck me.
Dad was really gone. I gripped the box tighter, as if somehow clinging to it would keep him with me. Silent tears were streaming down my face by the time I got to my vehicle.
I sobbed till my eyes dried up when I was sitting in the vehicle. My phone repeatedly rang and beeped, but it was just Matt. He most likely concerned about me, but there are some grievances you have to face on your own.
My whole existence scattered around the front yard like some kind of horrible estate auction was the last thing I expected to encounter when I got home.
The memories I had painstakingly packed into boxes and carried down from the attic were scattered by the increasing wind.
All of Dad’s books, Mom’s old recipes, her crockery, and the faded plaid duvet he used to sleep on were all spread out in the open, unprotected, as if they were worthless. As I staggered out of my vehicle, my heart was racing.
“What in the name of God?” My voice was muffled by the wind as I murmured.
“Oh, nice. You’ve returned at last. I had become weary of waiting.
Jessica was there, sitting on my patio chair wearing her high-end sunglasses and her very bright lipstick. I didn’t even see my daughter-in-law look up from her phone. Her lips curled into a barely contained grin as she took a slow sip of her coffee.
“Jessica… What is this? Disbelief clamped down on my chest as I scanned the turmoil with my gaze. “What are you doing?”
She looked up, her shades lowered just enough so I could see the contempt in her eyes. She dismissively waved a manicured hand.
“I’m taking the required action. After all, this is my home now.
My gut clenched into a frigid knot. “Your house? What are you discussing?
“It appears that you ought to have gone to the will reading.” When Jessica brought out a clean sheet of paper, my father’s signature was visible at the bottom. “I assume your father knew who was most deserving of it.”
I stumbled and held on to the vehicle door for balance. “That isn’t feasible. Dad would never—
“Yeah, but he did.” She inspected her flawless manicure with a sly smile.
“Delivered, sealed, and signed.” I now own the home. Her perfume, an overpowering, synthetic fragrance, invaded my personal space as she drew closer. “Hattie, I believe it’s time for you to move on.”
My son, Matt, hopped out of the vehicle as it thundered into the driveway, his face contorted as he took in the sight. As he got closer, his boots crunched on the gravel, and his brows furrowed in bewilderment.
“Jess, what the fuck? You left the lawyer’s office first, and now you’re sending me this strange text? What is happening? His jaw was clenched as he asked, looking from Jessica to me.
Finally, she stood up, looking confident and comfortable in her high heels. My skin crawled. “As I previously said, honey, I’m making some required adjustments. Actually, you should be aware of more.
A flash of something I had never seen before hardened Matt’s countenance. “More than you scattering my mom’s stuff across the yard?”
“A lot more!” Jessica gave a bitter laugh. “I’d like a divorce.”
Like the last nail in a coffin, the word lingered in the air. As Matt strained to comprehend, his lips opened and then closed. “What? You can’t be sincere.
“Yes, I am.” Her tone was brimming with contempt. “I’ve endured enough years of being made to feel inadequate and out of place in this house, suffocating me!” She swept her arm in a motion toward the home. “I need a new beginning.”
“You don’t have the right—” I began, but she interrupted me with a gesture of contempt.
“Oh, Hattie, preserve it. I was never wanted in this family by you. From the beginning, you denigrated me and made assumptions about me based only on the fact that I wasn’t raised in a wealthy household. I’m finally receiving what I deserve from you all now, however.
Matt’s expression changed from confusion to rage, and his hands became clinched. His voice was low and wavering as he replied, “Everything my family said about you is true.” “What a covetous witch you are.”
Jessica’s façade broke.
“And you’re a mama’s boy with no courage!” she said. “Always defending her, always prioritizing her.” She pointed a well-groomed finger at him with a sneer. It’s pitiful. You share her narrow-mindedness.
“You have no right to discuss my son in that manner!” Sharper than I had meant, my voice pierced the quiet.
“Hattie, I’ll do whatever I want.” With a smug smile, Jessica placed her hands on her hips. “And neither of you can do anything about it.”
“Actually,” Jessica said. “You two had better get your belongings off MY lawn quickly before I call the police and have you both arrested.”
Do you have a mental illness? Matt shouted.
As Matt faced Jessica, I watched numbly. This was all illogical! Jessica hadn’t even been liked by Dad! With trembling hands, I took out my phone and made a hasty call to Dad’s attorney.
His tone was soothing, soothing, and soothing. “Hattie? I was going to give you a call.
“Really thought I liked you?” Jessica shouted in the distance. You served just as a tool to help me get out of my former area. I don’t need you anymore since I have the home already!
I said to the lawyer, “Please.” Tell me she’s lying, please. Dad couldn’t have abandoned his house for Jessica.
A pause was followed by a hearty laugh.
“You’re correct. She was not left in the home by your father. It was all a test to see how she would behave.
“A test?” I felt a wave of relief and began to chuckle, tears welling up in my eyes. Even I was taken aback by the chuckle, which seemed to come from deep inside.
Jessica’s confidence wavered as her face contorted. “What’s making you laugh?”
Still trembling, I managed to say, “Oh, Jessica.” “It would have been better for you to wait for the actual will reading.”
“What?”
As I talked, I let the pleasure to wash over me. “Dad never abandoned you at home.” It was a phony, a test to see how you really were.
With a flurry of emotions on his face, Matt turned to face Jessica. “It appears that Grandpa’s plan was successful.”
Jessica’s eyes became bigger. As she came to terms with what she had done, she looked from Matt to me. As she frantically tried to preserve face, her voice became urgent and her self-assured exterior fell apart.
“Please, Matt, baby.” He flinched as she reached out, the finality in his gaze clear.
“I never meant it, I promise!” She begged. “I was simply upset and frustrated.” I adore you, you know that!
He gave a headshake. “Preserve it. Do you want to get a divorce? You possess one.
I felt a strange calm descend over me as Jessica marched off the property, her heels sinking with every step. Dad’s guidance and knowledge endured in a silent form.
I couldn’t help but think that sometimes the true legacy isn’t in a home, but rather in the teachings of who genuinely deserves to be in your life, as Matt and I picked the remains of my life from the grass.
Dad would have been pleased.
Here’s another tale:
My husband Mike kicked me out of the house after bringing home his pregnant sidekick, shattering our eight years of marriage in a one breath. I packed well, but when I opened it, I discovered a fantastic, karmic retribution scheme!
Although this work has been dramatized for artistic reasons, it is based on actual individuals and events. To preserve privacy and improve the story, names, characters, and specifics have been altered. Any likeness to real people—living or dead—or real events is entirely accidental and not the author’s intention.
The publisher and author disclaim all liability for any misunderstanding and offer no guarantees on the veracity of events or character portrayals. The thoughts contained in this narrative are those of the characters and do not represent the author’s or publisher’s perspectives. It is presented “as is.”
