I gathered my family under one roof, hoping to spend time with them.
But that night, I heard whispers behind closed doors—schemes, hidden agendas, betrayals.
So, I set new terms for my inheritance they couldn’t ignore.
I always said that in old age, you have only two options: either you become a quiet, gentle grandmother who sits in a rocking chair, bakes pies, and hands out candy to her grandchildren, or you turn into a brilliant schemer who never lets her family relax for a second. Without a doubt, I belonged to the second group.
I was 78, wore designer robes, drank fresh juice in the morning, snowboarded whenever I wanted, and knew that even at this age, life could be kept under control. The key was playing your cards right.
But lately, my children had started acting as if I didn’t exist.
As for my grandchildren, they never brought them to me, fearing that my influence might change their attitude toward their parents.
Meanwhile…
I shuffled the cards, sitting in my living room, while my “girls” kept me entertained with their chatter, waiting to play bridge.
Dolly was once again going on about how her mysterious admirer kept leaving her flowers without a note.
“I can’t take it anymore!” she rolled her eyes and clutched her chest. “This is unbearable! The man is playing some strange game!”
Margo, who had no patience for nonsense, simply scoffed.
“The same one as last time?”
“Or maybe a different one!
Maybe I’m a magnet for love!”
I turned the cards over in my hands and looked at Margo.
“You do realize she orders them for herself, right?”
“Oh, absolutely,” she replied, setting down her coffee.
“Very funny!” Dolly gave me an offended look. “But, for the record, this isn’t about me! Tell me, how are your kids?”
I shrugged.
“Alive and well. Theoretically. They remember me so rarely that I’m no longer sure if they even recall what I look like.”
“And Gregory?” Margo raised an eyebrow.
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“Oh, ‘Mr.
Grizzly’ is in his usual form. Sits at home, grumbling about life’s injustices.”
I placed my cards on the table.
Margo chuckled, while Dolly tossed another sugar cube into her coffee. “And Veronica, his wife?”
“‘Hashtag’?” I smirked.
“She’s so busy crafting the perfect life for social media that I’m not even sure she remembers how to hold a real conversation. But she is the one keeping the family afloat with advertising contracts. A man in a robe while his wife is on stage.
It’s like some sort of upside-down world.”
“And your daughter, Belinda?”
I paused.
“Belinda… well, as always, she’s working on making sure everyone’s life around her fits her vision of perfect order. No family, no children, not even a hint of a relationship.”
Margo set down her cards and looked at me closely.
“And your grandchildren? Mia, Theo?”
“‘Hon’ is probably somewhere barefoot in the mountains, explaining to the trees how to meditate properly.
Instead of preparing for exams or at least going to parties, she’s completely immersed in her meditations.”
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“She had some theory that objects have memory, didn’t she?”
“Oh, yes. And that they hear us when we yell at them. I once scolded the microwave—it ignored me for the entire day.”
“And what about Scooter, your little detective?”
I smiled.
“The only man in my family who still has some common sense.”
“A spy. Conducting active investigations.”
“And what is he investigating?”
“The last thing I saw, he was crawling under the couch with a magnifying glass. I don’t know if he’s gathering evidence or just trying to entertain me.”
“I love him!” Dolly theatrically placed her hands over her heart.
“Does he know you’re his only ally?”
I sighed and shuffled the cards again. “He still thinks I’m the prime suspect.”
Margo leaned in closer, narrowing her eyes.
“Vivi, you’re up to something.”
“Oh, more than you know,” I laid out the cards before me. “If my children don’t notice me while I’m alive, then I’ll have to make sure they can’t ignore me.”
I raised my glass of grapefruit juice.
The bitterness sent shivers down my spine.
I opened my mouth to say something else, but suddenly, a sharp pain pierced my chest.
My vision darkened, the room tilted, and Dolly let out a shrill scream:
“Call an ambulance! Now!”
***
I lay in the hospital bed, wrapped in a warm blanket, listening to the doctor as he explained something to my friends. His voice drifted through the air like a muffled cloud.
“Her condition is stable, but at her age, she needs to be very careful,” he said, flipping through some paperwork.
Dolly stood beside me, clutching her hands together in an exaggerated display of distress, as if she were about to break the tragic news to the entire world.
“She’s so active, doctor!” she let out a dramatic sigh.
“Will she… be able to live as she did before?”
“She needs rest. No strain, minimal stress. And, of course, she should have her family around her.”
I caught the glance Margo exchanged with Dolly.
“We’re staying with you for the weekend,” Dolly declared, meeting my gaze as if daring me to argue.
“Just to make sure everything is truly under control,” Margo added.
“We need to call your family.
They should be here with you. Who knows how much time…”
“Dolly, don’t overdo it,” I shot her a pointed look.
Yet, something in her words made me pause. My condition did require attention.
But not medical attention. Family attention. If it were up to them, they wouldn’t have even asked if I was still breathing when I was taken to the hospital.
But at that moment… Well, I could remind them of who I was.
“You’re right,” I murmured. “I do need them here.”
Dolly clapped her hands together. “Oh, finally, you admit it!”
Margo nodded with satisfaction.
