I stood at the doorstep of Kara’s grand house, gripping the small gift bag I had brought. My stomach twisted with unease.
Since Mark’s death two years ago, his mother had barely acknowledged me. It was usually his siblings who invited me to family events. When Kara sent an invitation to her birthday party, I was surprised—but I knew I had to go.
“You can do this, Melissa,” I whispered, taking a deep breath. “For Mark. For Eleanor.”
Eleanor. The thought of her still ached. Mark’s grandmother had been my rock after his passing. She had treated me like the daughter she never had. It had only been three months since she was gone, and I still caught myself reaching for the phone to call her.
I rang the doorbell, forcing a smile as Kara opened the door.
The house was exactly as I remembered—photos of Mark everywhere, but none of our wedding. Kara had always made it clear what she thought of me.
The backyard was packed with family and friends. Some greeted me warmly; others barely masked their disapproval. For an hour, I tried to blend in, ignoring Kara’s sharp remarks.
But when she introduced a young woman named Diane as “a colleague of my son’s from law school” and implied she would soon be the new daughter-in-law, something in me snapped.
“Enough, Kara. Did you invite me here just to humiliate me?”
The crowd went silent. Kara’s face turned red.
“How dare you!” she hissed. “You have no place here! Mark is gone, Eleanor is gone, and you were never truly part of this family!”
I refused to cry in front of them. Setting down my plate, I simply said, “Goodbye, Kara. Happy birthday.”
I left with my head high, but once inside my car, the tears came.
Back home, my phone rang. It was Emma, Mark’s niece.
“Emma, I really don’t want to talk about this,” I said, wiping my eyes.
“Melissa, listen to me,” she said urgently. “You need to come back. With a lawyer.”
I froze. “What?”
“After you left, I overheard Kara talking to a lawyer—the one who handled Grandma Eleanor’s estate. Melissa, Grandma left her business to you. Not Kara.”
I gripped my phone tighter. “What are you saying?”
“They’re trying to hide it! The lawyer mentioned falsifying documents to take your inheritance!”
Shock turned to resolve. “Thank you, Emma. I’ll handle this.”
I called David, my lawyer. When I explained, he responded immediately, “I’ll meet you there in twenty minutes. If they’re committing fraud, we need to act fast.”
Back at the party, conversations halted as David and I entered. Kara turned, masking her shock with a forced smile.
“Melissa! What are you doing back?”
David stepped forward. “I’m Melissa’s attorney. We need to speak with you and your lawyer immediately.”
Kara’s expression faltered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We know everything,” David said firmly. “And unless your lawyer confesses, I’ll call the authorities.”
A nervous-looking man stepped forward—the lawyer. He glanced at Kara, then at the watching crowd. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
After a tense pause, he admitted, “Mrs. Thompson asked me to… adjust some paperwork regarding her mother’s will.”
Gasps filled the backyard. Kara’s face turned pale.
“You idiot!” she snapped at him. “That business is mine! Melissa has no right to it!”
David remained calm. “Eleanor had every right to leave her property to whomever she chose. And she chose Melissa.”
“This isn’t over,” Kara seethed.
“You should stop talking,” David advised. “You’re already facing potential fraud charges.”
The fight drained from Kara as she slumped into a chair. Meanwhile, Emma squeezed my hand. “I knew Grandma wanted you to have it.”
Tears welled in my eyes as I squeezed back.
As I walked away from the party, I felt something shift. It wasn’t about the inheritance—it was knowing that Eleanor had believed in me. And at that moment, I could almost feel her beside me, guiding me forward.