At my grandmother’s funeral, I observed my mother discreetly placing a small package into the coffin. Driven by curiosity, I later decided to retrieve it. Within the package were letters from my grandmother, each one unveiling distressing truths. She had uncovered that my mother, motivated by a gambling addiction, had been surreptitiously taking small sums of money from her. The tone of my grandmother’s letters transitioned from concern to sorrow, culminating in her final note, in which she stated that her estate would be bequeathed to me.

Among the letters was a recent correspondence from my mother to my grandmother—written after her passing—where she boasted about her intention to manipulate me into relinquishing the inheritance. Shocked by this betrayal, I confronted her over coffee, presenting her with one of the letters and issuing a warning: if she attempted to deceive me, her secrets would be revealed.