I gathered my family under one roof, hoping to spend time with them. But that night, I heard whispers behind closed doors: plots, hidden agendas, betrayals. So I set new terms for my inheritance that they couldn’t ignore.
I’ve always said that in old age, you only have two options: either you become a calm, gentle grandmother who sits in a rocking chair, bakes pies, and distributes candy to your grandchildren, or you become a brilliant schemer who never lets your family relax for a second. I definitely belonged to the second group.
I was 78, wore designer dresses, drank fresh juice in the morning, snowboarded whenever I wanted, and knew that even at that age, you could maintain control of your life. The key was to play your cards right.
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But lately, my children have started acting as if I don’t exist. As for my grandchildren, they’ve never brought them to me, fearing that my influence would change their attitude toward their parents.
During this time…
I was shuffling the cards, sitting in my living room, while my friends entertained me with their chatter, while waiting to play bridge.
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Dolly complained once again about her mysterious admirer who kept leaving her flowers without a note.
“I can’t take it anymore!” she said, rolling her eyes and clutching her chest. “It’s unbearable! This man is playing a strange game!”
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Margo, who had no tolerance for nonsense, just laughed.
“The same as last time?”
“Or maybe another one! Maybe I’m a love magnet!”
I turned the cards over in my hands and looked at Margo.
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“You do realize she’s ordering them for herself, right?”
“Oh, absolutely,” she replied, putting down her coffee.
“Very funny!” said Dolly, giving me an offended look. “But, just so you know, this isn’t about me! Tell me, how are your children?”
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I shrugged. “Alive and well. Theoretically. They remember me so rarely that I’m not sure they even remember what I look like anymore.”
“And Gregory?” Margo said, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, Mr. Grumpy is still the same. He stays at home and complains about the injustices of life.”
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I laid my cards on the table.
Margo giggled, while Dolly tossed another lump of sugar into her coffee. “And Veronica, his wife?”
“Hashtag?” I retorted, smiling. “She’s so busy crafting the perfect social media life that I’m not even sure she remembers how to hold a real conversation. But she’s the one keeping the family afloat with endorsement deals. A man in a dressing gown while his wife is on stage. It’s like some kind of upside-down world.”
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“And your daughter, Belinda?”
I took a break.
“Belinda… well, as always, she strives to make everyone’s life fit her vision of perfect order. No family, no children, not even a hint of a relationship.”
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Margo put down her cards and looked at me carefully.
“And your grandchildren? Mia, Theo?”
Probably somewhere, barefoot in the mountains, explaining to the trees how to meditate properly. Instead of preparing for exams or at least going to parties, she’s completely absorbed in her meditations.”
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“She had a theory that objects have memories, didn’t she?”
“Oh, yes. And they hear us when we yell at them. Once I scolded the microwave, and it ignored me all day.”
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“And Scooter, your little detective?”
I smiled. “The only man in my family who still has some common sense.”
“Is he still a spy?”
“A spy. He conducts active investigations.”
“And what is he investigating?”
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“Last time, he was crawling under the couch with a magnifying glass. I don’t know if he was gathering evidence or just trying to entertain me.”
“I love him!” said Dolly, theatrically placing her hands over her heart. “Does he know you’re his only ally?”
I sighed and shuffled the cards again. “He still thinks I’m the prime suspect.”
Margo leaned closer, squinting.
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“Vivi, you’re up to something.”
“Oh, more than you think,” I said, spreading the cards out in front of me. “If my children don’t notice me while I’m alive, then I’m going to have to make sure they can’t ignore me.”
I raised my glass of grapefruit juice. The bitterness made me shiver.
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I opened my mouth to say something else, but suddenly a sharp pain pierced my chest.
My vision went dark, the room tilted, and Dolly let out a shrill scream:
“Call an ambulance! Now!”
***
I lay in the hospital bed, wrapped in a warm blanket, listening to the doctor explain something to my friends. His voice hung in the air like a muffled cloud.
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“Her condition is stable, but at her age, she needs to be very careful,” he said, leafing through administrative documents.
Dolly stood beside me, clasping her hands together in an exaggerated display of distress, as if she were about to announce the tragic news to the world.
“She’s so active, doctor!” she said with a dramatic sigh. “Will she be able to… live like before?”
