I had always been the one who took care of everything, especially when it came to my mother. And when she fell ill, it was no different. I spent every day by her side, feeding her, bathing her, and doing everything I could to make her last days as comfortable as possible.
I thought I was doing the right thing, that my sacrifice would be remembered. I believed she would leave me everything—especially the house. But when the will was read, I was in for a shocking betrayal. The truth behind her decision, and the secrets that followed, would change everything I thought I knew about my family—and myself.
As I drove toward Mom’s house, I felt the heavy weight of grief pressing down on my chest. The funeral had just been last week, and now, I had to face the cold, hard decisions that followed. Cleaning out her house, sorting through her belongings—it all felt like too much. Yet here I was, alone, having to handle it.
For as long as I could remember, I’d been the responsible one in the family. I always took charge, the one everyone relied on. This hadn’t changed when Mom got sick. It had been me who stayed up late, managing her care, making sure she was never alone.
My sister Phoebe? Well, Phoebe was… complicated. She was the younger one, the wild card. She always did things her own way—unpredictable, erratic. She never seemed to have her life together the way I did, but I still worried about her. I couldn’t just let her go through this alone.
Sitting beside me in the car was Dan, my husband. The familiar, faint scent of alcohol clung to him. He’d promised me he’d stopped drinking, but I could tell something was off. My patience was wearing thin, and as we pulled up to Mom’s house, I felt a fresh pang in my chest. It had been my home too, once. Now it just felt like another painful reminder of what I had lost.
I could see the lawyer standing outside, his briefcase in hand. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread settle in.
“Hi,” I greeted him as I stepped out of the car. “Why aren’t you inside?”
“It’s locked,” he replied, glancing at the house.
“Locked?” I frowned. “Phoebe should’ve been here by now. She told me she’d get here early.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. It went straight to voicemail.
“Her phone’s off. Great,” I muttered, frustration bubbling up.
Dan, standing behind me, shook his head. “Your sister, as usual. She needs a babysitter or something,” he grumbled.
“She’ll be here soon,” I said, keeping my voice even. I shot him a look, daring him to say anything more.
After a few more minutes, I saw Phoebe walking up the driveway. Her hair was messy, and mascara streaked down her face. She looked like she hadn’t slept.
“Rough night, huh?” I asked, crossing my arms.
Phoebe gave me a weak smirk. “Is it that obvious?”
“Get yourself together. The lawyer’s waiting,” I said, motioning toward the house.
“Oh, please,” she scoffed, brushing past me. “We all know the house is going to you. You’re the perfect daughter, remember?”
I clenched my teeth but chose not to argue. I could see she was struggling. Losing Mom had hit her harder than anyone realized.
We finally sat down in the living room, and the lawyer began reading Mom’s will. His voice was calm and professional, until he said the words I wasn’t prepared to hear.
“The house and all assets go to Phoebe.”
“What?” I blurted out, staring at him. “What do you mean the house goes to Phoebe?”
“I’m just reading what’s written,” the lawyer said, looking at me with sympathy in his eyes.
“That’s not fair!” Dan exploded, his voice filled with anger. “Katherine was the one who cared for their mother! Phoebe didn’t do anything!” He pointed an accusatory finger at her.
Phoebe jumped up, her face crumbling as she ran outside.
“Dan!” I snapped.
“What? You know I’m right,” he said, his voice still harsh.
I didn’t respond. Rolling my eyes, I stood up and followed Phoebe outside.
Phoebe sat on the bench in the backyard, the one Mom had always loved. Her shoulders were hunched, her hands fidgeting in her lap. I couldn’t just leave her like this.
“Sorry about Dan,” I said, sitting beside her.
“It’s fine,” Phoebe replied, her voice empty. “He’s always like that. You should leave him.”
“I can’t,” I said, shaking my head. “He’s my husband.”
Phoebe didn’t respond. She just stared ahead, lost in her thoughts. I hesitated before speaking again.
“Sell me the house,” I said quietly.
Phoebe turned to me, her eyes wide. “What?”
“You need money for your flower shop,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Sell it to me. I’ll tear it down and build the house I’ve always dreamed of. I thought Mom would leave it to me—”
“No,” she said firmly, cutting me off.
“What do you mean, no?” I asked, frowning. “I’m offering to help you, Phoebe.”
“I don’t need your help,” she said, her voice rising. “Mom left the house to me. It’s mine.”
