I knew something was wrong when I spotted my brother driving around in a bright red convertible. Gran had a plan in place long before she left, and I had no idea the automobile would hold the key to a betrayal I never saw coming.
Juniper is my name. I’ve been living out of state for four years, and I’m currently 26. To be honest, leaving my family and all the pain that accompanied it was the best choice I have ever made.
I never really felt like I belonged to them. My parents had always given preference to Maverick, my older brother. He was more than just the “golden child,” as you may say. I was simply there as a child. Gran used to joke about the “spare,” but there was always a hint of sympathy in her tone.
I left in part because of that. That, plus my lover, Noel. He persuaded me that it was time to live for myself and pursue a career away from my family’s shadow.
I moved to the city with him after we packed up our small car, leaving behind my parents, Maverick, and all the memories.
I had once told him over dinner that I simply couldn’t stay there any longer. I can still picture his hand reaching out to take mine as he smiled at me across the table.
“June, you don’t have to tell me again. He squeezed my hand and comforted me, “You did the right thing.” “You’re worthy of more than being the backup plan.”
I hardly spoke to my family, even after being abroad for four years. Texting became an uncommon formality, and calls decreased in frequency. My folks? To be honest, they didn’t appear to mind. I seemed to have simply vanished from their lives. Gran was the only one who kept in contact.
She was the only member of my family who gave me a sense of importance. She used to call me late at night to find out how my day went or sneak chocolate bars to me while my mother wasn’t watching when I was younger.
Gran didn’t give a damn if I thought my life was a complete wreck or if it was dull. She simply listened.
Then one day I learned that she had passed away. By accident. Nothing—no message, no call. Do you think that’s possible? Of all places, I was browsing Facebook when I came upon a post from an old relative. Gran’s photo. A “Rest in Peace” note and a date.
I was having trouble breathing. Waiting for things to make sense, I gazed at my phone, but they didn’t. It was like if my heart had been torn from my chest.
“Gran’s gone,” I said as I got up and put my phone down on the table.
Noel raised his head from the sofa. “What? Are you saying that she’s gone?
“She passed away. Nobody even informed me. Tears were burning in my eyes, but they were more than just sadness; there were also rage and even betrayal. “Why didn’t they tell me?”
In an instant, Noel was up and embracing me, but it was illogical. Why hadn’t I received a call from my parents? even Maverick. Nothing.
That same evening, I made reservations for a flight home.
I had to get to Gran’s grave, no matter what it took. At least on my own terms, I had to say goodbye. The following morning, I was strolling through my hometown, which I had battled so hard to leave behind and hadn’t seen in years. Except for one thing, everything was as I remembered.
Startled, I blinked. “The… what?”
I was standing beside the graveyard at the corner of the street when I noticed something that chilled me to the bone. Maverick, my brother, drove past in a bright red convertible.
Maverick? The one who was barely making ends meet, still working as a cashier? He was operating a vehicle that appeared to have cost more than all of his life savings.
My stomach rumbled. There was a problem.
Later that day, the only sound I could hear when I stood beside Gran’s grave was the gentle rustle of the trees. I still had a knot in my gut, and the dirt seemed fresh. Gran had truly vanished. I had missed the opportunity to express my feelings for her, thus I hadn’t been able to say farewell in a meaningful manner.
It still hurt like an open wound to learn of her passing via a Facebook post.
I heard footsteps coming as I knelt next to the grave. Gran’s dearest friend, Mr. Anderson, was there as I looked up. He was a gentle, elderly man who was always watching over Gran and offering assistance when she needed it. As he came closer, his expression was solemn.
He stood next to me and murmured softly, “Juniper, I’m so sorry.” “Your grandmother was a unique woman.”
The lump in my throat was swallowed. She was, in fact. All I want is more time spent with her.
His eyes were far away as he nodded. “Did you get the $20,000 she left you?” he asked me after we had been silent for a time.
Startled, I blinked. “The… what?”
