One day, 74-year-old Gloria was sipping coffee beside the nude-draped window in her room when her caretaker, Sophie, came running to her. “Mrs. Watson, you have a visitor. Your grandson has come to see you!”

Gloria had not had any visitors for over a year. When she heard Todd was there to see her, she was least excited because she knew why he had come. It was for money. That was all he and his wife Natasha had ever cared about…

“Mrs. Watson, do you need help to go to the lobby, or shall I take you there?”

“I’ll take care of it, dear. My grandson can wait. I have to get ready. I have to look my best because I am going to see him after a long time,” said Gloria as she walked over to her cupboard to find the best dress. As Gloria rummaged through the cabinet, she was lost in deep thought and cried.

Greed and betrayal reap nothing but disappointment.

“I should have thought twice before trusting him,” she pondered. “It’s the worst mistake I’ve ever made. I wouldn’t have been here today if I had known Todd and Natasha’s plans earlier.”

Gloria could not hold back her tears when she recalled their betrayal.

Five years ago, Gloria lived alone in the house she had inherited from her late husband. Todd was already married and moved out to live separately with his wife and visited his grandma once a year, at best.

But suddenly, he started visiting her more frequently. She was happy with the attention he was giving her. And one day, he came to her and said, “My wife needs expensive surgery, grandma. I have run out of savings, and the little I have is still scanty to run the house. I’ll be very grateful to you if you help me pay for Natasha’s treatment.”

Todd was all Gloria had, so she could not think of anything beyond him. She was ready to move mountains to put a smile on his face, and she felt the house she lived in was nothing compared to her grandson’s needs.

Without further thought, Gloria sold the house and moved in with Todd and his wife. If she only knew everything he told her was a blunt lie. Natasha needed no treatment, nor was she sick. They needed money for an extravagant vacation to Hawaii but were unwilling to pay for it from their pocket.

Todd and Natasha executed their plan successfully, thinking they had gotten away with it and Gloria would never find out.

Three weeks later, the couple returned home, pretending to have come from the hospital in the city.

“Ah, grandma! I’m starving. Are you baking bread? The aroma is so inviting… Can we eat? I’m so hungry!” exclaimed Todd as he helped Natasha sit. “Careful, hun. The doctor told you not to strain, right?”

Gloria was so happy to see her grandson and his wife, and despite her old age, she went out of her way to help Natasha do the household chores so that she could rest and recover from the surgery. One day, while potting the plants, she overheard Natasha and her friend talking in the garden about sending her away.

“Argh! She’s such a pain. She does nothing at home and keeps reading books and newspapers as though she’s gonna change the world or something,” frowned Natasha.

“That’s annoying. And does she know about your vacation to Hawaii?” asked the friend.

“No way! She thinks Todd and I were at the hospital. We lied to her about my surgery. Hush! If she comes to know this, we are doomed! I’m planning to get rid of her anyway. I’m inviting my sister for the holidays, and I want the guest room empty before that.”

Gloria was shocked because, until then, she had no clue that Todd had lied to her. She had blindly trusted him, and not in a million dreams did she imagine he would betray her like this.

“I’m sorry, Thomas. I shouldn’t have sold our house. I trusted our grandson. He lied to me and has wasted all the money,” she cried, brushing her late husband’s framed photo.

But it was too late, and even if she wanted, she could not go back in time to fix things and decide wisely to prevent the damage she brought upon herself.

Gloria grinned and never discussed the matter with Todd. She knew it would be of no use talking to him. Moreover, it still did not add up to her when she remembered Natasha telling her friend about ‘sending her away.’

Then, reality once again struck poor Gloria with a mighty blow a few days later when Todd and Natasha approached her with a brochure explaining the amenities offered in a nursing home.

“It’s amazing to know that elderly people like me are cared for in such places. But why are you showing this to me, dear?” she asked Todd. He pursed his lips and looked at Natasha, who frowned and made big eyes, gesturing at him to talk to Gloria.

“Grandma, you see, Nat and I are planning for a baby. Our doctor told us it’s the right time, and we are already approaching our thirties,” began Todd as Gloria slowly turned pale. She partially understood what he was about to tell her next.

“So…I’m planning to switch my job, and it’s going to be difficult for the three of us to live together. So what I was thinking is, you can live somewhere where you’re well cared for. You can talk to people like you and age peacefully, you know. So, this is the nursing home I found suitable. The amenities are first class, trust me. And I promise to visit you often. You can count on me.”

The truth finally dawned on Gloria, hitting her like a bag of bricks. She wanted to go back to her late husband’s house, but it was not hers anymore as it was already sold. Gloria could do nothing but agree with Todd and pack her bags.

The following week, he drove her to the rest home, promising to visit her soon. But that ‘soon’ came only once a year during the holidays. Disheartened, Gloria slowly started living with the ugly truth for the past five years.

