— Emily, I can’t even fathom how much you despise my mother. Your mere presence in her house caused her to become paralyzed, and she’s getting worse every day. I only asked you to stay with her for a week! We haven’t visited her in so long that I had to hire a girl to help her. It can’t be a coincidence—you arrive, and that very day she collapses. God, is this becoming a family trait? My sister would do anything for money, and now you’re following her path? You always said you couldn’t stand her when we lived with my parents, and now it seems you’ve seized the chance to send her to an early grave! — a man shouted at his wife over the phone.
The harsh and unjust words made the woman feel sick, tears welling in her eyes. Even in her worst nightmares, she couldn’t imagine being accused of such a crime—by her own husband, whom she loved dearly.
Finally, James threw at his wife that he was flying out tomorrow to see his mother while she was still alive, adding that heaven help her if she had anything to do with it.
A storm cloud swept across the sky, unleashing a tropical downpour that refreshed the streets, watered thirsty fields, and even nourished the small rose garden of Elizabeth Harper, an 80-year-old woman.
Standing in her yard, she lovingly admired her beautiful flowerbed. After taking her fill of the sight, the elderly woman, leaning heavily on her cane, made her way to her cozy gazebo, where a kettle of hot tea and a plate of freshly baked cookies awaited. Sitting on the bench, she gazed wistfully at her modest estate, where she had lived alone for many years.
Her husband had passed away over a decade ago, and her daughter, Charlotte, had left home while still in university—all because of money. Charlotte loved it too much, constantly demanding it from her parents while neglecting her studies. The dean had called repeatedly, warning that if this continued, Charlotte faced expulsion, and even her father’s money and connections wouldn’t save her. Sure enough, she was expelled in her final year. After that, her parents refused to fund her carefree lifestyle. A bitter argument followed, and Charlotte packed her things and left for good. Elizabeth hadn’t heard from her since. Rumors in the village suggested Charlotte married a shady character and moved to the capital, but Elizabeth didn’t know if it was true.
Besides her daughter, Elizabeth had a son, James, a wonderful man who never forgot his mother and helped however he could. But he and his wife lived abroad, and their visits were rare. Now, Elizabeth was getting old, and managing the household was becoming harder each day. So, James had contacted an agency to arrange a caregiver for her—Elizabeth jokingly called her a “nanny.” She was expecting the girl recommended by the agency any moment now.
At that moment, a young couple—a man and a woman—approached her house, having just stepped off a bus.
— We’ll handle the old lady quickly. I reckon we’ll be done in a month, — the tall, slightly slouched man in a baseball cap said to his companion.
— I’m terrified. I never thought I’d stoop to this, — the girl replied, her voice trembling with fear and anxiety.
— Look, there’s no turning back now. You love me and want to save me from prison. I owe so much money that this old lady is our only shot. She’s practically got one foot in the grave anyway, so it’s no big deal. Just win her trust, and I’ll take care of the rest.
Discussing their plan, they reached the grandmother’s house. Right on time, the doorbell rang. At the gate stood a very kind-looking, smiling girl, accompanied by a quiet young man.
— Good morning, Mrs. Harper. My name is Sophie, and I’ll be helping you around the house.
The girl radiated such warmth that Elizabeth instantly felt they’d get along. She’d finally have someone to chat with and discuss the latest news. Like many elderly people, Elizabeth was very trusting—liking someone was often enough for her.
There was room in the house for Sophie’s husband, too, a handyman with nowhere else to stay. Elizabeth couldn’t have been happier with her new helpers. Every day, Sophie took care of the house—cooking, cleaning, and washing.
Daniel, her husband, truly had golden hands. He could build a fence or fix a lock. He was currently repairing the shed’s roof—a real money-saver, as there was no need to hire strangers. All Elizabeth had to do was enjoy the peace and sip tea in her gazebo.
Sophie always served the tea, even stirring in the sugar herself. The drink had a unique, pleasant tang—Elizabeth had never tasted anything like it. When she asked Sophie about it, the girl brushed it off, saying it was an old family recipe passed down through generations. The only thing troubling Elizabeth was her rapidly worsening health, but she chalked it up to age and magnetic storms.
A month earlier, a pale Daniel sat in a small roadside café. Across from him were two burly, bald men. Their massive hands made tiny coffee cups look comically small, especially when they sipped with their pinkies raised, having read somewhere that it was proper etiquette. A serious conversation was unfolding between the three men, and it wasn’t going in Daniel’s favor.
— So, partner, we poured a ton of money into this venture, and thanks to you, it’s a total bust. It takes real talent to screw up this badly, — one of them said.
— What’s the plan, Danny boy? You’ve got to pay us back! — added the other.
— Guys, I’ll make it right. Just give me a little time to figure things out. You know me—I’ll dig up the money from under a rock if I have to, — Daniel pleaded.
— That’s exactly why we’re giving you a chance. It’s a big sum, so you’ve got three months. Not a day more. After that, we won’t be talking with words. Maybe we’ll have a chat with that pretty wife of yours instead. I bet you don’t want her lovely face messed up.
Daniel knew these guys didn’t mess around. If they made a threat, they’d follow through.
Why the hell did I get mixed up with them? he thought as he rode a bus—his car had been taken to cover part of his debts, along with the apartment he shared with his wife, Sophie, and her mother, Charlotte.
