The moment I saw my brother, Maverick, driving around in a shiny red convertible, I knew something was off. It wasn’t just the car; it was the sense that everything was about to change. Little did I know that car held the secret to a betrayal I never saw coming—and a plan our grandmother had set in motion long before she passed away.
My name is Juniper, I’m 26 years old, and I’ve been living out of state for four years now. Moving away was the best decision I ever made. I needed space from my family and all the hurt they caused.
Growing up, I was never truly part of them. My parents always favored Maverick, my older brother. He was the golden child, and I was… well, just there. Gran used to joke and call me “the spare,” but she always said it with a tenderness in her voice that made it feel less harsh.
That’s why I left. Well, that and my boyfriend, Noel. He convinced me it was time to live for myself, to stop living in my family’s shadow. So we packed up our little car and moved to the city, far from my parents, Maverick, and all the memories.
I’ll never forget the night I told Noel, “I just couldn’t stay there anymore.” We were having dinner, and he reached across the table to grab my hand.
“You don’t need to explain again, June,” he said with a soft smile. “You did the right thing. You deserve more than being the second choice.”
Even after I moved, I barely spoke to my family. The calls became less frequent, texts turned into rare, awkward exchanges. My parents didn’t seem to mind. It was like I’d faded from their lives. The only one who still reached out was Gran.
She always made me feel like I mattered. When I was a kid, she’d sneak me chocolate when my mom wasn’t looking, or call me late at night just to ask about my day. Gran didn’t care if I had nothing exciting to say—she just wanted to listen.
Then, one day, I found out she had died. The worst part? I found out on Facebook. There was no phone call, no message—nothing. I was scrolling through my feed and saw a post from an old family friend: a picture of Gran with a “Rest in Peace” note and a date.
I couldn’t believe it. I stared at my phone, my heart pounding, hoping it wasn’t real. But it was. My throat tightened, and I dropped my phone on the table.
“Gran’s gone,” I whispered.
Noel looked up from the couch, his face full of concern. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”
“She died. No one even told me,” I replied, the anger and betrayal bubbling up inside me. “How could they not tell me?”
Noel got up and pulled me into a hug, but nothing made sense. Why hadn’t anyone—my parents, Maverick—bothered to tell me? I was furious.
That night, I booked a flight home. I didn’t care what it cost. I needed to visit Gran’s grave and say goodbye on my own terms.
The next morning, as I walked through my hometown, everything felt the same—except for one thing. I was stunned when I saw Maverick cruising by in a shiny red convertible.
How was my brother, who worked as a cashier and barely made ends meet, driving a car that probably cost more than his entire savings? My stomach twisted. Something was definitely wrong.
Later that day, I stood by Gran’s grave, the fresh earth a harsh reminder that she was really gone. I hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye. The pain of finding out about her death through social media still felt raw.
As I knelt by the grave, I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up and saw Mr. Anderson, Gran’s best friend. He was a kind, older man who was always helping Gran with anything she needed.
“Juniper, I’m so sorry,” he said softly as he stood beside me. “Your Gran… she was one of a kind.”
“She really was,” I replied, my voice shaky. “I just wish I had more time with her.”
He nodded, his eyes far away for a moment. Then, he asked, “Did you get the $20,000 she left you?”
I blinked, confused. “The… what?”
Mr. Anderson frowned. “Your Gran set aside $20,000 for you in her will. I assumed you knew.”
My heart sank. Everything started to click. The red convertible, Maverick’s sudden change… He had taken my inheritance. I stood up, fists clenched. “No, I didn’t know,” I muttered, anger boiling inside me.
Mr. Anderson’s face turned pale. “Oh, Juniper, I’m so sorry.”
I didn’t wait to hear more. I had to confront Maverick. I rushed back to my car, my mind racing. Maverick, who couldn’t hold a steady job, had somehow gotten his hands on Gran’s money—the money she left for me, the one person who truly cared about me.
When I arrived at Maverick’s trailer, I was ready for a fight. But when I saw what was in front of me, I stopped in my tracks. The red convertible was crumpled in the driveway, completely wrecked. The windshield was shattered, the front bumper smashed, and the tires were flat.
Standing in the doorway of his trailer was Maverick, leaning on crutches, his leg in a cast and his face bruised and covered in cuts.
Karma had already done its job.
I walked up to him, shocked. “Maverick, what the hell happened?”
He looked away, shifting uncomfortably. “It’s… nothing.”
“Nothing?” I pointed at the wrecked car. “That doesn’t look like nothing. And why did you take Gran’s money?”
Maverick winced, knowing he couldn’t hide the truth anymore. “I didn’t mean for it to go like this, Juniper. I was just gonna borrow it and pay you back. But then I saw that car…”
“Borrow it?” I was furious. “You don’t just ‘borrow’ twenty thousand dollars that wasn’t even yours! Gran left that for me, Maverick. And you stole it. And now look at you. This is karma.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but I wasn’t finished. “You’ve always taken everything! My parents’ attention, their love—it was always about you. But this? This was from Gran, the one person who cared about me, and you took it without thinking twice.”
Maverick hung his head. “I messed up, okay? I thought—”
“You thought what?” I snapped. “That I wouldn’t find out?”
We stood in silence until my phone buzzed. It was Mr. Clearwater, Gran’s lawyer.
“Mr. Clearwater?” I answered, keeping my eyes on Maverick.
“Juniper,” he said, his voice calm. “I’ve been reviewing your grandmother’s will. There’s something you should know. She predicted this might happen.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my heart racing.
“She knew Maverick might try to take the money, so she made sure the $20,000 wasn’t everything. She left you her house, her savings, and all her investments. It’s all yours.”
I couldn’t believe it. “Everything?”
“Yes, everything,” Mr. Clearwater confirmed. “She wanted to make sure you were taken care of.”
Tears filled my eyes. Even after her death, Gran had looked out for me.
I turned to Maverick. “I hope that convertible was worth it. I hope you enjoyed the ride.”
“Juniper, I—” he started, his voice shaking.
I held up my hand, cutting him off. “Save it. I’m done.”
Without another word, I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there. For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like the forgotten sibling. Gran had made sure of that.
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