Sitting on the soft carpet of my mother’s room, her lavender-scented sweater draped across my lap, I was overwhelmed by the weight of memories. As I looked at her patched sweatpants, I smiled through my tears, remembering how she refused to part with them, even when she could have easily replaced them.

Neil appeared in the doorway, offering comfort with a gentle touch on my shoulder. “You don’t have to do this alone,” he whispered. We talked about my mother’s frugality, how she worked tirelessly to provide for us before an unexpected inheritance changed our lives.

Later, a strange letter arrived addressed to my mother. It accused her of theft, something I couldn’t fathom. After sharing it with Neil, we decided to investigate. The letter led us to Irene, who claimed my mother had manipulated her father, Charles, into rewriting his will, leaving her family destitute.

However, as I dug deeper, I found a letter from Charles himself, revealing my mother was his daughter. The inheritance wasn’t theft—it was restitution. When Irene and Neil returned with more paperwork, I confronted them. With the truth in hand, I vowed to protect my mother’s legacy, no matter the cost.