When Grandma died, my relatives rushed to her house, desperate to find her will. I was the only one who took her old dog, Berta, home with me, unaware she carried more than memories. I would soon learn that Grandma’s final secret wasn’t hidden in a safe, but in loyalty.

In our family, it usually took money or death to bring everyone together. That day, it was both. At the grave, I stood holding Berta’s leash as she whimpered, pulling forward. She had been Grandma’s constant companion. “The only soul I can fully trust,” Grandma used to say — and in our family, that meant everything.

Grandma built her fortune from nothing. She paid for everyone’s education but refused handouts. “If you want something,” she’d say, “earn it. That’s how you stay free.” Her children never forgave her. They barely spoke to her near the end — until her house suddenly mattered again.

After the funeral, we gathered there, pretending to grieve while waiting for the lawyer. The silence felt heavy with greed. Aunt Florence asked, “Meredith, what kind of doctor are you again?”
“I’m a nurse,” I replied.
“That won’t get you far,” Uncle Jack scoffed.
“I help people,” I said. “That’s enough.”

When Mr. Johnson arrived, he didn’t sit. “There isn’t much to discuss,” he said. Then he dropped the truth: “Cassandra left no inheritance to any of you.” The room exploded — shouting, cursing, demands. Calmly, he added, “The will’s contents are confidential. I’ll ask you all to leave.” No one moved.