I had lived in my little suburban home for thirty years. It was filled with memories of my late husband, the scent of lavender furniture polish, and a peace I had worked hard to earn. But when my son, Leo, and his wife, Sarah, lost their jobs within a month of each other, my heart broke for them.
“Come stay with me,” I told them. “Save your money, get back on your feet. What’s mine is yours.”
For six months, I was the perfect hostess. I handled the cooking and cleaning, and I even dipped into my modest pension to cover the extra electricity and groceries they were consuming. I didn’t mind. Family is family, right? Or so I thought.
One Tuesday evening, I returned from my weekly bridge club to find the porch light off. When I pushed the door open, I tripped over something hard. It was my old Samsonite suitcase.
Leo and Sarah were standing in the living room. Sarah had her arms tightly crossed, her face a mask of cold determination. Leo stood behind her, staring at his shoes.
“What is this?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“We’ve done some thinking,” Sarah said, her voice sharp. “This house is too big for you to manage, and we need the space to start our new consulting business. We’ve already called the Shady Pines Retirement Village. You’ll be much happier there with people your own age.”
I looked at my son. “Leo? This is my house. My name is on the deed.”
Leo didn’t look up. He just gave a small, cowardly nod. “It’s for the best, Mom. We’ve already moved your essentials. The rest… well, we’ll see what we can sell.”
They didn’t just want a place to stay; they wanted to take the very roof from over my head. Stunned and heartbroken, I picked up my suitcase. I didn’t argue. I didn’t scream. I simply walked out into the night.
I didn’t go to a retirement home. I went to a hotel, and then I called my lawyer, Mr. Henderson.
“Is the paperwork ready?” I asked. “It’s been ready since you called me last month expressing concerns, Margaret,” he replied.
You see, I had noticed items disappearing weeks ago—my silver tea set, some jewelry. I knew they were up to something. But the “Karma” that came around the next morning wasn’t just about the law. It was about ownership.
The next morning, Leo and Sarah were woken up not by the smell of my breakfast, but by a loud, rhythmic pounding on the front door.
When Leo opened it, he didn’t find a frail old woman. He found three men in high-visibility vests and a sheriff.
“Can I help you?” Leo asked, still in his pajamas.
“We’re here for the scheduled demolition,” the foreman said, chewing a piece of gum.
“Demolition? What are you talking about? This is our home!” Sarah shrieked from the stairs.
I pulled up to the curb in a taxi just then, wearing my favorite red coat. I rolled down the window.
“Actually, Sarah,” I called out, “I sold the land to a developer three weeks ago. Since you told me you wanted me to be ‘happier’ elsewhere, I decided to take the money and buy a beautiful condo on the coast.”
The color drained from Leo’s face.
“But… the house?” he stammered.
“The house is being torn down to make way for a luxury apartment complex,” I explained calmly. “The sale was finalized yesterday. Since I ‘no longer needed’ the burden of the house, I made sure the new owners took possession immediately. Oh, and the sheriff is here to ensure you vacate the premises. You have twenty minutes.”
As the bulldozer roared to life at the end of the driveway, Leo and Sarah scrambled to throw their belongings into trash bags. They had no jobs, no savings, and now, no place to live. They had tried to steal a house that I had already turned into a ticket to my new life.
I watched in the rearview mirror as I drove away. My son was sitting on the curb, head in his hands, while Sarah screamed at the demolition crew.
I wasn’t going to a retirement home. I was going to a balcony overlooking the ocean, where the only thing I’d be “cleaning” was the salt spray off my sunglasses.
