When Grandson Planned Eviction, Gran Sold Flat Without Remorse
When Gran found out her grandson wanted to kick her out of her flat, she sold it without a second thought.
Why take out a loan when you could just wait for Gran to pass and inherit her flat? Thats what my husbands cousin, Rupert, reckoned. He had a wife, Gemma, and three kids, and the whole family was banking on the inheritance. They refused to deal with mortgages, preferring to dream of the day Grans flat would be theirs. For now, they were crammed into Gemmas mums tiny semi-detached in Brighton, near the seafront, and it was painfully obvious they were fed up with it. Rupert and Gemma whispered more and more about how to sort out Grans situation.
But Gran, Mrs. Evelyn, was a force of nature. At seventy-five, she was full of life, always cheerful, and never complained about her health. Her flat in central Brighton was always bustling with friends. She mastered her smartphone, went to art exhibitions, loved the theatre, and even indulged in a harmless flirt at the local senior dance nights. She practically glowed, and her life was a masterclass in enjoying every moment. But for Rupert and Gemma, that wasnt something to admireit was deeply annoying. Theyd had enough of waiting.
Their patience ran out. They decided Mrs. Evelyn should transfer the flat to Ruperts name and move into a care home. They didnt even bother hiding their intentions, claiming it would be best for her. But Mrs. Evelyn wasnt one to roll over. She flat-out refused, and that lit the fuse. Rupert flew into a rage, shouting that she was selfish and should think of her grandchildren. Gemma poured fuel on the fire, hinting that Gran had lived long enough.
When my husband, Thomas, and I found out, we were horrified. Mrs. Evelyn had always dreamed of travelling to Indiaseeing the Taj Mahal, soaking up the spice markets, getting lost in the streets of Goa. We suggested she come live with us, rent out her flat, and save up for the trip. She agreed, and soon her spacious two-bed in town was turning a tidy profit. When Rupert and Gemma found out, they exploded. They acted like the flat was rightfully theirs and demanded Gran let them move in. They even accused Thomas of manipulating her for money. Rupert went as far as demanding the rental income, calling it his fair share. We shut that down straight away.
Gemma started showing up at our place almost dailysometimes alone, sometimes with the kids, always bearing ridiculous gifts. Shed ask how Gran was, but we saw right through itshe and Rupert were still counting the days until Mrs. Evelyn popped off and left them the inheritance. Their greed and shamelessness were staggering.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Evelyn saved enough and set off for India. She came back glowing, her suitcase stuffed with stories and photos. We suggested she keep goingsell the flat, travel more, then live out her later years with us in peace and comfort. She thought it over and took the leap. The flat sold for a tidy sum, and with the money, she bought a snug little studio on the outskirts of Brighton. The rest went into funding new adventures.
Mrs. Evelyn toured Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. In Switzerland, while strolling by Lake Geneva, she met a Frenchman named Pierre. Their romance was straight out of a filmat seventy-five, she married him! Thomas and I flew to France for the wedding, and it was magical seeing her shine in a white dress, surrounded by flowers and smiles. Shed earned that happiness. Shed worked her whole life, raised kids, helped grandkidsnow, at last, she was living for herself.
When Rupert heard about the flat sale, he lost it. He demanded Gran hand over the studio, saying shed had her fun. How he planned to fit five people in there was anyones guess. But by then, we didnt care. We were just over the moon that Mrs. Evelyn had found her sunshine. As for Rupert and Gemma Their storys a reminder that when moneys involved, sometimes the closest people show their true colours.