“Here’s what we’ll do.
We’ll message them ourselves. If you ask both children at once, they’ll assume you’re exaggerating. So we’ll send separate messages to each of them.”
Dolly raised a finger dramatically.
“And we’ll tell them to pack for a month! Just in case…”
I gave her a long, skeptical stare. “Dolly, you’re enjoying this way more than you should.”
“I’m just a dramatic woman, what can I say?”
Margo was already pulling out her phone and turned the screen toward me:
“Belinda, I just got back from the hospital.
My condition is very unstable. I don’t want to worry you, but I’m scared. Please come.
I want you here”.
I nodded in approval.
“Now Gregory,” Dolly said, already typing.
I glanced at the message she had composed. A small, satisfied smirk crept onto my lips.
My family was already on their way. And they had no idea what awaited them.
***
I settled into my bed, carefully wrapped in a cashmere throw.
The living room buzzed—everyone had their roles to play. The door creaked open, and the first to step inside was Belinda.
I let out a soft sigh. “As well as can be expected, dear…”
Gregory appeared in the doorway right after her.
“Mom…”
“Oh, my boy,” I whispered.
Behind them, my grandchildren burst in. Mia set down a small fabric pouch, pulled out a handful of incense sticks, and began placing them around the room.
“This is to cleanse the space, Grandma. Hospitals carry heavy energy.”
Gregory rolled his eyes, but Mia ignored him and lit one.
Theo, meanwhile, dramatically flipped open his notebook, pen at the ready.
“I’m going to figure out exactly what happened and how to fix your condition.”
“Theo, stop making up stories,” Veronica muttered without looking up, already angling her phone for the best recording setup.
“My heart has been acting up lately, children.” I paused, then added with my usual irony, “Of course, it could also be an allergic reaction to being ignored for months. Hard to say.”
Silence.
“I can hire you a private nurse,” Veronica offered.
Gregory was pacing back and forth, on the phone, no doubt looking for the “best cardiologist.” Belinda, ever the planner, was already thinking ten steps ahead.
“Mom, I’ll take care of your medical arrangements. We’ll find the best specialists.
I’m even looking into the possibility of a heart transplant.”
“I don’t need a new heart or doctors,” I said, peering over the rim of the herbal tea that Mia had carefully poured from her thermos. “What I need is my family.”
Belinda hesitated, then glanced at Gregory, as if seeking support.
“I’m just saying I want to spend time with you. Which is why you’re all staying the night,” I announced, leaving no room for argument.
Belinda immediately stiffened.
“Mom, if you’re fine, you have your friends with you. I have important meetings… I’ll stop by tomorrow.”
Gregory muttered something under his breath. I took a long, slow breath and then said,
“If anyone wants to leave—the door is open.
But I don’t know how much time I have left, and all I’m asking for is just one night with my family.”
Silence. Then Belinda exhaled and gave a small nod.
Gregory rubbed the back of his neck. “Fine.
Just tell me where I’m sleeping.”
“In your old room, of course.”
“Oh, fantastic,” he groaned. “My 52 y/o back will be thrilled about that wooden torture device you call a bed.”
Veronica folded her arms. “Does the Wi-Fi at least work properly?”
“Don’t worry, dear.
I made sure you wouldn’t have to suffer the horrors of an offline existence.”
After a brief dinner, everyone scattered to their rooms.
***
Later that night, I was on my way to say goodnight to my grandchildren when I stopped mid-step. Something moved in the hallway. At first, I thought it was my cat, Bugsy, but then I heard muffled voices.
I moved closer, silent as a shadow.
Gregory’s door was slightly ajar.
“We need to find out if she’s already changed the documents,” Veronica whispered.
“We can’t just ask!” Gregory snapped. “If she hasn’t rewritten the will yet, you know who everything is going to…”
I pursed my lips. Interesting.
I crept further down the hall and caught Belinda’s voice coming from her room.
“No, I can’t meet you right now. If Mom suspects anything, everything falls apart.”
A chill ran down my spine. What exactly would fall apart, Belinda?
Suddenly, a small shadow darted past me.
Theo! He froze when he realized I had spotted him.
“And what exactly are you doing, Scooter?”
“Investigating.”
I glanced down at his open notebook:
1. Mom and Dad whisperin about Granny.
2.
Belinda canceled a secret meeting.
3. Grandma Vivi playin cards.
I smiled. I just wanted to bring my family together even for one evening… but at that moment, I wasn’t even sure I really knew them.
Their secrets sounded dangerous.
“Go to bed, Scooter. I’ll check in on you and Mia later.”
I turned back towards my room. There was only one thing left to do.
***
The following morning, everyone sat at the table, eating and exchanging small talk, pretending nothing had happened.
But I knew. They were simply waiting to finish their coffee, make their excuses, and slip back into their carefully constructed lives.
What they didn’t know was that I had a very different plan for them. I folded my napkin and placed it on the table with careful precision.
“I’ve decided what to do next.”
Belinda placed her fork down.
“About what, Mom?”
Gregory choked on his coffee. I lifted my gaze.
“The people who will inherit my fortune will be the ones who choose to spend my final days with me.”
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