When Chris Harvey was hospitalized, his daughter sent her son, Peter, to check on him and make sure his house was ready for his return. But Peter and his wife had another idea. Chris returned to see his dilapidated house, then heard something shocking from his grandson.
“Dad, don’t worry. I will find a solution. But I can’t visit you at all because I’m out of work,” Angelina told her father, Chris Harvey, 87, when he called her from the hospital.
He had called 911 after a heart attack, thinking it might be more serious. But the doctors said they needed to do more tests, and that there were several things to check before he could go home. He called his daughter, who lived in Miami, to ask if she could fly back to Austin, Texas, and help him.
But she can’t. » OK Sweetheart. I think the doctors are just worried about my health at my age, and they’ll tell me more soon enough,” he mumbled holding his cellphone to his ear as he lay in bed. of hospital.
“Hannah, calm down. It’s not serious. It just disrupts our plans a bit,” he soothed. Our plans?
Eventually they hung up and the doctors told Chris to stay in the hospital for a few days while they checked everything out and decided what treatment he needed.
“You have to go to Austin and see your grandfather. He’s all alone,” Angelina insisted to her son, Peter.
«I don’t know if I can, Mom,» he replied. They were talking on the phone, and Angelina wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Peter, you have to be there for your grandfather. Who knows how long he’ll live after this, especially if his heart starts to give out? And you’re his only grandson, don’t forget that,” Angelina tries to convince him. «He always said you would inherit his house and business when he died. Maybe you should check out the house and see what repairs are needed so he can live comfortably for his remaining time. And it’s a good time to bond with him, too.
Peter was silent for a second, and his mother thought he might have hung up. But he finally answered in a strange tone. “Okay, okay. I’ll go. Hannah will go with me. I think I can request time off from work as I haven’t taken a vacation in a long time. »
» GOOD. Thank you my son. My work wouldn’t budge, but I trust you to help your grandfather as best you can. I love you, darling,” she continued, relieved that her father was not alone after he was released from the hospital.
“I love you too, mom. Bye.»
Unfortunately, Angelina had no idea what her son was honestly thinking.
A few days passed, and doctors finally prescribed Chris several medications after checking his test results. They let him out of the hospital, warning him not to get tired as he needed to take care of his health even after he was cured.
Chris nods to all their explanations, but he doesn’t really pay attention. He was worried because Angelina hadn’t called the day before, and she had told him that Peter was coming to live with him.
He didn’t have his grandson’s phone number, but he hoped to see him at home. So he took a taxi from the hospital to his home.
He was surprised to find furniture on his lawn and recognized it as his. Also, his door was slightly ajar, but he remembered that the paramedics who had taken him to the hospital had closed it completely. What happened ? But the most shocking thing happened when he entered.
The whole house was empty. The paintings on his walls, his military memorabilia, his credenza, the kitchen table and chairs, everything he hadn’t seen outside, had all disappeared. There were several plastic tarps in places as if someone was painting or doing some work around the house.
» Good morning ? he saw the room completely empty and heard footsteps coming from the hallway where the bedrooms were.
» Grandfather ? asked Peter, confused to see him. But Chris ignored this reaction. He heaved a sigh of relief.
» To fart ! Oh, thank God! I thought someone had broken in and taken everything I owned. What’s going on here, my dear boy? he asked his grandson, approaching to give him a manly hug.
» Oh good. Yes. Nobody broke in,” Peter mumbled, pursing his lips but hugging her back.
Eventually, Chris realized he was acting weird. «What happens then?»
«I…actually, we wanted to surprise you,» he began.
» We ?»
“Yes, Hannah and me. She’s here,” revealed Peter, turning to the hallway to call his wife. » Darling !»
» What ? she came out, and her eyes widened when she saw Chris. “Hmm, Mr. Harvey. Good morning.»
» THANKS ! Thank you very much, my boy. You are amazing ! Chris said as he kissed them both simultaneously. He was madly happy to see his family again and realized how much they cared about him for doing something so thoughtful. “Now listen. I have to go get some medicine, but I’ll be right back.»
» Of course ! Peter and Hannah said in unison and chuckled awkwardly.
Chris frowned for a second but didn’t think too much about their attitude. He left for the local pharmacy which was a few steps away.
When he came back a few minutes later, he didn’t see Peter or Hannah in the living room. He heard their voices coming from Angelina’s old bedroom and approached to ask what they wanted for dinner. But something Hannah said stopped him in his tracks.
«What are we going to do, you idiot?» she cursed at her husband, and Chris had never heard her speak to him that way.
“Hannah, calm down. It’s not serious. It just disrupts our plans a bit,” he soothed. Our plans?
» A little ? A LITTLE ? You told me he was dying, and this was going to be our home. That’s what we’re spending all this money on. You think I was gonna dip into my money to help fix someone else’s house while we’re still living in a rental? asked Hannah, almost mockingly.