“Mrs. Watson, your grandson is waiting in the lobby!” Sophie broke Gloria’s silence.

“Yes, I’ll be there in two minutes. Thank you, dear.”

It had been a little over a year since Todd had last visited Gloria. The last time he had come was for Christmas to give her some clothes and blankets. It was not Christmas anytime soon, so Gloria was bewildered why he had come to see her. She thought deeply and sighed, realizing why.

“Oh, why didn’t I think of this before?” she disappointedly exclaimed.

A few weeks ago, Gloria had inherited a part of her late cousin Donovan’s estate. Although he had many heirs who would legally divide the legacy, Gloria had gotten a huge chunk as a share since Donovan was wealthy. It was a considerable lump sum of money that could help Gloria get a new house if she wanted.

“I hope you are not here for this,” she grinned as she marched into the lobby and saw Todd approaching her with a big, warm smile and arms wide open.

“Grandma!! I’m so happy to see you. How are you? I missed you so much,” Todd greeted, hugging Gloria tight and resting his chin on her head as always. “Oh, you feel so warm, grandma! And how are things here? Is everything fine? Look at this…new reading glasses! You like it?!”

“I’m fine, dear. Thank you, and I like those glasses. ‘Tis so sweet of you to remember and come for this old lady when you’re already busy with so much work,” said Gloria. “And how is Natasha? Is she pregnant?”

Todd’s excitement turned into an eerie silence before he went on to make another strange request.

“We tried, grandma, but she has a complication that needs surgery again. We want to become parents, but it’s only possible after this surgery. And…” he paused, staring with big, pleading eyes.

“And?”

“Grandma, I spent all my savings on her treatment. I only have a little left to pay for the operation, but I don’t think it would be enough. So I came to ask you for help.”

“Help? What help, dear?”

“I came to know through my cousin about your inheritance from grandpa Donovan. I know I’m asking for too much, but you know how much I love Nat. We have to help her, grandma. She’s been dreaming of having babies but without this surgery…Money is nothing compared to our loved ones, you always told me. Can you please help me?”

But little did Todd know that his grandma knew he was deceiving her. Gloria was crushed to the core. She could not pull herself together to believe Todd was trying to pull off the same trick on her again.

What tormented her further was that she knew she would die soon. Gloria was diagnosed with cancer, but she was not afraid of death. She was happy and ready to unite with her late husband in the afterlife but what bothered her was Todd’s greed. Reality hit Gloria hard again, so she decided to put him on the right track.

“Grandma? Are you okay with helping Nat and me? Will you give us the money?” Todd interrupted Gloria, who knew it was time to put her plan into motion.

“Ah, dear, I don’t think it’s possible this time. I need urgent surgery too. I may not live longer if I don’t undergo this critical operation. But you tell me — is Natasha’s surgery more important than mine?”

Gloria waited for Todd’s answer, only to be shaken at the end of it.

“Grandma, it’s not about whose life is more important. Right now, my wife needs surgery, and she has a long way ahead. Please help us.”

Gloria was shocked when she realized her grandson was not only a fraudster but also fussy when it came to picking between his wife and her. Not that she was upset Todd loved his wife more, but it shattered her when his response downright meant he did not love his grandma or care about her life.

After a deep thought, Gloria asked Todd to visit her the following day, saying she needed time to think.

Later that evening, Gloria could not sleep peacefully. She was disturbed by Todd’s greed and the horrible person he had become. “He chose money over me. Doesn’t my life matter to him?” she cried.

“He still has time until tomorrow to think. I hope he changes his mind and realizes how much I struggled to raise him.” In a cranny of her heart, Gloria hoped Todd would realize his mistake and tell her to get treated first. But she was still haunted by several doubts.

For a moment, Todd did not seem to be that little boy she had raised. He had lost his mother during childbirth and was raised until he was twelve by his dad, Drake.

Drake was a gambling addict and had started bringing random women to his house when Todd was little. Todd’s life could have landed on a different track if Gloria hadn’t gotten custody of him and taken him away from his dad.

Although she did her best to raise the boy well, it was a bit too late. Drake’s upbringing over the years had spoiled Todd, and he could not love anything else other than money. Coincidentally, he even found a wife who loved money just like him.

Gloria could not remain peaceful the more she reminisced about her past. She cried herself to sleep and was awakened by Sophie again the next day. “Mrs. Watson, your grandson, has come to meet you,” she said. With faltering hope, Gloria marched to the lobby to meet Todd.

“Grandma! Good morning…I’m sorry for waking you early, but I want to tell you something,” Todd said as Gloria’s eyes lit up, hoping he would tell her to go ahead with her surgery.

“The doctor has given Nat and me time until next week for the surgery. Grandma, please help me. Nat has to get this operation done.”

