“I Thought I’d Inherit the House—Then My Mother’s Letter Gave Me 3 Days to Change Everything”

I Thought I’d Inherit My Mother’s House, but She Left a Letter Saying It Would Be Gone in Three Days Unless I Did One

I believed I would inherit my mother’s house, but she left me a letter stating that unless I took action, it would be gone in three days.

I anticipated inheriting my mother’s home after her death because I was her only daughter. However, I discovered a letter with one startling condition in place of a will. The house and everything associated with it would be lost forever if I didn’t comply with her one request within three days.

A mother’s house was a shelter, they asserted. In my case, it really was. I had spent the last few years living with my mother, along with my husband and our eight-year-old daughter Lily.

Some said I was fortunate to have a loving grandmother to help raise Lily, free rent, and home-cooked meals.

They failed to see, however, that the house’s walls contained more pressure than tranquility.

For more than a year, my mother had been unwell. I prepared her meals, changed her bed sheets, and made sure she took her medication on schedule each day.

She used to take care of me, and I did the same for her. My husband? He hadn’t done anything. He pretended it wasn’t a problem by spending the entire day watching TV on the couch.

Mom didn’t say much that day, but her eyes spoke plenty. I gave her a cup of her favorite chamomile tea and set it on the nightstand gently before bed.

The scent of clean bedding, ointments, and slow endings filled the room. Her complexion was pale and her eyes were sunken, yet she still had a strong voice.

Mom said, “You must leave him.” She spoke in a firm yet low voice. Like a crack in glass, it sliced through the silence.

I blinked. “Please, Mom. Now is not the time to do this.

Her expression remained the same. Her mouth remained pressed shut. She maintained her acuity. “I don’t intend to engage in combat. I’m saying this because I’m running out of time. I must know that you will be alright.

I took a seat on her bed’s edge. “He’s simply going through a challenging time. He will soon find employment. He’s simply trapped at the moment.

She remarked, “You’ve said that for three years.” “Emma, three years. It’s not a difficult time. There is a pattern there.

I glanced at the ground. I had freezing hands. “I see a side of him that you don’t.”

She declared, “I see enough.” “I observe how he addresses you. When he does, I can see how you gaze at the floor. I can tell you’re exhausted. And I see Lily observing everything.

I raised my head. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

She said, “He doesn’t help.” “He isn’t a companion. He weighs a lot. And you continue to sink while feigning to swim.

I gave a headshake. “You’re not getting it. He is the father of Lily. I can’t simply discard everything.

Mom rested her back on the pillows. “You’re not discarding anything. You’re preserving yourself. You’re demonstrating strength to Lily.

I made an effort to grin. “You must get some rest. You’re simply exhausted.

She fell silent. “I’m dying, not tired.”

My eyes hurt with tears. “Avoid saying that.”

She walked over to the window. She hardly spoke. “Now you can leave.”

I got to my feet. I had a constricted chest. I entered the living room after leaving the room.

With one leg dangling over the side, Jason was lying on the couch. On his stomach was a bowl of chips. The television was loud.

“Where is Lily?” I inquired.

He didn’t raise his head. “What?”

“You were meant to pick her up from school.”

Jason scowled. “That’s what I thought you were doing.”

“No. You were reminded this morning. You promised to go.

With a shrug, he reached for the remote. She’s all right. Don’t panic.

I snatched up my keys and took off. When I arrived, the sun had already set. Lily sat on the curb by herself. She had her backpack on her lap. She refrained from crying.

I got down on my knees before her. “I’m very sorry, my love.”

She gave a nod. It’s alright. I anticipated your arrival.

She questioned, “Did Daddy forget again?” on the way home.

“Yeah,” I replied. However, Mommy corrected it.

Lily hurried to Mom’s room as soon as we entered. “Grandma! Once more, Daddy forgot me, but Mommy arrived!

I watched Lily smile at Mom from the doorway behind me. Mom didn’t respond, but my daughter’s voice was bright.

She merely gazed at me. Her eyes were tired and her face was pallid. She didn’t have to say anything.

Words could never express what that little shake of her head did. Before Lily could see my face, I turned aside. I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my face.

Everything changed the following morning. Mom passed away while she was sleeping. As simple as that. Not a warning. No farewell.

She was still sitting up in bed when I found her, with the tea I had brought still full and a book open on her lap. She didn’t even drink.

The room whirled. My legs failed me. I shouted as I slid to the ground. It didn’t seem genuine.

The morning became a haze of phone calls, quiet voices, sirens, and apologetic whispers from neighbors.

Jason simply strolled through the home. I wasn’t touched by him. He remained silent.

I sat at the kitchen table that evening and gazed at the chilly tea. Jason entered as if nothing had occurred.

He took out the orange juice from the refrigerator. Leaning against the counter, he poured a drink for himself.

“So… Why is the house a problem? He inquired as if to know what was for supper.

My gaze arose from the table. “What?”

He sipped and gave me a direct look. “Your mother. The will. What was it she left behind? The house must have some value.

Something twisted in my chest as I gazed at him. “Jason, she just passed away.”

He gave a nod. Indeed. I am aware. I was present. Still, though… We must handle this stuff, don’t we? We can’t just ignore it, really. The house belonged to her. That’s cash.

I got to my feet. I had trembling hands. I said nothing at all. I simply walked out of the room. I was at my breaking point.

I spent the day following the funeral sitting in Mr. Callahan’s office, Mom’s attorney. The smell of old paper filled the room.

The shelves were stocked with books. There was nothing on the walls. Mr. Callahan had on big glasses and a dark suit. He said quietly.

“Traditional will does not exist,” he stated.

I bent over. “What do you mean?”

He slid a piece of paper toward me after opening a folder. “A letter is present. as well as a condition.

