My son laughed at my cast during Christmas dinner

I resisted at first, but the loneliness weighed heavily. The house that was once full of life with Richard now echoed empty, so I gave in. That is how, four months after becoming a widow, Jeffrey and Melanie moved into my house. They brought their things little by little, occupying the guest room, then using the garage for her car, and eventually spreading belongings to every corner of the house as if it had always been theirs.

At first, I confess it was comforting to have someone in the house, to hear voices, to feel movement. Jeffrey cooked for me on weekends. Melanie accompanied me to the farmers market. It seemed like I had recovered part of the family I lost with Richard’s death.

I was a fool.

The inheritance Richard left was considerable. Besides the house, which was worth over $2 million, there were the four wellunctioning bakeries, generating monthly profits and robust savings he had built over the years. In total, the assets were around $4 million. Jeffrey was my only heir, but as long as I was alive, everything was mine.

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