All Chapters of The Missing 800K: A Mother's Break With Her Sons: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

After hanging up on Ryan, I stared at my test results, my lips trembling.In my previous life, I had been too soft-hearted. That was how the three of them drained me dry.In this life, not a single cent of my money would go to them!That same day, I contacted an agent and listed the old apartment I'd lived in for 30 years.It was the last thing my husband and I had left behind together, but selling the apartment offered me more security than relying on my three ungrateful sons.The agent worked fast. A buyer showed up the same day and paid the full price, 1.73 million dollars.As soon as the money came through, I checked myself into the hospital and chose a private room.Less than two hours after I got into the ward, the door was pushed open.Victor walked in wearing a designer suit, followed by his wife, Jenny White, and daughter, Molly Sutton."Mom, we heard you were hospitalized, so we came to see you."Victor scanned the room and pulled a face. "Mom, why are you staying i

Ever since I laid things out with my three sons, no one had come by my ward for days.I was glad for the peace and quiet, so I didn't look for any of them.Unfortunately, the calm lasted only a few days before my phone rang. It was Karen Zimmer, my former across-the-hall neighbor.She yelled frantically, "Susan! Hurry back to your old apartment! Your sons are causing a huge scene downstairs!"My heart skipped a beat. Hadn't the old apartment already been sold? What were they doing there?I asked the caregiver to notify the hospital and took a taxi back.The closer I got, the louder the shouting was.Before the car even came to a stop, I saw a crowd gathered at the entrance, old neighbors clustered together. In the middle, my sons were grabbing each other's collars and arguing.Their hair was a mess, their clothes pulled out of shape, and whatever dignity they'd had was gone.Victor pointed at Ryan, spitting with rage. "Ryan, stop lying! You were the one who bad-mouthed me to M

At the bank, I went straight to the counter and showed my bank card to the teller. "Please print out the transaction records for this account for the past eight years. I want every deposit and every withdrawal."The teller swiped the card and looked up at me. "Ma'am, those are transactions over a long period of time. The printout will be dozens of pages and could take over half an hour. Are you sure you want to proceed?"Before I could answer, Ryan squeezed forward, smiling ingratiatingly. "Mom, why don't we just forget about it? It's such a hassle. This is my fault. The money was always meant for you anyway. Spend it however you like. I won't buy the school district apartment anymore. I won't ask about it again."After hearing that, Victor quickly joined in. "Exactly, Mom. Molly won't join the piano program anymore. It's not worth all this trouble over a little money. You aren't feeling well. Let's hurry back to the hospital."Even Leo tugged at my arm. "Yeah, Mom. I don't want th

After I left the bank, I called my best friend, Helen Green.Helen spent the next three hours on the phone, tearing into my sons before she finally said, "Come stay with me. I've got a room, and it's close to the hospital."I didn't bother with formalities. I packed a few changes of clothes and moved in that very day.It was a small house with a yard, planted with the roses I liked. It was quiet and peaceful.During that first week, my three sons kept coming over to look for me.Ryan showed up at the gate, shouting, "Mom, I was wrong! I'm on the verge of bankruptcy! Lend me some money to get through this. Otherwise, my whole family will starve!"I watched him shake the gate from the window, the metal clanging loudly, and felt nothing. A few days later, Victor came with Molly.Molly wore a dress and sang the nursery rhymes I had taught her, breaking into tears after a few lines and crying out, "Grandma!"Beside her, Victor dabbed at his eyes and said, "Mom, Molly misses you. I