Lahat ng Kabanata ng Getting Revenge on Grandma's Behalf: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

After the funeral, everyone returned to Grandma's house.It was a modest, two-bedroom place and only about 800 square feet in size. The living room was packed wall to wall with people.Aunt Fiona played the gracious hostess, offering everyone drinks. It looked like she was entertaining a bunch of honored guests.I leaned against the wall, watching her. Grandma's voice, which I'd heard from the emerald bracelet earlier, kept echoing in my head."She took the bank card for the account with my pension payouts. She didn't let me have my medication on time."Aunt Fiona was also around 50 years old, but she took good care of herself. She'd dyed her hair a fashionable shade of brown and gotten it permed. A gold bracelet dangled from her wrist, and her nails were perfectly manicured.And Grandma?During the last year of her life, she continued to wear the same worn cotton coat she'd owned for over a decade.I slipped the emerald bracelet into my pocket and sat down beside Mom."Mom, I

In the end, Uncle Michael shooed Mom and me out of the living room with a nasty scowl. "Get out, Monica, and take your daughter with you! I don't want to see either one of you! As for the house, just you wait!"After we left, Mom didn't say a word. She walked all the way to the bus stop before suddenly crouching down, covering her face as she cried."I'm the reason Mom died… I was so useless… I didn't even dare to check on her! She suffered so much, but I was clueless the whole time…"I crouched down and hugged her. Several buses came and went. Eventually, we were the only two people at the bus stop.That afternoon, I went back to Grandma's house alone—not to confront Uncle Michael again, but to gather Grandma's belongings.No one was home when I arrived. Uncle Michael and his family had gone out, and the door wasn't locked.Grandma's room was tiny. There was an old wooden bed, a closet, and a desk. On the desk sat her reading glasses and several books.I found an old leather su

I hired a lawyer, Edgar Hudson, the father of a college classmate of mine. He had three decades of experience with civil litigation cases and specialized in inheritance disputes.After reading Grandma's handwritten letter and the withdrawal records from her passbook, Mr. Hudson adjusted his glasses and said, "The evidence isn't definitively conclusive yet, but it's enough for us to file a case. Although the letter itself isn't notarized, we can get handwriting analysis done on it to prove that it was your grandma who wrote it."As for the bank withdrawal records, that's even easier—you need a person's Social Security card and a letter of authorization or power of attorney before you can withdraw money on their behalf. In the absence of such supporting documents, it counts as misappropriation of the funds."I suggest we try mediation first. And if that doesn't work, we can file the case in court."The mediation was set up for three days later, to be held at the mediator's office. Un

On the third day after the lawsuit was officially filed, Aunt Fiona struck first. She posted a lengthy essay in the family group chat."Monica has completely forgotten the meaning of family! The dirt on her mom's grave hasn't even settled yet, and she's already taking her own brother to court to fight over the inheritance!"Michael and I spent years looking after Mom. Why doesn't she consider all the time and effort we put into that, huh? All she cares about is money!"And her daughter, Cassandra, is the biggest ingrate I know. Her grandma has always doted on her since she was a baby, but now? She's coming after her own uncle! Just what did we do to end up with relatives like them?"The group chat exploded instantly. Aunts, uncles, and a litany of distant relatives popped up, and the overwhelming majority of them took Uncle Michael's side."Monica, it hasn't been long since your mom passed on, and you're already causing such a scene! How is this appropriate?""Michael spent eight

The verdict was issued on a bright, sunny day. The court ruled in Mom's favor.The house would be divided according to the inheritance laws, with half going to each heir. The 50 thousand dollars Uncle Michael had withdrawn, along with the remaining balance in Grandma's pension account, had to be returned to us after deducting an appropriate amount for reasonable expenses.Mom also got Grandma's emerald bracelet.Uncle Michael didn't appeal the judgment.Once we walked out of the courthouse, Mom stood on the steps and stared at the sky for a long while. "Cassie, how I wish your grandma could see this. She'd be so happy."I took the bracelet out of my pocket and slipped it onto her wrist. "I'm sure she's watching us now."Mom glanced down at the bracelet, and her tears fell."I'm sorry, Mom. I've been a pushover my entire life, and you suffered because of that."She was speaking to Grandma. I placed my hand on her shoulder and said nothing.We ended up buying out Uncle Michael's