When I hung up, I found Angela in the living room looking at the jewels with a sad expression. She looked lost, like a child who had broken her favorite toy and didn’t know how to fix it. «What are you thinking about, honey?»
«About Dad. About how disappointed he would be in me if he could see what I did with my life.»
«Your father loved you very much, Angela. He would understand.»
«No, Mom. He taught me to be responsible, to value family, not to be selfish, and I did the exact opposite. I abandoned my mother for a man who turned out to be a liar. I sold my family’s memories for money. I ruined everything he built.»
For the first time since she had returned, I heard genuine regret in her voice. It wasn’t just lamenting the consequences of her actions, but a true acknowledgment that she had done something morally wrong.
«People make mistakes, honey. The important thing is to learn from them.»
«But how do I learn from this, Mom? How do I fix the damage I’ve done?»
There was the question I had been waiting for. Angela was finally ready to face the truth about her actions and their consequences, but it wasn’t yet time to reveal my final card. First, I had to let her hit rock bottom completely.
The next few days were crucial for my plan. Angela decided to sell most of the jewels, keeping only the engagement ring Robert had given me and a small necklace that had belonged to her grandmother. I watched her prepare to go to the jewelry stores, research prices, and negotiate with buyers. It was painful to watch her reduce decades of family history to commercial transactions, but it was necessary for her to understand the real weight of her decisions.
«Mom, I got $180,000 for the jewels,» she told me one afternoon, counting the bills on the kitchen table. «It’s less than I expected, but it’s enough to pay off the most urgent debts.»
«Are you sure you want to do this?»
«I have no choice. If I don’t pay something soon, they’ll foreclose on everything. Even this house could be at risk if they prove I have some kind of legal connection to the properties.»
How ironic the situation was. Angela was worried about losing a house that I owned, paying the debts of a man who had abandoned her with money from jewels that had belonged to the same man who had created the fortune that could save her.
«And how are you going to decide which debts to pay first?»
«I talked to a free financial advisor at the bank. She told me to prioritize the debts that have real collateral because those are the ones that can affect property or lead to immediate foreclosure.»
Angela had matured so much in these few weeks. The woman who had sold my things without consulting me was now carefully investigating every financial decision. The suffering had made her more responsible but also more fragile.
That night, while she was organizing the debt documents on the table, I received a call from Mr. Peterson. «Mrs. Brooks, I have important news. We managed to locate Edward.»
«Where is he?»
«In Paris, just as your daughter suspected. But here’s the interesting part. He’s trying to get French residency through a fake marriage with that young woman your daughter mentioned.»
«A fake marriage?»
«Yes. Apparently, the girl needs papers and he needs a way to stay in Europe without being deported. But the most important thing is that we found evidence that he deliberately falsified your daughter’s documents with the intention of fleeing the country.»
«That means Angela can get out of the debts.»
«With this evidence, yes, we can prove fraud and coercion. Your daughter won’t have to pay anything for what Edward did behind her back.»
It was perfect. I had a way to save Angela from all her debts legally, without her suspecting that I had the money to do it. «Mr. Peterson, I want you to start the legal process immediately. Don’t tell my daughter anything yet. I want the process to be completely finished before I tell her. I don’t want to give her false hope.»
«Understood. This will take about three weeks, maybe a month.»
«Perfect.»
When I hung up, Angela looked at me with curiosity. «Who was that, Mom?»
«A lady who was asking about Mrs. Davis, our neighbor on the corner. She had the wrong number.»
Lying had become easy. Every day that passed, I felt more comfortable with this double life I was leading. On one hand, I was the poor, abandoned mother Angela believed me to be. On the other, I was a wealthy woman, silently orchestrating my daughter’s salvation and education.
Over the next two weeks, I watched Angela struggle with decisions she never had to make. How to stretch money for food. How to negotiate with creditors. How to look for a job when your credit history is ruined. It was a cruel but necessary education.
«Mom, I went to three job interviews today,» she told me one evening, coming home with swollen feet and a tired face. «Two of them told me they can’t hire me because of the pending legal problems. The third one offered me a part-time job cleaning offices at night.»
«Are you going to take it?»
«I have no choice. It pays very little, but it’s better than nothing, and I can work at night so I can keep looking for something better during the day.»
