I was so certain the will reading would be a clear-cut affair without surprises. How wrong I was.
The nursing home smelled of antiseptic and faintly of wilted flowers, a combination that made my throat tighten. I took a steadying breath as a young nurse handed me Dad’s belongings, neatly packed in a plain, worn cardboard box.
“Here you are, Ma’am,” the nurse said, her voice gentle but distant as if she’d done this a hundred times.
I nodded, murmuring a quiet thank you as I lifted the box.
It wasn’t heavy, but the weight seemed to press down on me all the same. Inside were the simple things: his favorite worn sweater, a small Bible with its cover frayed from years of use, and several mystery novels with dog-eared pages.
I brushed my fingers over the sweater, catching a faint scent of his cologne, familiar and fleeting.
The finality hit me when I turned to leave.
Dad was truly gone. I tightened my grip on the box as if holding onto it could somehow keep him with me. When I reached my car, silent tears were slipping down my cheeks.
I sat in the car and cried until my tears ran out. My phone beeped and rang several times, but it was just Matt. He was probably worried about me, but some grief you have to wade through alone.
The last thing I expected to find when I arrived home was my whole life strewn across the front lawn like some kind of unholy estate sale.
The wind picked up, scattering the memories I’d so carefully packed into boxes and hauled down from the attic.
Mom’s old recipes, her china, the worn plaid quilt Dad used to nap under, and all his books — it all lay out in the open, unprotected, as if they meant nothing. I stumbled out of my car, heart pounding.
“What in God’s name…” I muttered, my voice swallowed by the wind.
“Oh, good. You’re finally back. I was getting tired of waiting.”
There, perched on my patio furniture with her designer sunglasses and her too-bright lipstick, was Jessica. My daughter-in-law didn’t even glance up from her phone. She took a leisurely sip from her coffee, and her lips curved in a barely restrained smirk.
“Jessica… What is all this?” My eyes swept over the chaos, disbelief clamping down on my chest. “What are you doing?”
She glanced up, lowering her sunglasses just enough for me to see the disdain in her eyes. She waved a manicured hand dismissively.
“I’m doing what’s necessary. This is my home now, after all.”
A cold knot twisted in my stomach. “Your home? What are you talking about?”
“Looks like you should’ve attended the will reading.” Jessica held up a crisp piece of paper, and there was my father’s signature, clear as day, at the bottom. “Guess your dad knew who deserved it most, huh?”
I swayed, gripping the car door for support. “That’s impossible. Dad would never—”
“Oh, but he did.” She smirked, casually inspecting her perfect manicure.
“Signed, sealed, delivered. The house is mine now.” She leaned in close, her perfume, a cloying, artificial scent, invading my space. “I think it’s time you moved on, Hattie.”
A truck rumbled into the driveway, and my son, Matt, climbed out, his face twisting as he took in the scene. His boots crunched over the gravel as he approached, confusion deepening the crease between his brows.
“What the heck, Jess? First you run out of the lawyer’s office, and now you send me this weird text? What’s going on?” he asked, glancing from me to Jessica, his jaw tight.
She stretched, standing at last, looking smug and at ease in her towering heels. It made my skin crawl. “Like I said, I’m making some necessary changes, honey. And actually, there’s more you should know.”
Matt’s expression hardened with a flash of something I hadn’t seen before. “More than you throwing my mother’s belongings all over the yard?”
“Much more!” Jessica’s laugh was harsh. “I want a divorce.”
The word hung in the air like the final nail in a coffin. Matt’s mouth opened, then closed as he struggled to process. “What? You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I am.” Her voice was dripping with disdain. “I’ve spent enough years suffocating in this house, being made to feel like I don’t fit in, like I’m not good enough!” She gestured at the house with a sweep of her arm. “I need a fresh start.”
“You have no right—” I started, but she cut me off with a scornful wave.
“Oh, save it, Hattie. You never wanted me in this family. You looked down on me right from the start, judging me just because I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon. Well, now I’m finally getting what I deserve out of you people.”
Matt’s face shifted from bewilderment to anger, his fists clenched. “Everything my family said about you is true,” he said, voice low and trembling. “You really are a covetous witch.”
Jessica’s veneer cracked.
“And you’re a spineless mama’s boy!” she snapped. “Always running to her defense, always putting her first.” She sneered, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at him. “It’s pathetic. You’re just as small-minded as she is.”
“Don’t you dare talk about my son that way!” My voice cut through the silence, sharper than I’d intended.
“I’ll do whatever I want, Hattie.” Jessica set her hands on her hips, her expression smug. “And there’s nothing either of you can do about it.”
“In fact,” Jessica continued. “The two of you had best hurry and clear your stuff off MY lawn, before I call the cops and have them arrest you both.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Matt yelled.
I numbly looked on as Matt confronted Jessica. None of this made sense! Dad hadn’t even liked Jessica! My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed Dad’s lawyer.