Gloria was disheartened. The only faint hope she had faded away. She realized she did not matter to her grandson at all and was already prepared in advance with an alternate plan if things turned out differently.

“Dear, you see, I haven’t got my inheritance yet as my cousin Donovan has too many heirs. First, they have to sell the property and divide the shares. You see, documentation and legal formalities take time to execute,” she said as Todd’s face seethed with disappointment.

“I can still help you, but I see you need money within a week. Why don’t you mortgage your house? You can pay off everything and get it back when I give you my share of the inheritance. What do you think?”

Todd’s eyes lit up with joy, and he readily agreed as he was overly pleased with his grandma’s offer. “That’s a brilliant idea, grandma! I’ll go now and will visit you two weeks later, alright? Love you, and thanks! You’re the best grandma ever!”

Todd returned home happily, guessing little about what was in store for him next.

A few days later, Gloria asked Sophie to follow her grandson on social media. She was not social-media savvy but knew how Todd and Natasha were always active online, posting pictures of their holidays and celebrations.

“Where is he now?” she asked Sophie and was disheartened when she learned Todd and his wife were holidaying in the Maldives.

Gloria was sad because none of her efforts seemed to have made an impact on Todd. Sophie showed her pictures of him and his wife enjoying another extravagant holiday. Gloria was sure they paid for it with the money they got from mortgaging their house, and it was the last straw.

She was saddened by how greed for money had turned Todd into a selfish man, and soon, her health deteriorated. Treatment did not help, and sadly, Gloria passed away two weeks later. But before breathing her last, she had pulled one last trick on her grandson that would go on to teach him an unforgettable lesson about how greed and inhumanity reap nothing but disappointment.

“Hun, let’s go home. It’s getting dark,” Natasha pressed Todd’s shoulder after the late Gloria was laid to rest.

Todd realized how much he missed his grandma only after she was gone. He was weak and shaken by her loss but was snapped to the moment when Natasha reminded him of the inheritance.

“Darling, let’s go home. We still don’t know what she did with her share. She must have got it already, yeah? We have to talk to her lawyer and find out,” she persuaded.

“Ah, yes, let’s meet the lawyer first thing tomorrow.”

But to Todd’s surprise, his late grandma’s lawyer knocked on his door the next day and offered him an envelope.

“What is this?” Todd exclaimed.

“It is from the late Mrs. Watson. It is your inheritance. Please sign here… And yeah, good to go. It’s now all yours!” said the lawyer as he left after obtaining the signature from Todd.

“It must be a check from grandma. She left all her inheritance to me, FINALLY!!” Todd sighed under his breath as he tore open the envelope and pulled out several dollar bills and a note.

“WHAT IS THIS??” Todd was startled. “WHERE IS THE CHECK??”

To his shock, there was an estimated $50 and nothing more. Instead of a check, he found a handwritten note from his grandma. It startled him no less when he began reading.

“Dear, I can sense my end of days is nearing. The day I would reunite with your grandpa is not far. But before that, I want to confess a little truth,” began the late Gloria’s words.

“I knew you had lied about Natasha’s surgery. I also knew what both of you did with the money I gave you after selling my beloved house. I was aware of your lies. You have become such a horrible person, and you must know one thing: Money is not everything, dear. It cannot buy love and happiness.”

Todd was startled when he realized his grandma had known everything all along but had acted naïve. His eyes widened with more shock when he read further.

“Todd, sweetie, I’m sure you’ll learn to be kind, generous, and loving to the people around you once you start helping them. So I arranged for you two to work at the nursing home where I lived. You have to work there for a year and learn to be caring and loving to others. These are a few dollars for the bus ticket to the home. Good luck, sweetie. I hope you fulfill my wish. Love, Grandma.”

Gloria’s last wish was to fix her grandson’s cold attitude toward people. She had died thinking it would mend Todd and change his greed for money. Shockingly enough, she had also seeded a slight twist that would decide the fate of her legacy, and Todd had no clue about it.

“How dare she do this to me??” he fumed, hurling the envelope and the note onto the floor. “She ruined everything. She betrayed me. That old — “

Reality hit Todd like a ton of bricks at the very thought of becoming homeless soon. He had spent all the money he’d gotten from mortgaging his house on vacationing with his wife. His late grandma’s inheritance was his last resort to pay off the mortgage and retrieve his home. Without it, he would be ruined.

“Jesus Christ, how will I pay my mortgage? What an evil — she is. What am I going to gain out of working there? What did she do with all that money??” Todd cursed and sat on the doorstep, not knowing what to do. He was so furious with his late grandma that he kept cursing her.

Todd had no idea that she had left all her money in the nursing home and that it could still be his only if he fulfilled her last wish by working there. If he failed to do so, then all the money would go to the nursing home, and he would not get a dime from it, according to the will she had secretly left.