After my husband’s funeral, I went to my sister’s son’s first birthday party, and she announced, “My son is your husband’s child, so…””Inheritance, I’m going to take half of your $800,000 house.” She even showed me her will. I said, “Oh, I see,” and tried to stifle a laugh. BECAUSE MY HUSBAND…

“My friend Dave helped me create it. I was going to use it to pressure you. I never thought you’d look into it so thoroughly.”

I turned off the recorder. “I could press charges,” I said. “What you did was illegal, cruel, and calculated. But that would hurt Lucas. And despite everything, he is my nephew. I love him.”

“So, here’s what’s going to happen. You will tell everyone the truth: that you lied about the affair, that Lucas is not Adam’s son, and that you forged the will. You will apologize publicly to me and to Adam’s memory.”

“And then what?” she asked. “We’ll still be evicted.”

“In exchange for your full confession and a legal agreement never to attempt this again, I will help you and Lucas. Not by giving you half my house, but by setting up a trust fund for Lucas’s education and medical needs, and helping you find stable housing.”

Her eyes widened. “Why?”

“Not for you,” I said honestly. “For Lucas, and because Adam would want me to help his nephew. There will be conditions: therapy, financial counseling, steady employment, and you will allow me to be part of Lucas’s life. Violate any, and the support stops.”

“I don’t deserve your help.”

“No,” I agreed, “you don’t. But Lucas deserves a stable home, and I deserve to have my husband’s memory untarnished. This solution gives us both what we need.”

Cassandra agreed. We would formalize it with James and she would confess at a family dinner. As I showed her out, she paused. “I really am sorry, Bridget. I’ve been jealous of you my whole life. Everything always seemed to come so easily to you.”

“Nothing about my life has been easy,” I replied. “You just never bothered to look past the surface. Maybe it’s time you started.”

———————
The family dinner was tense. My parents arrived early, my mother worried about Cassandra’s calls. “This needs to be addressed once, with everyone present,” I insisted.

With the recorder on, I asked Cassandra to share information. Pale, she stared at her plate. “I lied about Lucas being Adam’s son. Adam and I never had an affair. Lucas is Tyler’s child, and I forged the will.”

My parents were shocked. “Why?” my father demanded.

Cassandra explained her desperate financial situation, Tyler’s abandonment, and the eviction. My mother’s shock turned to sympathy. “Why didn’t you just come to us?”

“Would you have given me $400,000?” Cassandra asked bluntly.