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\u201cWho authorized you to divide my house as if I were already dead?\u201d<\/p>\n
The words escaped Maya\u2019s lips the moment she stepped through the gate of the sprawling estate in Hidden Hills. For a brief second, even the security guard at the entrance held his breath in the sudden tension.<\/p>\n
She had driven all the way from her quiet apartment in Silver Lake, keys clutched tightly in her hand. She was still feeling the heavy weight of her mother\u2019s absence, a woman who had worked her entire life to leave her more than just money.<\/p>\n
Her mother wanted her to have the certainty that she should never let herself be cornered by anyone. But upon arriving, Maya didn\u2019t find a private moment with her husband to see the property for the first time.<\/p>\n
Instead, she found Austin\u2019s entire family waiting for her as if they were about to inaugurate a luxury hotel. Her mother-in-law, Martha, was the first one to approach her with an expectant look.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you are finally here, and we were absolutely roasting out here in the sun. Let me see those keys, or was there some kind of legal problem with the notary?\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya withdrew her hand with a dry, guarded smile and told her that everything was ready. Her sister-in-law, Bridget, let out a high-pitched laugh as her six-year-old son carelessly kicked the tire of Maya\u2019s old sedan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it is no wonder they were in such a hurry to get here because this house must have cost a fortune. My brother certainly knew how to marry into the right family,\u201d Bridget said while adjusting her dark glasses.<\/p>\n
Maya felt a burning sensation in her chest, but she remained silent because she wanted to believe they were just there to see the place. She desperately wanted to think Austin wasn\u2019t so naive as to invite them to stay.<\/p>\n
He opened the front door, and as soon as the residence was revealed to them, the family rushed in like a stampede.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have got to be kidding me!\u201d Bridget shouted as she collapsed onto an ivory sofa that still had decorative glass wrapped in plastic on the coffee table.<\/p>\n
The young boy put his feet up on the expensive sofa with his dirty sneakers still on and started jumping excitedly. Austin just burst out laughing at the sight.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave him alone, honey, he is just a child having some fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya clenched her jaw as Martha went straight to the master bedroom on the first floor. She sat on the double bed to test the mattress with her hands and made a loud announcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis room is absolutely perfect for us because I don\u2019t go up and down stairs like I used to, so I will stay right here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Mom, that is the main bedroom,\u201d Austin said in a conciliatory tone, not to defend his wife\u2019s space, but merely to negotiate the layout. \u201cThere is another very good room upstairs with a dressing room and a terrace that you would like just as much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Austin\u2019s younger brother, Shane, was already inspecting the second-floor rooms with his wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis room has very good light, and my girls could sleep here when we move our things in,\u201d Shane\u2019s wife remarked.<\/p>\n
Maya felt like she couldn\u2019t breathe as she realized what was happening. \u201cWhen exactly are we moving?\u201d she asked, but her voice was drowned out by their excitement.<\/p>\n
On the terrace, her father-in-law, Bill, contemplated the view with his hands behind his back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis place is perfect for some top-notch barbecues, and I can already imagine Sundays here with the whole family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya felt invisible, as if the house had magically appeared in Austin\u2019s hands and her mother\u2019s inheritance was a community prize for his relatives. Austin returned to her side with a proud smile and put his arm around her shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see it? It turned out perfect, and I thought the big upstairs room could be for my parents while Shane and his family take the other one.\u201d<\/p>\n
He kept talking without noticing her expression, suggesting that Bridget could move into the guest room once she left her apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat way we all help each other out, and it is only logical since the house is so big.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya pulled away from his arm and looked at him slowly. \u201cLogical for whom, Austin?\u201d<\/p>\n
Finally, there was a heavy silence in the room as everyone turned around to look at her. Austin frowned and asked her what was wrong with the plan.<\/p>\n
Maya looked up and fixed her eyes on each of them, asking with a calmness that was more frightening than a scream who told them the house was for them to live in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean by that? It is your house, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Martha exclaimed in shock.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you suddenly afraid to share with your family?\u201d Bridget added while crossing her arms.<\/p>\n
Austin grabbed Maya\u2019s arm tightly and hissed that she shouldn\u2019t make a scene that made his family look bad. She looked down at his hand, then back into his eyes, and told him the only scene was them coming in here to divide up loot.<\/p>\n
She took a beige folder out of her bag and held it up in front of everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis house is not our newlywed home,\u201d she said in a firm, icy voice that was impossible to argue with.<\/p>\n
Austin let go of her arm as if her skin had suddenly turned into burning coals. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d he asked, his voice losing all the certainty it had just moments before.<\/p>\n
Maya opened the folder and pulled out a copy of the notarized document for everyone to see.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am talking about the fact that this property is registered solely and exclusively in my name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martha stepped forward with an indignant look. \u201cSo what? You are already married, and what is yours belongs to my son by law.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, ma\u2019am, not when we never even discussed this, and especially not when you decided everything without even asking me,\u201d Maya replied firmly.<\/p>\n
Shane let out a nervous little giggle and told her not to exaggerate because they were just looking at the house. Maya pointed to the stained sofa and the dirt footprints on the freshly polished floor as proof of their intrusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t come here to look at a house; you came here to settle into a palace you didn\u2019t pay for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bridget\u2019s eyes widened in offense as she claimed that Maya\u2019s true colors were finally coming out now that she had money.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe money didn\u2019t change me, but seeing how all of you assumed you could take ownership of something that cost you nothing certainly did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Austin ran a hand through his hair and told her that she was making a huge deal out of nothing. He insisted that if the house belonged to her, it obviously belonged to the couple as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the problem, Austin, because you are confusing our life with your personal decisions for your family.\u201d<\/p>\n
The phrase threw him off completely because she had never spoken to him with such authority before. For two years, Maya had given in on almost everything, from weekly visits to \u201ctemporary\u201d loans that were never repaid.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo why did you even buy this house if we aren\u2019t going to live here?\u201d Martha snapped.<\/p>\n
NEXT PART \ud83d\udc47<\/span><\/span>\ud83d\udc47<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n