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“She needs rest. No restraint, minimal stress. And, of course, she needs her family around her.”
I caught the look Margo exchanged with Dolly.
“We’re staying with you for the weekend,” Dolly said, staring at me as if challenging me to argue.
“Just to make sure everything is really under control,” Margo added.
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“We need to call your family. They should be here with you. Who knows how long…”
“Dolly, don’t overdo it,” I said, giving her a sharp look.
Yet something in his words made me think. My condition required attention. But not medical attention. The attention of family. If it were up to them, they wouldn’t even have asked if I was still breathing when I was taken to the hospital. But at that moment… Well, I could remind them who I was.
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“You’re right,” I whispered. “I need them here.”
Dolly clapped her hands. “Oh, finally, you admit it!”
Margo nodded in satisfaction.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to send them a message ourselves. If you ask both children at the same time, they’ll assume you’re exaggerating. So we’ll send separate messages to each of them.”
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Dolly added, raising a finger theatrically. “And we’ll tell them to pack their bags for a month! Just in case…”
I looked at her skeptically for a long time. “Dolly, you’re having way more fun than you should be.”
“I’m just a dramatic woman, what can I say?”
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Margo had already taken out her phone and turned the screen towards me:
“Belinda, I just got home from the hospital. My condition is very unstable. I don’t want to worry you, but I’m scared. Please come. I want you here.”
I nodded in approval.
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“Now Gregory,” said Dolly, who was already typing on her keyboard.
I glanced at the message she had composed. A small, satisfied smile crept onto my lips.
“Perfect.”
My family was already on their way. And they had no idea what awaited them.
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***
I settled into my bed, carefully wrapped in a cashmere blanket. The living room buzzed, everyone playing their part. The door creaked open, and Belinda was the first to enter.
“Mom, how are you?”
I let out a soft sigh. “As well as can be, my dear…”
Gregory appeared in the doorway right after her. “Mom…”
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“Oh, my boy,” I whispered.
Behind them, my grandchildren burst in. Mia placed a small cloth pouch, took out a handful of incense sticks, and began arranging them around the room.
“It’s to clear the space, Grandma. Hospitals carry heavy energy.”
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Gregory rolled his eyes, but Mia ignored him and lit one. Theo, meanwhile, dramatically opened his notebook, pen at the ready.
“I’m going to figure out exactly what happened and how to fix your condition.”
“Theo, stop making things up,” Veronica muttered without looking up, already moving her phone to get the best recording frame.
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“My heart has been acting up lately, kids,” I said, then paused. Then I added with my usual irony, “Of course, it could also be an allergic reaction to being ignored for months. Hard to say.”
Silence.
“I can hire you a private nurse,” Veronica offered.
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Gregory paced back and forth on the phone, no doubt looking for the “best cardiologist.” Belinda, ever so forward-thinking, was already ten steps ahead.
“Mom, I’ll take care of your medical care. We’ll find the best specialists. I’m even considering a heart transplant.”
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“I don’t need a new heart or doctors,” I said, peering over the rim of the herbal tea Mia had carefully poured from her thermos. “What I need is my family.”
Belinda hesitated, then glanced at Gregory, as if seeking support.
“I’m just saying I want to spend some time with you. That’s why you’re all staying the night,” I announced, leaving no room for argument.
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Belinda immediately stiffened. “Mom, if you don’t mind, you have your friends with you. I have important meetings… I’ll come by tomorrow.”
Gregory mumbled something. I took a long, slow breath and then said:
“If anyone wants to leave, the door is open. But I don’t know how much time I have left, and all I’m asking is one night with my family.”
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Silence. Then Belinda exhaled and gave a small nod.
“Of course, Mom.”
Gregory rubbed the back of his neck. “All right. Just tell me where I’m going to sleep.”
“In your old room, of course.”
“Oh, fantastic,” he moaned. “My 52-year-old back will be delighted with this wooden torture device you call a bed.”
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Veronica crossed her arms. “Is the Wi-Fi even working properly?”
“Don’t worry, my dear. I’ve made sure you won’t have to endure the horrors of an offline existence.”
After a brief dinner, everyone dispersed to their rooms.
