I devoted myself to caring for my mother in her final days, putting aside everything to stay with her. Yet, when the will was read, I was left with nothing. The betrayal stung deeply, but the revelations behind her decision and the secrets that came to light completely altered everything I thought I knew about my family — and about myself.
As I drove toward my late mother’s house, the sorrow of her loss pressed heavily on my heart.
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The funeral had taken place just a week ago, and now I was left to manage what was left—the tough, practical decisions that always seemed to land on my shoulders.
Once again, I was the only level-headed one in the family, the one everyone turned to. It had been the same throughout Mom’s illness.
I remained by her side through every moment, feeding her, caring for her, ensuring she wasn’t alone. I was certain she would leave the house to me. Not Phoebe.
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Phoebe was… complicated. She always had been. Unpredictable, impulsive—damaged in ways life never seemed to heal.
She couldn’t manage things the way I did. Despite the distance between us, I couldn’t shake the worry I felt for her. She was my younger sister, after all.
Dan sat quietly beside me in the car, the faint scent of alcohol lingering around him. He had promised me he was done drinking, but the smell told a different story. Honestly, I was nearing my breaking point.
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We pulled into the driveway, parking in front of Mom’s house. The sight of it hit me like a new wave of grief.
Standing outside was the lawyer I had hired, his briefcase in hand, waiting for us.
“Hi,” I greeted him as we stepped out of the car. “Why aren’t you inside?”
“It’s locked,” he answered, glancing toward the house.
“Locked?” I echoed, my brow furrowing. “Phoebe isn’t here yet? She said she’d be early.”
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I pulled out my phone and dialed Phoebe’s number, but it went straight to voicemail.
“Her phone’s off. Perfect,” I muttered, slipping it back into my pocket. I didn’t have the keys either.
Dan, standing behind me, shook his head. “Your sister, as always. She needs a babysitter or something,” he muttered under his breath.
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“She’ll be here soon,” I said, trying to keep my composure. I gave Dan a sharp look, silently daring him to say anything else.
A few minutes later, I saw Phoebe walking up the driveway. Her hair was disheveled, and streaks of mascara marked her face. She looked like she hadn’t slept a wink.
“Rough night, huh?” I asked, folding my arms.
Phoebe gave a weak smirk. “Is it that obvious?”
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“Pull yourself together. The lawyer’s waiting,” I urged, pointing toward the house.
“Oh, please,” Phoebe scoffed, brushing past me. “We all know the house is going to you. You’re the golden child, remember?”
I gritted my teeth, biting back a response. I understood she was in pain. Mom’s passing had been tough on her. People always mentioned how much Phoebe resembled Mom.
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We sat in silence as the lawyer began reading the will. His voice was monotonous, until suddenly, he said something I wasn’t ready for.
“The house and all assets are bequeathed to Phoebe.”
“What?” I exclaimed, unable to mask my shock. “What do you mean, the house goes to Phoebe?”
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“I’m simply reading what’s stated here,” the lawyer said, maintaining his calm demeanor.
“That’s unjust!” Dan shouted, his voice rising. “My wife was the one who cared for their mother! She did everything!” He pointed angrily at Phoebe.
Phoebe stood abruptly, her face contorting with emotion, before she stormed out the door.
“Dan!” I snapped, glaring at him.
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“What? You know I’m right,” he muttered, his frustration still clear in his voice.
I didn’t answer. Sighing, I stood up and followed Phoebe outside.
She was sitting on the bench in the backyard, the spot Mom had always adored. Phoebe appeared drained, her posture slouched, her hands nervously fiddling in her lap.
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“Sorry about Dan,” I said, my voice soft as I approached her.
“It’s fine,” Phoebe replied, her tone distant. “He’s always like that. You should leave him.”
“I can’t,” I answered, sitting down next to her. “He’s my husband.”
Phoebe stayed silent, her gaze fixed ahead, her face unreadable. I took a breath, then added, “Sell me the house.”
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“What?” Phoebe turned toward me, her eyes wide with surprise.
“You need money for your flower shop,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm. “Sell it to me. I’ll tear it down and build the house I always wanted. I thought Mom would leave it to me—”
“No,” she interrupted, her voice firm.
“What do you mean, no?” I asked, my brows furrowing.
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“I’m not giving you the house. Mom left it to me,” she declared, her tone sharp.
“You don’t deserve it!” I retorted, my anger pouring out. “I took care of her. I fed her, bathed her, managed her finances. I was there when she couldn’t even walk. Yet she gave it to you because you were always her favorite!”
