**Diary Entry 15th October**
Before my father passed away, he made my stepmother leave the house. We thought he was afraid she might fight for the inheritance, but the truth was far more shocking…
Im the youngest of three siblings. My birth mother died when I was barely a year old, before I could even say the word Mum. Three years later, my father remarried. Her name was Evelyna petite woman with a gentle voice and a quiet nature.
She was the one who raised me. I was a sickly four-year-old, and I remember her spoon-feeding me bowls of porridge. She took me to nursery, waited for me every afternoon, and when I started primary school, she was as proud as if I were her own.
To me, she was never Dads wife or the stepmother. In her own way, she was simply Mum.
**My Siblings Rejection**
My brothers, who were ten and thirteen when Evelyn came into our lives, never accepted her. They called her Dads new wife and treated her like a stranger. They warned me she was only kind to win Father over, that sooner or later, shed betray me.
Sometimes I believed them. I was cruel to her, argued, even tore one of her blouses in a fit of anger. But one night, I saw her crying silently in her room. I cried too.
As I grew older, I realised my brothers were wrong. Evelyn, with no obligation, had given me all her love and care. I changed, calling her Mum Evelyn and treating her with the same warmth shed always shown me.
**My Fathers Nature**
I remember him holding her quietly, telling her to be patientthat my brothers rejection came from losing their mother so young. Evelyn nodded through tears, never raising her voice, no matter how cruel they were.
Eventually, my brothers married and moved out. Only Father, Evelyn, and I remained.
**The Sudden Distance**
Early this year, Father fell seriously ill. Out of nowhere, he became irritable with Evelynshouting over nothing, scolding her without reason. I couldnt understand it.
One weekend, with my brothers and their families there, the unthinkable happened. Father shouted in front of everyone that Evelyn had to leave. Trembling, she didnt argue. Just packed a suitcase and stayed silent.
Weeks later, at a family gathering, he repeated it: Theres nothing between us. Get out and dont come back. Evelyn barely glanced at me, whispering, Dont say anything. Let it be. And she left. That image haunts me still.
Two weeks later, Father died.
**The Will and Suspicions**
Evelyn arranged the funeral with her usual quiet dignity, as if she were still his rightful widow. Then she vanished again. My brothers hinted Father had thrown her out to stop her claiming part of the inheritance.
After the mourning period, we divided the estatethe three-storey house, a small plot of land, and some farmlandsplit equally. It seemed settled.
**The Truth**
A month later, I ran into one of Fathers old friends at the supermarket. What he said left me stunned:
Did you know your father bought a house in my name months ago? Later, he transferred it entirely to Evelyn.
I was speechless. Far from fearing shed claim anything, Father had already secured her a home. He knew what would happenthat my brothers would cast her out the moment he was gone.
**The Real Reason**
I went to find Evelyn. She was in a cosy little house with a sunny porch, opening the door with the same warm smile Id always known. We talked for hours in her kitchen.
That day, I understood. Father hadnt thrown her out out of selfishness or greed. He did it to protect her from his own sonsto give her a safe place, untouched by their cruelty.
Evelyn never wanted anything from us. Only to give love, patience, and care to a child who wasnt hers, for decades.
**What This Story Teaches**
Sometimes, the hardest gestures hide the kindest intentions. True love isnt always spoken in sweet words, but in actions that protect those who deserve it most.
This story reminds me that family isnt always about blood. Its about the love and loyalty someone shows, day after day, without expecting a thing in return.
