Pretending To Be In A Tight Spot, I Asked For One Safe Night Indoors. My Well-Off Kids Said It Wouldn’t Work. Only My Youngest Son, A Teacher, Took Me In, Ready To Sell His Wedding Ring To Cover Groceries. Next Morning, My Lawyer Arrived With A $100m Check, And Their Expressions Changed…

I thought about the beach house Miguel had described. The way the Atlantic looked from the cliffs of Algarve, the freedom that came with being unknown and unmanaged. I thought about Sandra’s shocked face when she discovered that her inheritance had vanished along with her mother.

The idea should have made me feel guilty. Instead, it made me feel powerful for the first time in years. I picked up my phone and began searching for flights to Lisbon.

The flight to Lisbon left at 11:47 p.m. from Logan Airport. I stared at the booking page on my laptop screen, my finger hovering over the purchase button like it was a trigger.

One click would set everything in motion. One click would transform me from Annie, the beautiful mother, into someone else entirely, someone who chose her own fate. I’d been sitting at my kitchen table for 3 hours, surrounded by the detritus of careful planning.

Bank statements, medical records, legal documents, and a yellow legal pad covered in my handwriting. The numbers didn’t lie. With proper management, my 6 million could last decades in Portugal, where the cost of living was a fraction of what it was in Newport.

Even with private medical care, I could live like a queen. The house phone rang, jolting me from my calculations. Sandra’s name appeared on the caller ID.

“Hi, Mom. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

Continue reading…