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“You have it all, Katherine!” Phoebe yelled, rising to her feet. “A great job, a husband—even if he’s awful—and endless opportunities. You were even offered a job overseas! But you can’t make up your mind! I have nothing—just this house.”
“And I have obligations!” I shot back. “Do you know why I turned down that job? Because I couldn’t leave you! You wouldn’t be able to handle it!”
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“Leave!” Phoebe screamed, her face red with anger. “I’m not giving you the house!”
“Then I’ll take it!” I yelled, marching off.
I just wanted to erase the fight with Phoebe and give her space. She was right; I really did have everything.
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I could easily buy another house if I wanted to. But Dan wouldn’t let it go. He kept pushing me to challenge the will, insisting it was unfair and that I was the one who deserved the house.
I couldn’t understand why it mattered so much to him, but his constant insistence eventually wore me down.
And so it started. Lawyers, countless talks about the will, and meetings with Phoebe, who seemed completely unmoved by the whole thing. She breezed through every meeting as if it was all irrelevant.
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One evening, just days before the court date, I found something I wasn’t expecting.
In Dan’s office, a pile of papers sat on his desk—overdue bills and debt notices.
My heart sank as I went through them. He was buried in debt. I grabbed the stack and marched to the bedroom, where he was sprawled out on the bed.
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“Care to explain this?” I demanded, holding up the papers, my voice cutting.
Dan sat up, his face draining of color. “Katherine, it’s not what it looks like,” he hurriedly explained.
“Not what it looks like?” I echoed, my voice growing louder. “Do you see how much debt you’re in? Where did all of this come from?”
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He ran his hands over his face, avoiding my eyes. “We can fix this,” he muttered softly.
“We?” I shot back. “Is that why you kept pushing me to fight Phoebe for the house? So we could sell it and clear your debts?”
Dan’s face shifted, his frustration finally showing. “She doesn’t deserve it anyway!” he yelled. “She’s destroying everything! You always rush to her whenever she calls! And you didn’t even want to challenge the will, even though you were the one who took care of Mom!”
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I could feel the anger rising inside me. “Because Phoebe couldn’t be there!” I shouted. “It was too much for her to see Mom like that. It broke her. Where did all this debt come from, Dan?”
His shoulders drooped as he whispered, “Gambling.”
“Gambling?” I echoed, in shock.
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“But if we sell the house,” he said hastily, “I’ll pay it all off. I’ll quit for good. This will fix everything.”
“Like you quit drinking?” I asked, my voice cold.
Dan didn’t respond. He just looked at me, guilt clearly etched on his face.
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“No,” I said, stepping inside as she moved aside. “Dan gambled away a ton of money.”
Phoebe’s face shifted, the irritation giving way to surprise. She didn’t say anything, just led me to the backyard. We sat on the bench, Mom’s favorite spot.
“We can sell the house and split the money,” Phoebe finally said after a moment of silence.
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I shook my head. “No, I’m not doing that. Mom left the house to you, so it’s yours. She wanted you to have it.”
“But you were going to take it from me,” she said, her tone quiet but pointed.
I nodded, the shame settling in. “That was just an empty threat during our argument. Then Dan pressured me to follow through, and now I understand why.”
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“You’re not paying off his debt?” Phoebe asked, eyeing me closely.
“No,” I replied with conviction. “The only person I’d give everything up for is you.”
Phoebe stayed silent, her gaze fixed on the ground. After a beat, she finally spoke. “I’m sorry for yelling. I’ve always felt like I was living in your shadow. Katherine this, Katherine that. I was just the odd one who cracked jokes.”
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“Just like Mom,” I said, smiling softly.
“Yeah,” she replied, a faint smile appearing.
“I understand why you couldn’t help; it was too hard for you to see her that way. Mom knew it too, which is why she always talked about you. She loved you more. That’s why I always felt like I was living in your shadow,” I confessed.
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Phoebe chuckled softly. “Guess Mom should’ve taken some parenting classes before having kids.”
I laughed along with her.
“So, what’s your plan?” she asked after a brief silence.
“Leave Dan, give you money for your flower shop, and take that job overseas,” I replied.
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“Katherine,” Phoebe said, catching my attention.
“Yes?” I replied.
“I’ll be okay. And so will you,” she assured me.
“Yeah, I know,” I said, pulling her into a warm hug.
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