A “savage” grandmother led her five grandchildren by the nose by promising each an inheritance worth $2M, but there was a twist in the will that they found out later.
Lesley was mostly alone when her husband George died, despite having a huge family of 5 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. They rarely paid her a visit on any festivity, and if she sent them an invitation, she’d get a response saying they wouldn’t be able to make it that year.
As a result, Lesley, who now lived alone, often pondered, “George and I nurtured our kids with love, not to see this day when our grandchildren would merely cut me off and turn to me when it came to the inheritance! It’s time that they realize they are wrong.” And so, Lesley decided to pay her granddaughter a visit the following day, formulating a plan at the back of her head.
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Susan was a divorcée with two children who worked three jobs, 12 hours a week, including weekends, to support her family. When she saw the older woman at her doorstep on a Sunday morning, she was baffled. “Gran? What brings you here so early in the morning?”
“Oh, darling!” Lesley cracked a grin. “I just wanted to see my grandchildren and talk about something. If it hadn’t been the weekend, I wouldn’t have troubled you. I hope it’s okay if I come in.”
“Ugh, Gran,” Susan paused. “Could you please come on another day? I’ll be leaving for work in an hour, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to make time for you.”
As you sow, so shall you reap.
“Oh! I had no idea you’d be so busy today. I just wanted to talk about the will, but it’s fine. I can come later,” she said, preparing to leave. But Susan abruptly stopped her.
“The will?”
“Oh, it’s not such a big deal!” Lesley blushed as she turned around slowly with her cane. “You see, I’m already 90 years old, sweetheart, and I told Mr. Clark that I’d prefer to do it sooner because God can call me home at any time.”
“Oh, Gran! You should have said that before! Come on in!” Susan chirped, showing her the way inside. “I’m sure my boss won’t mind if I’m a few minutes late.”
Lesley smiled as she strolled slowly inside Susan’s old, dilapidated house. She could tell it hadn’t been repaired in years and noticed Susan’s children were sleeping in another room on an old, filthy mattress.
“So Gran…What did you want to talk about?” Susan inquired, pouring tea into an old ceramic teacup for the elderly lady.
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“Hun,” Lesley remarked. “I simply need a little help from you. You see, it’s been a long time since any of you paid me a visit after George left. I understand you have a lot on your plate, but a quick check on our grandmother shouldn’t be too difficult, right? That’s all I ask of you.” Lesley said with a smile.
“I don’t mind, Gran, but…”
“And in exchange, I promise you’ll be the single heir to my $2 million estate! But if you agree to that, there is another condition you must follow.”
Susan would have helped Lesley even if she hadn’t been offered the inheritance, but after thinking about it, she couldn’t hesitate or say no.
“Of course, Gran,” she agreed, smiling. And so, Lesley asked her to pay a visit to her every Sunday once a week with the condition that none of her siblings know about it. “Don’t create unnecessary envies for you, darling. Your four brothers shouldn’t know what I promised you.”
Susan warmly nodded at Lesley’s condition, and since that day, the woman visited her grandmother every weekend. Her schedule became more chaotic, and her expenses skyrocketed as she had to travel across town to Lesley’s place. Furthermore, her budget shrank significantly as her grandma regularly required expensive vitamins and health check-ups.
There were many times when Susan wanted to give up, but the prospect of a brighter future pushed her, and she looked after Lesley for the upcoming months, taking care of the cleaning, washing, cooking, and even shopping.
Meanwhile, Lesley didn’t let her grandsons slide so easily. She paid a visit to each of them at work and pitched the same idea she had to Susan. Given the large bequest, they all consented quickly, and thus, Lesley enjoyed a happy life for five days a week, surrounded by her grandchildren, who, despite being only interested in her fortune, looked after her and spent time with her on one of the specified days.
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Mrs. Carter, Lesley’s next-door neighbor and friend for the last 20 years, paid her a visit one day after noticing Lesley’s grandchildren visiting often — something which hadn’t happened in years.
“Lesley!” she cried. “How did you even convince them? The kids these days…they just don’t care about their elders anymore.”
Lesley gave a pleasing smile as she sipped her tea. “See, all I had to do was set a trap, and these kids just walked right into it. They must have assumed they would inherit everything I own after my death, but they overlooked the fact that their grandmother isn’t going to let them get away that easily. Someone had to teach them a lesson!”
“But Lesley…I still feel….”
“I did the right thing, Edith. My grandsons are well off, but they have never bothered to look after me. Did you know they recently contacted my lawyer? They were curious if George had left them anything. And, although my lone granddaughter agreed to look after me in exchange for money, she did way more than those lazy boys! So, in the end, they will all receive what they deserve.” And Lesley, of course, wasn’t wrong when she said that.
The will she drafted laid specific clauses that no one was supposed to know – not at least until she died. So, when she passed away peacefully in her sleep six years later, the lawyer called all of her grandkids and asked them to meet at his office after the funeral.
A surge of joy washed over Susan as she received the call. She requested a leave of absence at work and dashed over to the lawyer’s office. But when she arrived, she was bewildered by what she saw. Her four brothers were at the lawyer’s office, arguing why none of them were the rightful inheritors of Lesley’s money.
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“That old hag deceived us all these years by making us care for her,” Sam, the eldest, retorted. “How can she give away her home to charity?”
“And the money…even that isn’t ours!” Harry, the youngest, lashed out. “She was way too clever for all of us, and we didn’t even realize it. She duped all of us!”
“Well, children,” Mr. Clark, the lawyer, said. “Your grandmother made it very clear that all of her money belongs to your children, which they only receive when they reach the age of 18. Thus, the total sum of $2M she left behind will be divided evenly into 11 parts. Now, everyone, please make some room for the folks who are waiting outside because I don’t have the entire day for all of you.”
Susan returned home soon after, disappointed to learn that she would not inherit anything from Lesley. She was enraged and slammed the flower vase Lesley had given her once against a wall.
The vase certainly shattered into pieces, but on the floor with its pieces were little bundles worth thousands of dollars. When she added them all up, she couldn’t believe it was $300K! Along with the last bundle, Lesley had left a note for her too. “One day, everyone gets what they deserve. I hope this will help you with the house repairs. With love, Grandma Lesley.”
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