Margaret picked up the bags and slowly walked toward the house.
The property was covered in festive lights. Balloons hung everywhere, and a large birthday sign stretched across the front of the building.
“Where did they get the money for all this?” Margaret whispered, staring in disbelief.
A moment later, the front door opened, and a striking woman appeared.
Emily knew immediately that she was Michael’s wife.
Margaret, however, had never met her.
Michael had shown his mother pictures of his wife several times, but the woman in those photographs had looked completely different.
“I’m afraid you have the wrong house,” the woman said coldly.
“Rachel, call Michael,” Emily replied calmly. “We’re his family.”
She had searched through social media beforehand and had already learned enough.
“What family?” Rachel said. “My husband doesn’t have any family.”
“How can you say that?” Margaret turned pale. “Call my son!”
Michael appeared only fifteen minutes later.
He looked utterly bewildered.
“What… what are you doing here?”
“You shameless liar!” Margaret shouted. She rushed at him and began striking him with the bags. “You’ve deceived me for years! I gave you every last penny, and you didn’t even tell these people that you had a mother?”
Michael grabbed the bags and stepped backward.
He clearly had no idea what to say. His eyes darted between his mother and his sister.
“You knew about this?” Margaret suddenly turned on Emily. “You knew everything and kept silent?”
“Of course not. I didn’t know everything. Michael turned out to be an expert at hiding his life. I had to search for a long time before I found his real social media accounts.”
“I sent him all my money,” Margaret whispered. “And he…”
Then she raised her voice.
“Let me see my granddaughter!”
“Mom, maybe you shouldn’t—” Michael began quietly.
“Bring her out. I said I want to see her. I have a present for her.”
Michael lowered his head and went back into the house.
About five minutes later, he returned with his daughter.
Sophie looked at the visitors with open disdain.
“Say hello,” her father instructed, gently nudging her forward.
“Hello.”
“Sophie, I brought you a present,” Margaret said, holding out the box of headphones.
The girl took it, examined it carefully, turned it over in her hands, and then gave it back.
“That’s an old model. I don’t use things like that.”
The journey home took place in almost complete silence.
Margaret wiped tears from her face the entire way. Daniel said nothing, although every so often an incredulous smile crossed his lips at the absurdity of what had happened.
Finally, Emily decided to speak.
“You know, Mom, at least we’ve learned the most important thing. Michael is doing just fine. He clearly isn’t poor, and his daughter has everything she needs. We can only be happy for them.”
Margaret was offended by both of her children.
After that day, she stopped sending Michael her pension.
She also abandoned the idea of selling her house.
Only later did Emily discover that Margaret had never intended to buy a smaller apartment for herself. She had planned to sell her home, give nearly all the money to Michael because he had been asking for it for years, and then move in with Emily.
Now Margaret could only be grateful that she had not made that mistake in time.