His voice was a balm, calm and reassuring. “Hattie? I was just about to call you.”
“… really believed I liked you?” Jessica yelled in the background. “You were just a means to an end, a way for me to leave my old neighborhood behind. Now I have the house, I don’t need you anymore!”
“Please,” I whispered to the lawyer. “Tell me she’s lying. There’s no way Dad left his home to Jessica.”
There was a pause, then a warm chuckle.
“You’re right. Your father didn’t leave her the house. It was all a test to get her to show her true colors.”
“A…test?” Relief rushed through me, and I started laughing, tears gathering in my eyes. It was the kind of laugh that came from somewhere deep, a laugh that surprised even me.
Jessica’s face twisted, her confidence faltering. “What are you laughing at?”
“Oh, Jessica,” I managed, still shaking. “You really should have waited for the real will reading.”
“What?”
I let the satisfaction roll through me as I explained. “Dad never left you the house. It was fake — a test to get you to show your true character.”
Matt turned to Jessica, his face a storm of emotions. “Looks like Grandpa’s plan worked.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. She glanced between Matt and me as the realization of what she’d done sunk in. Her confident facade crumbled, her voice turning desperate as she scrambled to save face.
“Matt — baby, please.” She reached out, but he recoiled, the finality in his eyes unmistakable.
“I swear, I never meant it!” She pleaded. “I was just…upset, frustrated. You know I love you!”
He shook his head. “Save it. You want a divorce? You’ve got one.”
As Jessica stomped off the property, her heels sinking with each step, I felt an odd peace settle over me. Dad’s wisdom lived on, a quiet, guiding presence.
Matt and I gathered the remnants of my life from the grass, and I couldn’t help thinking that sometimes the real inheritance isn’t in a house — it’s in the lessons of who truly deserves to be in your life.
Dad would have been proud.
“Age Isn’t a Deal-Breaker for Me,” a 46-Year-Old Mom Reveals Her Views on Relationships With Younger Men
Many people invest significant time and effort in the quest for eternal youth. This pursuit has now become a major inspiration for numerous cosmetic companies, beauty care brands, and even plastic surgeons. However, amid this quest are those like Joleen Diaz, a 46-year-old mother who bears an uncanny resemblance to her own daughter.
Joleen has a 23-year-old daughter.
Joleen Diaz, aged 46, and her 23-year-old daughter, Meilani Parks, took the internet by storm with astonishing Instagram photos. They appeared nearly identical while enjoying a day at the beach in their swimsuits.
Remarkably, despite a substantial 24-year age difference, these two California women are often mistaken for sisters. “While she was growing up, she often heard people tell me they thought my mother was my sister,” Joleen revealed. It appears this resemblance runs in the family.
Her youthful looks sometimes bring her trouble.
Joleen Diaz relocated to California at the age of 10, and she currently holds a position at an elementary school, teaching 3rd and 4th-grade students. In the past, she was married, and during this marriage, she became the mother of two children, Meilani Parks and Jordan. Joleen has lived as a single parent since parting ways with her husband.
Now, Joleen Diaz enjoys a notable presence on Instagram, and she frequently receives messages from younger men. Her remarkably youthful looks have led to instances where people reported her Hinge profile, suspecting it to be a fake account. “I’ve had my account deleted several times,” she said. “It’s funny, I think people think I’m a fake account and report me.”
According to Joleen, the internet has created a misleading image of her.
With over 600,000 Instagram followers, this stunning woman frequently shares her glamorous selfies and bikini snapshots. However, she wants people to see her true personality beyond these photos. She believes her social media doesn’t capture her simple, down-to-earth nature. She prefers to connect with someone first and then introduce them to her social media once they get to know her better because she wants to demonstrate that she’s not as glamorous as her online persona might make her seem.
Joleen is still waiting for love to enter her life.
Although younger men often show interest in Joleen on social media and dating apps, she prefers to leave the millennial guys for her daughter Meilani.
She clarified her stance by saying, “Age isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but I don’t want to date a toyboy. I would never even remotely consider dating someone who is young enough to be friends with my daughter.”
Joleen is in search of mature men who meet her criteria. She explained, “I gravitate toward ambitious, motivated men, someone who is confident, has a positive outlook, and can communicate well.” The mother-daughter duo intends to continue double dating until they both find their ideal partners.
They’re more than just mom and daughter.
Currently, the mother-daughter duo have profiles on several dating apps. They frequently engage in double dates and are interested in assessing each other’s potential partners.
Joleen explained, “When we see people, we often go bowling, to the movies, hikes, to the beach. Meilani asks for my advice on dating all the time. I love that she trusts in the advice I give. I feel like she’s well-balanced in dating, and I’m glad my experiences can help her out.”
Though there’s no definitive formula for retaining a youthful appearance indefinitely, some women have discovered effective practices that work for them, enabling them to preserve their beauty throughout the years.
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