Living with his mother-in-law wasn’t exactly a picnic, but Daniel had no other choice. Money was tight. Entering the apartment, he overheard Charlotte talking on the phone with her brother, James, from the small but cozy kitchen.
Sophie had told Daniel that her mother had a falling-out with her parents over 30 years ago. They told her they never wanted to see her again, and since then, they hadn’t spoken. Charlotte was too proud to reach out, though she’d made plenty of mistakes in her youth. But she stayed in touch with her brother, James, strictly forbidding him from mentioning it to their parents. Their father had long passed, but their mother lived alone in a large house.
At first, Daniel didn’t pay much attention to their conversation, but soon he caught the gist and began eagerly absorbing every word. They were discussing hiring someone to help their elderly mother. The moment he heard this, a wild idea for easy money popped into his head—a way to finally clear his debts and maybe even have some left over.
Waiting for Charlotte to finish, he apologized for overhearing and suggested that he and Sophie could help the old lady. After all, Sophie had always dreamed of meeting her grandmother at least once, and they had nothing else going on. His business had collapsed, so they could earn a little money, enjoy the countryside, and give Charlotte a break from them. She thought it was a solid idea. She, too, had long wanted to reconcile with her mother, having missed the chance with her father.
When Sophie came home, the three of them discussed it. She loved her husband’s idea. They agreed on one thing: they’d tell James they’d found the caregiver through an agency.
That evening, Daniel called two old friends—shady characters he knew well. He couldn’t pull off his plan without them. Ethan was a chemist at a local pharmaceutical company, and Noah was a notary. Within half an hour, Daniel met Ethan at an abandoned construction site. His friend handed him a small packet of white powder in exchange for a thick wad of cash, which Daniel had borrowed yet again from acquaintances who didn’t know how dire his situation was.
— Is this stuff reliable? — Daniel asked, eyeing the packet suspiciously.
— Relax, have I ever let you down? Just make sure it’s used daily, and within a month, the person’s gone. It was a pain to get, so you owe me big time.
Later, Daniel shared his plan with Sophie. At first, she was horrified. He was suggesting they kill her grandmother and take her house to sell it. He begged her to help, saying it was the only way to save his life. After days of thinking, Sophie gave in. She loved him so much that she agreed to commit the crime.
Once they settled at the grandmother’s house, Sophie began adding the deadly substance to her tea every day. The poor woman started fading fast. From a lively, cheerful old lady, she turned into a confused, frail shell of herself, growing weaker by the day.
One day, Sophie brought a well-dressed man to the house, introducing him as a pension fund representative. She claimed Elizabeth’s pension had been miscalculated for years, but it would be fixed if she signed some papers. By then, Elizabeth was so ill she barely understood what was happening. She signed everything the criminals put in front of her.
This was the day before James sent his wife to check on his mother.
Ecstatic, Daniel grabbed the signed documents—a deed transferring the house to him—along with the remaining powder and a detailed note from Ethan about its use and lethal effects. He decided to hide everything at his mother-in-law’s place until the old lady passed and the dust settled.
But that was a big mistake. Charlotte was obsessed with cleanliness, giving her apartment a thorough scrub every week. No corner escaped her rag and broom. A few days later, she easily found Daniel’s stash and was horrified by what she saw. No matter how deep her rift with her mother, she was still her daughter. According to the instructions, Elizabeth had maybe a week left to live.
Meanwhile, James’s wife, Emily, was beside herself with guilt, wondering if she really could have caused her mother-in-law’s decline. When she arrived, Elizabeth was already weak and sluggish but still mobile. Now, she was bedridden, paralyzed on her left side. The doctors didn’t even bother taking her to the hospital, blaming it on her age. Emily was touched by the kind caregiver and her husband, who tirelessly tended to the sick woman, doing everything to ease her suffering. It seemed Elizabeth had only days left.
A yellow taxi crept along the highway toward a small village nestled in apple orchards. Inside sat a woman in her fifties, her heart pounding as she gazed at the places where she’d spent her childhood. Charlotte had thought long and hard before making this decision after so many years. She was returning home to expose her son-in-law and daughter and, hopefully, save her mother. She’d already called the police and was waiting for them at the house when she unexpectedly ran into her brother, James. She told him the whole story of what Daniel and Sophie had planned. James was livid. He stormed into the house, shaking the deed and the packet of poison in front of a stunned Daniel and Sophie. Daniel denied everything, but Sophie broke down, sobbing and confessing it all. Her husband tried to escape through a window, smashing it with a stool, but he didn’t get far before the police nabbed him.
Charlotte knew prison awaited them. Her daughter and son-in-law, who’d plotted to kill a helpless old woman, deserved nothing less. Thankfully, the criminals hadn’t finished their plan. Elizabeth was finally taken to the hospital, where, free of the poison, she began recovering quickly. She was overjoyed that Charlotte had come home, though James had to beg his wife’s forgiveness for suspecting her.
Daniel and Sophie received hefty sentences for attempted murder, along with their accomplices, the chemist and the notary. Soon, the newly reunited family gathered in Elizabeth’s gazebo. It was a bittersweet moment, but life had to go on.
The last thing Elizabeth said to her granddaughter and her husband was:
— How could you do this? I would’ve given you the house—everything I have—just to save you.
Tears of regret streamed from the criminals’ eyes, but it was too late. The past couldn’t be undone.
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