Daphne looked at the photo in its elegant frame and sighed. It had been two years since her husband’s tragic passing. A freak accident—snow falling from a roof—and just like that, Timothy was gone.
They had been married for only two years and hadn’t had the chance to start a family. All she had left were memories, photographs, and his mother, Evelyn.
Evelyn visited Daphne, crying, lamenting, and even blaming her for not giving them a grandchild.
“If you were a proper woman, we would have a child now,” she would accuse. Daphne simply shrugged. The loss was hard enough without feeling guilty. Before having children, she and Timothy had planned to sort their housing situation, preparing for a move that Timothy never lived to see.
After his death, Daphne buried herself in work to cope. She worked overtime and took on extra projects, and by her thirtieth birthday, she moved from a rented place to her own small but self-owned apartment.
Her father had helped a bit; he was proud of her and supportive in all her endeavors. But a year later, he too passed away due to heart failure.
Daphne had lost her last close family member. She was alone, except for Evelyn, who kept offering her “condolences” while adding to her grief.
After the funeral, Evelyn visited Daphne and bluntly stated, “You should write a will, before it’s too late, Daphne.”
Daphne almost dropped her cup.
“Yes, I’m serious. No one is insured against fate. You’re healthy today, but who knows how life will turn tomorrow?”
“What are you insinuating?”
“You’re thirty already with no relatives. Time to think of others.”
“Don’t worry, Evelyn. I’m not a millionaire; my savings are enough for a simple funeral,” Daphne replied, turning the tension into a joke, thinking the stress of another funeral had clouded Evelyn’s judgment.
“You joke, but it’s serious. If I were you, I’d sign over your flat to my grandchildren.”
“Oh, really? You suggest I pass all my belongings to your grandchildren?” Daphne raised her eyebrows. Evelyn had a younger son, Gregory, who had no connections with Daphne. Even Timothy hadn’t been close to his brother. Gregory married young, had daughters, got divorced, remarried, had a son, and divorced again. And six months ago, he found himself a new wife.
“Not sign over yet, but at least draft a will. Otherwise, everything will go to the state!”
“Evelyn… perhaps it’s time for you to go home. You seem tired.”
“Greg and Libby are staying at mine; they needed a place while sorting out their affairs,” the mother-in-law admitted. “I don’t want to intrude on them, surely you understand.”
“So don’t. What’s that got to do with me?” Daphne was puzzled.
“I was counting on you. Since your father’s apartment is empty now, I could stay there while Greg sorts things out. They’re planning to get a mortgage once he lands a job. I’ve even packed my things; all I need from you are the keys. You needn’t worry; I’ll take just one room, and the other can be rented out. I’ve already found interested tenants. Rita and her son need a place…”
“Rita, Greg’s second wife?”
“Yes, remember her? Lovely girl. We get on well… Let her stay. I look after my grandchild anyway, so it’d save commuting.”
“And how much are you willing to pay in rent?”
“Pay?! I’m like a second mother to you, and you dare ask for money? I didn’t expect my Timothy married someone so…”
“Evelyn, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you stay there, not freely nor for a fee. And any will I make would be for my future child. I have my whole life ahead of me.”
“Who do you think you are? Thirty’s too old for having children! And with whom? You’re all alone—a dreamer! Watch, greed will be your downfall! You’ll be left with nothing, mark my words!” Evelyn’s face contorted bitterly, almost witch-like. Daphne resisted the urge to show her out for good. She suddenly realized that Evelyn’s envy fueled her hardships, and she’d always doubted Daphne’s happiness with Timothy.
“Go on, Evelyn. I’ll handle my own affairs. I’m thirty, and I have a good head on my shoulders. If anything, better the state than you.”
Evelyn muttered something under her breath and left, slamming the door. The next day, Gregory called Daphne, yelling and accusing her of upsetting his mother.
Daphne realized if she wanted peace, she needed to distance herself from this family. She put her apartment up for sale, found buyers quickly, and proceeded to sell her father’s place. With the money, she bought a bigger home and stepped into a new life, free from old ties. No one from her past knew her new address or disrupted her future plans.
