I went to my estranged father’s funeral seeking closure, but my grandmother’s urgent warning led me straight to his house instead. What I found there—my half-siblings rummaging through his study—revealed more about his life, regrets, and love than I ever expected.
I hadn’t seen my father in years. He left when I was a child, and every attempt to reconnect was met with silence. His death stirred a mix of emotions—anger, sadness, and maybe even relief.
On the day of the funeral, I felt obligated to attend. The chapel was quiet, filled with the scent of lilies and the soft hum of an organ. The people around me were distant, going through the motions. My father’s name, Robert Sr., printed on the program, felt strangely impersonal.
Oddly, his children—Robert Jr. and Barbara—were missing. Before I could think on it, my grandmother, Estelle, gripped my arm and whispered, “Go to his house. Now.”
Confused, I asked why, but she pressed a cold metal key into my hand and urged me to hurry. Something in her voice left no room for doubt. I left the chapel and drove to his house.
It looked the same as I remembered—freshly painted and well-kept. Stepping inside, the scent of lemon and lavender filled the air, making the house seem sterile, devoid of character. As I moved through the rooms, memories tugged at me, but it wasn’t until I heard voices that my heart began to race.
I followed the sounds to the study, my father’s once off-limits space. There, I saw Robert Jr. and Barbara, not mourning but searching through papers. They were looting his estate.
A voice behind me startled me. “Your father was right about them.”
I turned to see a calm man in a gray suit. “Who are you?” I whispered.
“Mr. Davis, the family notary,” he replied, holding a folder. Before I could speak further, the door to the study swung open, and Barbara glared at me.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped.
Robert Jr. looked just as surprised. “Emily, you’re not supposed to be here.”
Mr. Davis stepped forward. “Actually, she has every right to be here.”
Barbara’s angry glare shifted to him. “What do you mean?”
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