My granddaughter Emily kicked me out of my flat, claiming it was hers. She didn’t know that her ‘perfect’ fiancé Tom had a dark secret that would turn our lives upside down and teach us both a hard lesson about trust and family.
Since my son and his wife died in a terrible car accident six years ago, it’s been a hard road. I’ve been raising my granddaughter, Emily, since she turned 16. It hasn’t been a walk in the park, but we’ve made it through.’
Last Tuesday, Emily burst into our flat, beaming. ‘Grandma! Guess what?’
I looked up from my crossword puzzle. ‘What got you so excited?’
‘I’m engaged!’ She extended her hand, showing off a sparkling ring.
I felt my stomach churn. ‘Engaged? To who?’
‘To Tom! We’ve been dating for two months. He’s perfect!’
I set my pen aside. ‘Two months? That’s awfully fast, don’t you think?’
Emily’s smile faded. ‘Why can’t you just be happy for me?’
‘I’m just worried. What about your studies?’
She waved her hand dismissively. ‘College isn’t for me. I’m dropping out.’
‘Emily, you can’t be serious. Education is of the utmost importance.’
‘For what? I’m going to get married. Tom will take care of me.’
I frowned. ‘What if something happens? If he leaves?’
‘It won’t,’ she snapped back. ‘Why are you being so negative?’
I sighed. ‘I’m just looking out for you, honey.’
‘Well you don’t. And by the way, I need you to move out.’
I blinked, sure I’d misheard. ‘Move out? From where?’
‘From this flat. It’s mine now.’
‘Emily, I said you’d inherit it after I died.’
She shrugged. ‘The difference is the same. I need it now.’
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. ‘And where am I supposed to go?’
‘Not my problem,’ she said, checking her phone.
‘Emily, this is ridiculous! You can’t just kick me out!’
She barely looked up from her perpetually busy phone. ‘Keep an eye on me. I want you gone by tomorrow.’
I tried to reason with her, but it was like talking to a brick wall. I barely slept that night, anxiety and disbelief bubbling in my head.
The next day, Emily literally pushed me out the door. ‘Time’s up, Grandma. Tom is moving in with us today.’
Standing in the corridor with a hastily packed bag, I pleaded, ‘Emily, please. Let’s talk about this.’
She rolled her eyes and waved me away reproachfully, ‘We have nothing to talk about. Bye.’ Then the door slammed in my face.
I spent the night in the hallway, still in shock. How could my own granddaughter do such a thing?
In the morning I went to the shop and bought a new outfit to make myself look decent for my meeting with the lawyer. We had filed a lawsuit to get my flat back, but I had something else in mind to teach Emily a lesson.
I called my sister Beatrice, who lived in another city. ‘Bea? It’s Evelyn. I need a favour.’
‘What’s wrong? You sound terrible.’
I explained the situation, and Bea became furious. ‘That ungrateful little… Of course you can stay here. Come here and we’ll sort it out.’
Taking the bus to Bea’s house and settling in, I rang my colourful old friend Fiona. She runs a firm of private investigators.
‘Fi, I need your expertise. Can you look up Emily’s fiancé?’
‘Sure, Ev. What’s his name?’
‘Tom. That’s all I know. But I figured out how to find him on social media-my granddaughter taught an old dog new tricks.’
‘Email me everything you have on him and give me a few days. I’ll see what I can dig up.’
‘Okay, will do, Fi, thanks,’ I replied.
While Fiona was investigating, I rang the solicitor about my flat and told him to take his time with the claim for its return.
‘It’s pretty clear,’ the lawyer said. ‘The flat is in your name. She has no legal rights to it.’
‘I hope it won’t come to that. I want to educate her first,’ I replied.
Three days later, Fiona called back. ‘Ev, I’ve got some bad news. This Tom guy is a piece of work.’
‘How’s that?’
‘In the last three years, he has defrauded at least four rich women. Leaving them broke and broke-hearted.’
My blood runs cold in my veins. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely. I have all the proof.’
I thanked her and hung up. Poor Emily had no idea what she’d gotten herself into.
The wedding day came sooner than I expected. I appeared on the set with Fiona, clutching the evidence folder in my hands.
Emily spotted me and rushed over to her. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Trying to keep you from making a huge mistake.’
‘You weren’t invited!’ – She hissed.
I picked up the folder. ‘Emily, Tom isn’t who you think he is. He wants your money.’
Her face went pale. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘He’s done this before. Many times.’
Emily snatched the folder from my hands and started leafing through it, her hands shaking. ‘This…this can’t be right.’
Tom appeared at that moment, his face contorted with anger. ‘Baby, what’s going on?’ – he demanded.