Chris’ eyes widened and his hand went to his mouth so that no sound came out. He wanted to listen to the rest of the conversation.
“Hannah, it’s good. The house will be mine sooner or later, and he’s got tons of money saved up. Think of it as an investment,” Peter assured, frustration beading in his voice.
But Hannah was downright angry. » NO ! We’re not going to spend a penny more, and I don’t care about him! Tomorrow, we take the plane and we go home! It was a waste of time!»
«We can’t leave this house like this!»
“YES, WE CAN AND WE WILL DO IT! It’s over ! she yelled at Peter, and Chris finally had enough. He returned to the front door, pretending he had just arrived from the pharmacy.
«I wanted to thank them for all the work they did on my house…because I’m going to enjoy it for the rest of my life.»
He called them, and they both acted like nothing had happened. They were talking about what they were going to cook for dinner and were downright pleasant with Chris. But he now knew the truth, and it was time to teach them a hard lesson.
They were eating spaghetti and meatballs, one of Peter’s favorite foods, on the empty living room floor when Chris finally cleared his throat and spoke up.
«Peter, I wanted to talk to you about something important,» he began, noticing that Peter and Hannah were waking up for some reason. “I thought about settling permanently in a retirement home. I don’t want another emergency to happen while I’m here alone. I think it’s the right choice, and I think you two should have the house. »
Peter and Hannah’s jaws dropped, and they looked at each other with pleasure. » Are you serious ? asks his grandson, visibly delighted.
» Yes I am serious.»
“Thank you, Grandpa! It is an honor ! We are going to make this house look so beautiful! Peter finally said, and Hannah echoed her gratitude.
Over the next few weeks, Peter and Hannah remodeled the house as best they could. They had actually kept a few items belonging to Chris in storage, but they got rid of some old stuff, and he acted like everything was fine. But it wasn’t.
Eventually the house was finished, and Chris offered to have a housewarming party. He told Peter and Hannah that he was moving into a retirement home soon, and that they should start preparing to live there permanently.
They were excited and decided to invite some friends who flew from Miami to Texas. Everything was great for a while. They chatted. They ate. It was a happy party. Chris was faking it from the start until he got up from the table and caught everyone’s attention.
“I would like to toast…to my grandson and his lovely wife,” the elderly man began, and everyone present quickly clapped as the couple embraced while looking at Chris. «I wanted to thank them for all the work they did on my house…because I’m going to enjoy it for the rest of my life.»
Because the couple’s friends were under the impression that Chris was going to move out, Chris’ toast surprised them. Meanwhile, Peter and Hannah were stunned, confusion on their faces.
“Do you know they came here thinking I was going to die soon? They redid the whole house, gave away some of my stuff, and started working on it thinking it was already theirs. And when I came home from the hospital, which they didn’t expect, they were just going to get up and leave me here with an empty, half-remodeled house,” he told all the guests, who started noticing how awkward the night was getting.
«Grandpa, why don’t we talk privately for a second?» Peter suggested, but Chris shook his head.
» It’s not worth it. I heard you two talking that day. So you came here, telling your mother you were going to take care of me, but you decided to take this house for yourself instead. Well, that will NEVER happen, Peter. I have already revised my will. This house will go to charity when I’m gone,” he revealed, shocking everyone.
Hannah was flushed with rage and wanted to make a scene but didn’t want to be embarrassed any further.
Chris gets everyone’s attention again. «Now…» he cleared his throat and raised his voice. «EVERYONE GET OUT OF MY HOUSE BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE!» »
Peter and Hannah’s friends didn’t need to be told twice. They rushed to get away, and Peter kept yelling at Chris because he still wanted to talk to him. But the older man didn’t want to hear any explanations. “Get out! he demanded and Peter and his wife left.
The next day, Chris told Angelina specifically what her son had been up to and what they were planning together. He hadn’t told her earlier because he knew it would break his daughter’s heart. But she had to know now that everything was known.
Angelina was ashamed of her child but also didn’t like the way Chris had cheated on them. But she couldn’t do anything about it. “You are right, dad. It’s your house. But you don’t mind severing your relationship with Peter like this? »
“Honey, he broke it the day he decided to prematurely kill me and claim my home. Be careful because who knows what they might do with you,” he warned his daughter, and their conversation ended.
Chris lived another 11 years. And just as he had planned, his lawyer sold his house and donated the proceeds of the sale, along with the rest of Chris’ estate, to a charity for the elderly.
What can we learn from this story?
- No one should feel entitled to owning someone else’s property . Peter assumed that the house was already his and did not care about his grandfather’s health.
- Sometimes cutting ties with certain family members is best for your own good . Chris cut ties with his grandson because of his actions and didn’t look back.
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