Seeing my daughter, who had lived a comfortable life for over 40 years, preparing to clean offices at night, broke my heart, but it also filled me with pride. She was finally facing reality, without expecting someone else to solve her problems.
«Are you sure you can handle so much physical work?»
«I’ll have to learn. I can’t keep being a burden to you, Mom. It’s bad enough that you’re letting me live here for free.»
«This is your home, Angela.»
«No, Mom. This is your home, and I’m here because of your generosity, but I’m not going to take advantage of it forever.»
One night, while Angela was on her first cleaning shift, Aurora came to visit. She sat in the kitchen with me, drinking tea, and looking at the family photos on the walls. «Antonia, I have to ask you something. Did you know Angela was going to come back in these conditions?»
«What do you mean?»
«Well, when she left, she seemed so sure of herself, so arrogant. She talked about the great life she was going to have in Europe, about how successful Edward was, and now she’s back, completely broken, working a cleaning job, living with you again.»
«Life takes many turns, Aurora.»
«Yes, but there’s something else. I’ve been watching Angela these days, and she looks different, not just sad, but humble, as if she learned something important.»
Aurora had always been very perceptive. «What do you think she learned?»
«I think she learned the value of the things she had taken for granted, like having a mother who loves her unconditionally.»
«Maybe, Aurora. Can I tell you something?»
«When Angela left and treated you so badly, many of us thought you would never forgive her, but here you are, taking care of her again, giving her a home when she has nowhere to go.»
«She’s my daughter, Aurora.»
«Yes, but not every mother would do what you’re doing, especially after being treated the way you were treated.»
If Aurora only knew the complete truth, that I had the power to solve all of Angela’s problems but was choosing to let her suffer a little longer so she would learn the full lesson. «Do you think I’m doing the right thing?»
«I think you’re doing what a good mother would do, but I also think Angela needs to fully understand what she lost when she abandoned you.»
«What do you mean?»
«I think she needs to value you, not just as the mother who rescues her when she’s in trouble, but as the strong woman who built a stable life for 45 years. She needs to respect you, not just need you.»
Aurora had hit the nail on the head. That was exactly the point of my entire plan. I didn’t want Angela to come back to me out of desperation. I wanted her to come back out of genuine respect and mature love.
«And how do you think that can happen?»
«I think it’s already happening. I’ve seen her these past few days, Antonia. The way she talks to you now is completely different. She’s no longer the daughter who gives you orders or treats you like a burden. Now she’s a grown woman who is genuinely grateful to have a mother like you.»
That night when Angela returned from her job, I saw her arrive tired but with a new dignity. She had earned those few dollars with her own effort, and that meant something to her. «How was your first day?»
«Hard, but not as bad as I thought. The other ladies who work there helped me a lot. One of them, Mrs. Johnson, taught me tricks to clean more efficiently.»
«Mrs. Johnson?»
«Yes. She’s 60 years old and has been cleaning offices for 20 years. She told me she started after her husband left her with three small children. She says it’s not the job she dreamed of, but that it gave her independence and dignity.»
«She sounds like a wise woman.»
«She is. She said something that made me think a lot. She told me there are two types of people who end up doing this job. The ones who are there because they never had opportunities, and the ones who are there because they ruined the opportunities they did have. She asked me which group I was in.»
«And what did you tell her?»
«I told her the truth, that I had all the opportunities in the world, a family that loved me, a stable home, an inheritance, and that I ruined it all by following a worthless man.»
«What did she say?»
She laughed and said, «‘Well, honey, then at least you know exactly why you’re here. That puts you one step ahead of most people.'»
Angela poured herself a glass of water and sat with me at the table. «Mom, I want you to know something. These past few weeks have been the hardest of my life, but also the most important.»
«Why?»
«Because I finally understand what really matters. It’s not money. It’s not living in the most luxurious apartment. It’s not impressing people. It’s having people who genuinely love you, who are there when everything falls apart.»
«Angela…»
«No, let me finish. You have every right to hate me for what I did to you. I abandoned you when you needed me most. I took everything Dad left you. I treated you as if you were a nuisance. And now I’m here again, expecting you to forgive me and take care of me.»
«I already forgave you, honey.»
«But I haven’t forgiven myself. And I won’t until I prove that I’ve truly changed, that I’ve learned from my mistakes.»