Mr. Anderson furrowed his brow. “Your Gran. She left you twenty thousand dollars, according to her will. I simply thought you were aware.
My heart fell. All of a sudden, the red convertible that Maverick was operating made perfect sense. I exploded with the rage that had been building within of me. I stood up with my hands clinched at my sides and whispered, “No.” “I was unaware.”
Mr. Anderson’s face went white. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Juniper.”
However, I had stopped listening. My goal was to reach Maverick’s trailer. Right now.
With my head racing, I hurried back to my car. I hadn’t given it much thought until Maverick, who was never able to maintain a consistent job, started driving around in a fancy car. It was, of course, my money. Gran was the only member of my family who truly cared about me, and he took the money he left me without hesitation.
I anticipated a full-on altercation when I drew up to Maverick’s trailer. But I was stopped in my tracks by what I saw. The crimson convertible was utterly ruined, collapsed in the driveway.
The tires appeared flat, the glass was broken, and the front bumper was crushed. The vehicle appeared to have been involved in a severe collision.
Maverick was standing at the doorway of his dilapidated trailer. His face was a jumble of wounds and scrapes, and he was resting on crutches with a cast on his leg.
He was already a victim of Karma.
I approached him, my shock briefly taking the place of my rage. “What the devil happened, Maverick?”
His eyes darted from mine as he shifted uneasily on his crutches. “It is nothing at all.”
“Nothin’?” I pointed to the wrecked vehicle. “It doesn’t appear to be nothing. What did you do? Maverick, why did you steal Gran’s money?
Knowing that he could no longer resist it, he winced. “Juniper, I didn’t intend for things to go this way. I… I simply assumed I would borrow it. I was going to reimburse you. However, after I saw that vehicle, and
“Take it?” I couldn’t believe it. “You don’t simply ‘borrow’ twenty thousand dollars that weren’t yours. You treated the money Gran left for me as if it didn’t exist. And now take a look at yourself. Maverick, it’s karma. You deserve this.
Maverick started to object, but I wasn’t done yet. “Everything is constantly stolen by you. My parents’ love and attention were always focused on you. However, this? This was not like the others. You stole this from Gran, the only person who genuinely cared about me.
Maverick’s head hung. “Alright, I made a mistake. I had the thought—
“What did you think?” I lost my temper. “That I wouldn’t learn? That what Gran left me wasn’t something I deserved?
He had nothing to say. The weight of everything hung in the air as we stood silently. At that moment, my phone buzzed in my pocket as I turned to go. It was Gran’s attorney, Mr. Clearwater.
“Mr. Clearwater?” I said, continuing to look at Maverick.
Mr. Clearwater remarked, “Juniper, I have been reviewing your grandmother’s will.” He spoke steadily and calmly, as if he understood that I needed some comfort. Something you should be aware of. This is what your granny said would occur.
“What do you mean?” My heart thumping in my chest, I asked.
She had a strategy in place because she was aware that Maverick might attempt to steal the money. Her estate did not include the twenty thousand dollars. Juniper, you own everything else, including her home, assets, and investments. You have everything she left you.
What I was hearing was unbelievable. “Everything?”
“Everything, yes,” Mr. Clearwater said. “Your grandmother was rather explicit. In order for you to be independent, she wanted to make sure you were taken care of.
My eyes pinched with tears, but these weren’t merely unhappy tears. Gran was aware. She had shielded me in the only manner she could since she had anticipated every aspect of this. She continued to watch out for me and let me know that I was important even after she passed away.
Stabilizing myself with a deep breath, I turned to face Maverick. “Maverick, I hope that convertible was worthwhile. I hope the ride was enjoyable.
“Juniper, I—” he began, his voice wavering.
I interrupted him by raising my hand. Don’t. Maverick, I’m done making excuses. Simply keep it safe.
I turned and left him standing there, broken in more ways than one, without waiting for an answer. I didn’t feel like the sister who was ignored for the first time. Gran had seen to that.