After a family dinner, while I was cleaning up in the kitchen, my daughter-in-law leaned close and whispered, “You old witch, I only tolerate you because of my husband.” I laughed it off and replied, “Don’t worry, you won’t be seeing me anymore.” The very next day, I had the locks on the house changed and…

I told her not to dare touch it. Melinda laughed and said I was too scared to be alone.

She said I was only living there because they put up with me. The silence was deafening.

I asked what she said. Melinda repeated that it was their home now and I was just an old woman clinging to the past.

I told her she was right about facing the truth. I reminded her that I paid for this apartment and they moved in because Phillip lost his money.

Melinda went pale. I told Phillip that I was done being a doormat.

I took the record back from her and said no one touches my things. I told them to find somewhere else to live if they did not like it.

I went to my room and felt strangely calm. I looked at the old photo album and remembered the day we bought the apartment in 1987.

George and I worked so hard for this. We did all the renovations ourselves.

We had housewarming parties and bought records every month. Now Melinda wanted to throw it all away.

I decided to go to the bank and a lawyer. The bank teller said I had only three payments left on the mortgage.

The lawyer said I had the legal right to ask them to leave. He called it emotional mistreatment.