My DIL Threw My Belongings Out of the House After Learning She Inherited It, but Karma Got Her That Same Day
“Clear your stuff off MY lawn, before I call the cops!” My DIL claimed to have inherited the house when my father went away and dumped all of my family’s possessions out into the grass! Soon after, my kid arrived, and she was severely struck by karma.
I had been rummaging through decades’ worth of memories in moving boxes when Dad’s lawyer called regarding the reading of the will. I called my son Matt and begged him to come instead of me since I couldn’t bear to go to the lawyer’s office.
“Yes, Mom,” he answered. “Are you sure you don’t need help to sort through Grandad’s things?”
I said, “Thanks, but I’m getting by.” Later today, I’m going to pick up his stuff from the assisted living facility. Would you please come over this afternoon and let me know if you have any specific memories of him?
I was so sure the will reading would be a simple, unsurprising event. How mistaken I was.
The smell of the elderly home was a blend of wilted flowers and disinfectant that made my throat clench. A young nurse brought me Dad’s things, all neatly packed in an old, simple cardboard box, and I drew a reassuring breath.
The nurse remarked, “Here you are, Ma’am,” in a kind but aloof tone befitting someone who had done this a hundred times.
I lifted the box and nodded, muttering a modest thank you.
Even though it wasn’t heavy, I still felt like the weight was pressing down on me. Simple items such as several dog-eared mystery novels, his beloved tattered sweatshirt, and a little Bible with a frayed cover from years of use were found within.
I ran my fingertips over the sweatshirt and noticed a slight, recognizable smell—that of his cologne—that vanished quickly.
When I turned to go, the finality hit me.
Dad had really passed away. I gripped the box tighter, as though holding on to it would keep him with me. Silent tears were streaming down my cheeks as I got to my car.
I sobbed until my tears dried up while sitting in the car. My phone repeatedly rang and beeped, but Matt was the only one there. I think he was worried about me, but there are some grievances you have to go through on your own.
Jessica was there, sitting on my patio furniture sporting an overly bright lipstick and fashionable sunglasses. There was no way my daughter-in-law looked up from her phone. She sipped slowly from her coffee, a barely concealed grin curling her lips.
“Jessica… What’s the deal with everything?” My chest tightened with disbelief as I scanned the commotion with my eyes. “What are you doing?”
She lifted her head and lowered her shades slightly enough that I could see the contempt in her eyes. She dismissed it with a well-groomed hand wave.
“I’m taking the required action. I mean, this is my new home.”
Something chilly twisted in my gut. “Your house? What topic are you discussing?”
“Looks like you should’ve attended the will reading.” Jessica pulled up a clean sheet of paper, and at the bottom there was my dad’s signature, as obvious as day. “Guess your dad knew who deserved it most, huh?”
I staggered and held on to the car door for stability. “That isn’t feasible. Dad would never do it.
“Oh, but he did.” She smirked as she idly examined her flawless manicure.
“Delivered, sealed, and signed. I now own the house.” She leaned near to me, her perfume invading my space with its sickly, synthetic aroma. “I think it’s time you moved on, Hattie.”
My son Matt leaped out of the vehicle as it roared into the driveway, his expression contorted in shock at what he saw. As he got closer, his boots crunched on the gravel, and his eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty.
“Jess, what the fuck? You left the attorney’s office first, and now you’re sending me this strange text? What is happening?” His jaw clenched as he asked, his eyes darting from me to Jessica.
Finally, she stood up and looked confident and comfortable in her enormous heels. My skin crawled. “As previously stated, honey, I’m making some essential adjustments. In actuality, there’s more to be aware of.”
There was a flicker of something I had never seen before in Matt’s expression as it hardened. “More than you throwing my mother’s belongings all over the yard?”
“Much more!” Jessica gave a bitter laugh. “I want a divorce.”
Like the last nail in a coffin, the word hung in the air. Matt opened his lips, closed it again, trying to take it all in. “What? You’re not serious at all.”
“Oh, I am.” She spoke with such contempt in her voice. “I’ve spent enough years suffocating in this house, being made to feel like I don’t fit in, like I’m not good enough!” She waved her arm, pointing toward the home. “I need a fresh start.”
“You have no right—” I started, but a disdainful wave from her interrupted me.
“Oh, Hattie, save it. I was never meant to be a part of this family. You denigrated me from the beginning, making assumptions about me based only on the fact that I wasn’t raised in a wealthy family. I’m finally receiving what I deserve from you folks now, though.”
Matt’s expression changed from confusion to rage, his hands balled up. “Everything my family has said about you is true,” he uttered in a tremulous, low voice. “You really are a covetous witch.”
Jessica’s façade broke.
She angrily exclaimed, “And you’re a spineless mama’s boy!” “Always running to her defense, always putting her first.” She pointed a well-groomed finger at him with a sneer. It’s pitiful. You share her narrow-mindedness exactly.”
“Don’t you dare talk about my son that way!” More sharply than I had intended, my voice broke through the stillness.
“I’ll do whatever I want, Hattie.” With a smug smile, Jessica placed her hands on her hips. “And there’s nothing either of you can do about it.”
“Actually,” Jessica went on. “The two of you had best hurry and clear your stuff off MY lawn, before I call the cops and have them arrest you both.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Matt growled.
I watched with numbness as Matt addressed Jessica. It was all really confusing! Even Dad hadn’t been fond of Jessica! I took out my phone, shook my hands, and made a fast call to Dad’s attorney.
His tone was soothing, collected, and comforting. “Hattie? I was about to give you a call.”
“… really believed I liked you?” Jessica shouted in the distance. “You served only as a tool to help me get out of my previous neighborhood. I no longer require your help now that I own a home.”
I said, “Please,” to the attorney. Inform me if she is lying. Dad could never have given up his house to Jessica.”
A pause, and then a hearty laugh.
“You’re accurate. She wasn’t given the house by your father. Everything was a ruse to force her to reveal her true nature.”
“A…test?” A wave of relief swept through me, and I burst out laughing, tears welling up in my eyes. It was the kind of chuckle that astonished even me, coming from somewhere deep.
Jessica’s confidence wavered as her expression contorted. “What are you laughing at?”
“Oh, Jessica,” I said, shaky as ever. “You really should have waited for the real will reading.”
“What?”
As I explained, I allowed the satisfaction to wash over me. “Your father never abandoned the house.” It was a charade designed to elicit your genuine nature.
Matt turned to face Jessica, a flurry of emotions on his face. “Looks like Grandpa’s plan worked.”
Jessica’s gaze expanded. As the reality of her actions dawned on her, she cast a quick glance between Matt and myself. Her self-assured exterior gave down, and she began to sound frantic in an attempt to maintain her composure.
“Matt — baby, please.” She extended her hand, but he pulled back, clearly showing finality in his eyes.
“I swear, I never meant it!” She begged. “I was just angry and irritated. You are aware of my love for you.”
He gave a headshake. “Preserve it. Do you wish to get divorced? You possess one.”
I felt a strange calm descend upon me as Jessica stormed from the property, her heels sinking with every step. Dad was a calm, guiding force whose wisdom endured.
As Matt and I picked the pieces of my life out of the grass, it occurred to me that sometimes the true legacy isn’t in a house but rather in the lessons learned about who really deserves to be in your life.
Father would have been pleased.