Some moments shape everything. For Jason and me, that moment came when we were just 17. I’ll never forget the day he showed up at my door, tears streaming down his face, a worn backpack in hand, and a heart shattered by his parents’ abandonment.
They’d kicked him out with nothing but pride and pain. My mom didn’t hesitate. She saw Jason for what he was—a lost boy who needed love. From that day on, he became family.
We grew up together, navigating the awkwardness of high school and the chaos of college. I pursued a career in HR, drawn to understanding people, while Jason, a computer prodigy, found clarity in code. We balanced each other, partners in every way.
But four years ago, life struck its cruelest blow. Jason was diagnosed with bone cancer. The news shattered us, but we held on. I took on extra work to cover the mortgage on the house Jason had bought, while he clung to the hope that, one day, his parents—who’d abandoned him—might return.
They never did.
Jason passed away a month ago, and I was lost in grief when they appeared—his parents, the same ones who’d turned their backs on him. They stood on my doorstep, looking more like strangers than family.
Susan, his mother, wore a thin mask of sympathy. “Alice, dear,” she began, her voice sickeningly sweet, “we were devastated to hear about Jason. It must be so hard, living here alone.”
I nodded, my throat tight, unwilling to trust myself to speak.
Then Charles, his father, got straight to the point. “We need to discuss the house,” he said coldly. “As Jason’s parents, it should come to us now.”
I blinked, stunned. “What do you mean? Jason bought this house, and I’ve been paying the mortgage. It’s in my name.”
At that moment, their lawyer—lurking like a shadow—stepped forward. “Legally, as Jason’s next of kin, his parents have a claim. Without a will, the law favors immediate family.”
My anger flared. “You think you can waltz in here after all these years and take his house? You didn’t care about him when he was alive, and now you want what’s his?”
Susan’s sweet demeanor cracked. “We’re his family. Blood is thicker than water. Jason would’ve wanted us to keep this house in the family.”
I took a deep breath to stay calm. “Jason put the house in my name over a year ago, knowing this might happen. If you want it, you’ll have to buy it at full value, plus the four years of mortgage payments I’ve made.”
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