***
Later that night, I was about to say goodnight to my grandchildren when I stopped mid-walk. Something moved in the hallway. I first thought it was my cat, Bugsy, but then I heard muffled voices.
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I moved closer, silent as a shadow. Gregory’s door was slightly ajar.
“We need to find out if she’s already altered the documents,” Veronica whispered.
“We can’t just ask!” Gregory retorted. “If she hasn’t rewritten the will yet, you know who everything will go to…”
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I pursed my lips. Interesting. I crept further down the hall and overheard Belinda’s voice coming from her room.
“No, I can’t meet you right now. If Mom suspects anything, everything will fall apart.”
A shiver ran down my spine. What exactly would collapse, Belinda?
Suddenly, a small shadow passed in front of me. Theo! He froze when he realized I had spotted him.
“And what exactly do you do, Scooter?”
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“I’m investigating.”
I glanced at his open notebook:
1. Mom and Dad whisper about Grandma.
2. Belinda canceled a secret meeting.
3. Grandma Vivi is playing cards.
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I smiled. I just wanted to get my family together, even if it was just for one night… but at that moment, I wasn’t even sure I really knew them. Their secrets seemed dangerous.
“Go to bed, Scooter. I’ll come see you with Mia later.”
I went back to my room. There was only one thing left to do.
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***
The next morning, everyone sat at the table, eating and exchanging pleasantries, pretending nothing had happened. But I knew it had. They were just waiting to finish their coffee, apologize, and slip back into their carefully constructed lives.
What they didn’t know was that I had a very different plan for them. I folded my napkin and laid it on the table with meticulous precision.
“I’ve decided what I’m going to do next.”
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Belinda put down her fork. “About what, Mom?”
“About the will.”
Gregory choked on his coffee.
“The people who inherit my fortune will be those who choose to spend my last days with me.”
Veronica tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, that’s… interesting.”
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“So, anyone who wants to stay, stays. But there are rules in this house. We have breakfast and dinner together. We share updates. We spend time as a family.”
A pause. Belinda glanced nervously at Gregory.
“I think that’s reasonable.”
“All right. I’m in,” Gregory breathed. “Besides, the kids wanted to spend time here. And maybe Mia will finally study for her exams… and Theo… Well, he has some space to let his imagination run wild.”
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I turned to my grandchildren. “Are you both staying?”
“Absolutely!” Theo said, smiling. “I have so many investigations to do here.”
“Then it’s settled,” I said.
Across the table, my friends exchanged knowing glances. They knew.
I had to make sure my fortune didn’t fall into the wrong hands. My family had no idea that I was the biggest mystery to them all.
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***
Later, Bugsy lounged on my lap, his plump body radiating warmth as I stroked his fur. The soft sound of shuffling cards filled the air, a rhythm I found comforting.
Opposite me, Dolly fanned out her cards, while Margo sat there, her fingers lightly drumming on the table. Their curiosity caught my attention.
“So, you’re just going to… watch them?” Margo said, finally breaking the silence.
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I smiled, twirling a card between my fingers. “For now.”
Dolly took a slow sip of her espresso.
“And what exactly do you plan to learn?”
I leaned back in my chair, letting the weight of their question settle in.
“Everything they’re hiding.” I picked up my glass of pomegranate juice and took a deliberate sip, savoring the acidity. “They all have something to lose now. And they know it.”
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“Oh, Vivi, darling. Do you realize this isn’t just a family drama anymore? It’s a real mystery.”
Margo tilted her head, watching me carefully. “And you’re sure you want to keep playing this game?”
I traced the rim of my glass with my fingertip before setting it down.
“Margo, my dear, I am the game.”
And then I felt it. That tingling at the back of my neck. The unmistakable sensation of being watched.
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I casually raised my hand, as if to adjust my earring, and tilted my head just enough to catch the smallest detail; a crack in the ceiling, barely noticeable, but just wide enough.
A spyhole. My fingers stopped against my earlobe. Someone was in the attic. Watching us.
I didn’t react. I didn’t look up. Instead, I let a slow, knowing smile stretch across my lips as I slid the next card onto the table. Let the game begin.
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If you liked the first part of the story, read the next: The morning began with a scream: Scooter was missing. There was no sign of him. By noon, panic spread. But my biggest fear wasn’t that he was missing. It was who he had found . Read the full story here .
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