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.
Emily turned around, her eyes flashing with hurt and anger. ‘Is this for real? Are you just using me?’ – she demanded, her voice shaking with emotion.
Tom’s smile faded, his facade cracking. ‘Of course I’m not. Who told you that rubbish?’ – He asked, a hint of desperation in his tone.
‘It’s all here,’ Emily said, and her voice quivered as she held out the document to him. ‘Proof of what you did.’
Tom circled the room with his eyes, panic gripping him. Without warning, he rushed for the exit, leaving behind a stunned silence.
Emily sank into a nearby chair, her body shaking with sobs. When the guests began to murmur and leave, I sat down next to her, wrapping my arms around her trembling shoulders. ‘I’m so sorry, honey,’ I whispered, feeling completely helpless.
She looked up at me, mascara spreading across her face. ‘What do I do now?’ I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
‘We’ll figure it out together,’ I assured her, squeezing her hand gently.
A few days after I returned to the flat, Emily called from work in a panic. ‘Grandma, I’m in big trouble! The bank just called. Tom took all the money out of my cards and took out a loan in my name. I don’t know what to do. I owe so much.’
I took a deep breath. ‘You need to face this. Get another job. Sell everything you can.’
‘But that will take forever!’ – she howled.
‘Sometimes it does,’ I said firmly. ‘When you get home tonight, we’ll talk it over and decide.’
Emily nodded slowly. ‘You’re right. I did a terrible thing to you. I’m really, really sorry.’
‘I forgive you,’ I said. ‘But it’s time to grow up.’
Over the next few months, Emily worked herself to exhaustion. She served tables and worked retail. She also sold almost all of her belongings.
We returned to our normal routine in the flat. Emily continued to work and even started taking some online classes.
‘I never realised how hard it was to make money,’ she said over dinner one night.
I nodded. ‘It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding. You’re doing great, Emily.’
She smiled. ‘Thank you, Grandma. For everything.’
Six months after the wedding that never happened, we were sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea.
‘Grandma?’ said Emily. ‘I never thanked you properly. For everything.’
I patted her hand. ‘You’re welcome, dear. I’m proud of the way you handled the situation.’
She smiled. ‘I couldn’t have done it without you. I used to be so rude.’
‘You were,’ I agreed. ‘But you’ve really turned things around.’
Emily nodded. ‘Yes. And I swear I’ll never take you for granted again.’
‘I know you won’t,’ I said. ‘You’ve learned a valuable lesson.’
‘Several, actually,’ Emily laughed. ‘Never trust guys with too perfect a smile, always read the fine print, and grandmas know best.’
I grinned. ‘That’s about as far as it went.’
‘And seriously,’ Emily continued, ’I can’t believe how blind I was. Tom seemed so perfect.’
‘That’s what con artists often do,’ I explained. ‘They tell you exactly what you want to hear.’
Emily sighed. ‘I just feel so stupid.’
‘Don’t be,’ I said firmly. ‘You’re not the first person to fall for someone like that, and you won’t be the last. What matters is how you deal with it afterwards.’
She nodded. ‘I guess. It’s just… I had all these dreams, you know? The big wedding, the perfect life. And now I’m working two jobs and taking night classes.’
‘And that makes you even stronger,’ I remarked. ‘Now you’re building a real future, not a fantasy.’
Emily smiled. ‘You’re right. It’s hard, but it feels good. Like I’ve actually accomplished something.’
‘You have,’ I assured her. ‘I’m so proud of you, Emily.’
As we watched the sun sink below the horizon, I felt a sense of peace come over me. We had been through hell and back, but our bond was stronger than ever. Sometimes tough love is exactly what you need.
Emily leaned her head against my shoulder. ‘I love you, Grandma.’
‘I love you too, sweetheart,’ I replied, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.
We sat in cosy silence, watching the stars come out. It wasn’t the future we had imagined, but it was ours, and we would meet it together.
What would you do?