I couldn’t hold back any longer. My frustration spilled over. “You didn’t do anything to deserve it! I took care of her! I was the one there when she couldn’t walk. I paid her bills. I made sure she wasn’t alone, and you— you were too busy to help!”
Phoebe stood up, her fists clenched. “You have everything, Katherine! A job, a husband—even if he’s terrible—and opportunities I’ll never get! I’m left with nothing but this house!”
“And I have responsibilities!” I shouted back. “Do you know why I didn’t take that job abroad? Because I couldn’t leave you! You couldn’t handle it!”
“Get out!” Phoebe screamed, her face flushed with anger. “I’m not giving you the house!”
“Then I’ll take it!” I shouted, storming off, my heart pounding with anger.
But as much as I wanted to forget about the fight and leave her alone, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had to do something. Dan kept pushing me to contest the will. He said it wasn’t fair and that I deserved the house.
I didn’t understand why it mattered so much to him, but eventually, I gave in. The lawyers, the endless meetings, the back-and-forth with Phoebe—it all started to wear me down. One evening, just before the court date, I found something that stopped me cold.
In Dan’s office, I found a stack of papers—overdue bills, debt notices.
My stomach dropped. I flipped through them, my heart racing as I realized what they meant. He was drowning in debt.
I marched to the bedroom, holding the papers in front of him. “Anything you want to explain?” I asked, my voice sharp.
Dan sat up in bed, his face pale. “Katherine, it’s all a misunderstanding,” he said quickly.
“A misunderstanding?” I repeated, my tone rising. “Look at these bills, Dan. Where did this come from?”
He avoided my gaze, rubbing his hands over his face. “We can fix this,” he said quietly.
“We?” I snapped. “Is that why you pushed me to fight Phoebe for the house? So we could sell it and pay off your debts?”
Dan’s expression darkened, his frustration finally breaking through. “She doesn’t deserve it anyway!” he shouted. “She’s ruining our lives! You’re always running to her. And you didn’t even want to contest the will, even though you were the one who cared for Mom!”
I felt the anger boil up inside me. “Because Phoebe couldn’t handle it!” I yelled. “It was too painful for her to see Mom like that. Where did these debts come from, Dan?”
He looked at me, his shoulders slumped. “Gambling,” he muttered.
“Gambling?” I repeated, stunned. “You’re ruining everything!”
He quickly tried to change the subject. “If we sell the house, I’ll pay it all off. I’ll quit for good. This can fix everything.”
“Like you quit drinking?” I asked coldly.
Dan was silent, his eyes full of guilt.
I shook my head, my heart sinking. “I can’t do this anymore, Dan.”
I grabbed my keys and walked out, my mind racing.
I drove straight to Mom’s house. I needed to see Phoebe, needed to clear the air. I rang the doorbell, and Phoebe answered almost immediately.
“What?” she asked, her irritation clear.
“I’m not here to persuade you again,” I said as I stepped inside. “Dan gambled away a ton of money.”
Phoebe’s expression shifted from annoyance to surprise. She didn’t say anything but led me to the backyard, to the bench Mom had always loved.
After a long silence, Phoebe spoke. “We can sell the house and split the money,” she said, her voice soft.
I shook my head. “No. Mom left the house to you. It’s yours.”
“But you were going to take it from me,” Phoebe said quietly.
I nodded, feeling ashamed. “It was an empty threat. Dan pushed me into it. But I see the truth now.”
Phoebe studied me carefully. “You’re not going to pay off his debt?”
“No,” I said firmly. “The only person I’d sacrifice everything for is you.”
Phoebe was silent for a moment, staring at the ground. Then she looked up, her eyes softer. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. I’ve always felt like I was in your shadow. You were always the perfect one—the one everyone talked about.”
“Just like Mom,” I said, smiling at her.
“Yeah,” she agreed, a small smile forming.
“I know you couldn’t help because it was too painful to watch Mom like that. She knew it too,” I said, my voice soft. “That’s why she always talked about you. She loved you more. That’s why I always felt like I was in your shadow.”
Phoebe laughed softly. “Looks like Mom should’ve taken parenting lessons before having kids.”
We both laughed, the weight lifting between us.
“So, what now?” she asked.
“I’m leaving Dan, giving you money for your flower shop, and taking that job abroad,” I said, looking
her in the eyes.
“Katherine,” Phoebe said softly, pulling me into a hug. “I’ll be okay. And so will you.”
I smiled, hugging her back tightly. “Yeah. I know.”