Mr. Peterson called me the next morning. «Mrs. Brooks, I have excellent news. The legal process is almost complete. We can get your daughter out of all of Edward’s debts.»
It was time. After weeks of watching Angela struggle, work, and reflect on her mistakes, the moment had finally arrived to show her that she had never been alone, that she had always had someone quietly watching over her. «Mr. Peterson, I want you to organize a meeting. It’s time for my daughter to know the whole truth.»
Mr. Peterson arranged the meeting for Friday morning at his office. I told Angela that I had made an appointment with a lawyer who could help her with her legal problems, but I didn’t explain the details. She agreed to come, although she was nervous about the cost of the consultation.
«Mom, I don’t have money to pay a lawyer. I barely have enough to cover basic expenses.»
«Don’t worry about that now, honey. Let’s just hear what he has to say.»
We arrived at Mr. Peterson’s office on time. Angela had dressed in her best clothes, which now looked a little big on her thinner body. She was nervous, wringing her hands, expecting another piece of bad news on her endless list of problems.
Mr. Peterson greeted us with his usual professional smile. «Mrs. Brooks, Ms. Brooks, thank you for coming.»
«Thank you for seeing us,» Angela replied, «although I should warn you that my financial situation is very complicated and I probably can’t afford high fees.»
«That’s exactly what we’re going to talk about,» Mr. Peterson said, exchanging a look with me. «But first, I need you to review these documents.»
Mr. Peterson handed Angela a thick folder. She opened it and began to read, her expression gradually changing from confusion to surprise. «I don’t understand. These documents say that Edward forged my signature, that there is evidence of fraud, that I am not responsible for the debts.»
«That’s right. We have been investigating your case for the past few weeks. We found enough evidence to prove that you were a victim of identity fraud.»
«But how is that possible? Who paid for this investigation? I don’t have money for this.»
Mr. Peterson looked at me. It was my moment. «Angela, there’s something I need to tell you.»
«What, Mom?»
I took a deep breath. After weeks of acting, I was finally going to reveal the truth. «Your father left me more than you knew, much more.»
«What do you mean?»
«Mr. Peterson, show her the other documents.»
Mr. Peterson took out a second folder and handed it to Angela. This time, the documents were the property deeds, the bank statements, the investment certificates, the entire fortune Robert had built in secret. Angela read in silence for several minutes. Her face went through a complete range of emotions: confusion, disbelief, shock, and finally, comprehension.
«Mom, this says you are the owner of the building where I lived.»
«Yes.»
«And that you have other properties, bank accounts, investments?»
«Yes.»
«This means that when I sold the beach house… it was my house, and the sale was fraudulent.»
«I already got it back.»
Angela stared at the papers, trying to process the information. «How long have you known this?»
«Since the day you called me from the doctor’s office.»
«You knew all this when I came back from Europe asking for help?»
«Yes.»
«You knew you could solve all my problems when you saw me crying every night?»
«Yes.»
There was a long, tense silence. Angela closed the folders and looked directly into my eyes. «Why, Mom? Why did you let me suffer when you could have helped me?»
This was the question I had been waiting for for weeks. «Because you needed to learn something you couldn’t learn any other way.»
«What?»
«You needed to learn the value of the things you had lost, the value of family, of respect, of responsibility. When you abandoned me, it wasn’t just money you took from me. It was dignity. It was love. It was trust.»
Angela started to cry, but they weren’t tears of self-pity, like the ones she had shed during these weeks. They were tears of deep understanding. «I abandoned you when you needed me most.»
«Yes.»
«I treated you like garbage.»
«Yes.»
«And you saved me anyway.»
«Yes, but not in the way you expected. I didn’t save you by giving you money so you could keep making the same mistakes. I saved you by letting you hit rock bottom so you could learn to save yourself.»
Mr. Peterson discreetly intervened. «Miss Brooks, your mother has paid all the legal expenses to free you from Edward’s debts. She has also recovered all the properties that were sold fraudulently. You are completely free of legal problems.»
«And the cleaning job I got?»
«You can quit if you want,» I said, «but I hope you don’t.»
«Why?»
«Because that job is teaching you something you never learned when everything was easy. It’s teaching you the value of your own effort, the dignity of honest work, the importance of valuing every dollar you earn.»