My heart began to beat more rapidly. “A condition?”

He gave a nod. “Your mother left a trust when she left the house. If you leave your husband and file for divorce, you might be able to keep it. The house will be put up for auction in three days if it isn’t.

I was paralyzed. “She—what? Are you serious?

She was quite explicit. She requested that this be put in writing. The trust expires if you remain married. The house needs to be sold.

I gave a headshake. I am the only daughter she has. How could she have hurt me like this?

He didn’t respond. In solitude, I sat there. I remained motionless. I held my breath. I held onto the chair’s sides with my fingertips. I suppressed the tears that welled up in my eyes. I was at a loss for words.

Jason waited in the car outside. When I opened the door, he looked up from his phone.

“So?” he inquired. Did she leave you the entire house? Or do we need to tell someone about it?

I spoke quietly. “Nothin’. She left nothing behind.

His eyes narrowed. “Not a letter at all?”

I gave a headshake. “Not even that.”

He chuckled. “Incredible. I was always loathed by that woman. She was an elderly witch who was bitter.

“Don’t, Jason.”

His palm slammed down on the steering wheel. “I spent years living with her. For this?

Silently, he drove away. The car was filled with his rage. Too numbed to talk, I gazed out the window.

He skipped dinner at home that evening. Lily hardly touched the mac and cheese with tiny broccoli bits I made for her, even though it was her favorite.

She waited, still staring at the door. When she eventually said, “Where’s Daddy?” her voice was subdued. I held my fork in midair and froze.

I was unsure of what to say to her. “Perhaps he’s working late,” I said. However, we were both aware it was untrue.

By the time he entered, it was nearly midnight. There was silence in the house. He had a heavy gait.

I remained motionless, feigning sleep, but I could smell the grease from the fast food and the beer.

He remained silent. As if nothing had happened, he threw his jacket on the ground and went to bed.

For hours, I laid in bed and gazed at the ceiling. I had trouble falling asleep. I could still hear Mom’s voice.

While feigning to swim, you are drowning. I couldn’t get the line out of my head; it was like a song.

The funeral had taken place two days prior. Surrounded by unread invoices and a cold, no longer warm cup of tea, I sat by myself at the kitchen table.

The house would be gone tomorrow unless I fulfilled Mom’s last request. I kept reminding myself that I had already made up my mind to stay for Lily and the sole remaining family. Despite his flaws, Jason was her father.

Jason entered the house as the front door creaked open. Red lipstick was clearly visible on the neck of his shirt, and his jacket was unzipped and twisted off one shoulder.

He had a strong, pleasant perfume smell that I couldn’t identify. He walked passed me without saying a word.

“Where did you go?” I inquired. I spoke quietly yet firmly. I remained motionless at the kitchen table.

Without glancing at me, Jason dropped his keys on the counter. “Out.”

“Where?” I continued to watch him, hoping for anything, anything sincere.

He shrugged briefly. “You have no business about it.”

“You have a perfume-like scent. The perfume of another person.

When he finally turned to face me, a smirk appeared on his face. “Perhaps I wouldn’t need someone else if you looked after yourself better.”

His remarks were a slap in the face. He turned and walked down the hall before I could respond.

The walls trembled as the bedroom door banged. My body was rigid and I stood still. The impact reverberated, but the silence was far more deafening.

Then a tiny hand moved into mine. I noticed Lily as I looked down. Her eyes were wide and her hair disheveled.

“Mom… Are you crying for Daddy once more? She muttered.

Wiping my face, I squatted down and feigned a grin. “No, sweetheart. I’m simply worn out.

Lily gazed at me. She spoke steadily yet softly. “You ought to get away from him.”

I gasped. “What?”

When he’s there, you’re always depressed. I dislike it when you’re depressed.

I inhaled deeply. However, he is your father. Do you not want your father present?

Lily hesitated. “I want my mother to be happier.”

The words sank deeply within me. I gave her a serious look. She was observing. She had been observing all along.

Then she said something that will always stick in my memory. “Do you think I should ever have a husband like that?”

It was as though the floor had fallen away from me. I was unable to talk. I was teaching my daughter, my little girl. What had I shown her, anyway?

I gathered her into my arms and embraced her. I buried my face in her hair and started crying. “No, sweetheart. That is not what I want for you. I also don’t want it for myself. Right there on the couch, I held her till she fell asleep in my arms.

I entered Mr. Callahan’s office the following morning. I had steady hands. My voice remained steady.

I declared, “I want to file for divorce.”

Mr. Callahan gave a nod. “Let’s get started.”

Jason was at the kitchen table that night, browsing through his phone as if nothing had happened, when I got home.

I set the documents down in front of him. Confused, he glanced down at them. “What is this?”

Jason, it’s over. I’m finished.

He chuckled briefly. “You’re not being sincere.”

“Yes, I am.”

“You’re simply going to discard your entire life?”

“No,” I replied, erect. “I’m finally retracting it.”

He gave me a scowl. “You genuinely believe you can succeed on your own? Do you now consider this residence to be yours?

I didn’t answer.

His hands smacked into the table. “Where in hell am I meant to go?”

I gestured to the corridor. “Anywhere you like. Simply not present.

Jason walked out of the room with heavy, irate footsteps. As I stood at the table, I heard him pulling clothing out of the closet, tearing drawers apart, and lugging bags down the hallway.

With every trip, his curses became louder. The cabinet in the bathroom crashed, the bedroom door banged, and then the front door rattled the walls as it shut behind him.

Then there was silence.

I remained motionless. I allowed the quiet to descend upon me. There is no background TV buzzing.

There was no acerbic voice hurling blame across the room. There were no deep sighs from the sofa. I felt as though I could finally breathe in the open area.