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.
“Oh, ‘Mr. Grizzly’ is in his usual form. Sits at home, grumbling about life’s injustices.”
I placed my cards on the table.
…The story doesn’t end here, it continues on the next page 👇
