Edward was devastated when his sister, Sarah, called him and told him their grandmother died. He never imagined she would also plan on taking almost everything, leaving him only an old blanket…
“Grandma Sandy is dead. Are you coming to the funeral?” Sarah said coldly through the phone.
“Sarah, how can you speak so callously? Of course, I’m coming to the funeral,” Edward told his big sister. She probably asked because it was hard for Edward to move around with his disability. He was in a car accident several years ago and lost both legs.
Edward grabbed an old blanket from his grandmother’s house. | Source: Shutterstock
Since then, his family lived on his wife’s paycheck, which was not much. Gianna worked hard, but she also had to help him and mostly raise their two kids. Edward had not been able to find a proper job, but he was currently waiting for a work-from-home offer.
Sarah’s news was devastating. He loved his grandmother dearly, and unlike everyone else in the family, she tried her best to help his family after the accident. She didn’t have a lot of money but babysat the kids often.
“Well, whatever. She was old already. Anyway, I’m calling to tell you to get here fast, or I’m taking almost everything,” Sarah added.
“What do you mean? Get where?” Edward asked, confused.
Sarah was sorting and taking everything valuable. | Source: Pexels
“Her house. I’m here sorting through stuff, and I’m taking most of it now. Maybe I can get something out of it,” Sarah explained.
“You can’t do that!” Edward yelled through the phone.
“Yes, I can. She left no will, and we were her only direct relatives. Also, I’m keeping the house because you already have one. I’m being nice and telling you to come here if you want anything before I sell them,” Sarah finished and hung up.
Gianna drove Edward to his grandmother’s house, but when he got there, Sarah didn’t let him take anything. “No, I called dibs on that already,” she said when he grabbed a random vase. It didn’t matter. Owning these things would not soothe the pain of losing their grandmother.
Edward took interest in his grandmother’s old blanket instead. | Source: Pexels
“How about this?” Edward asked, grabbing an old blanket with a beautiful pattern. He remembered when he and his neighborhood friends would use it to build a fort with his grandmother’s dining room chairs.
“Oh, that old thing? Sure,” Sarah said dismissively. Edward took it and told his wife it was time to leave. He didn’t want to spend one more minute in that house, watching his sister callously sort through their grandmother’s things for her personal gain.
“I can’t believe Sarah’s attitude,” Gianna said on the car ride home.
“I know. She was never the warmest person, but this is just…disgusting. If our parents were here, they would be so disappointed,” Edward added. But they let the subject go and continued with their lives. He finally landed a job that allowed him to work from home.
Their Native American friend, Chenoa, thought the blanket could be special. | Source: Unsplash
Everything was looking up for their family after all these years of worry. Gianna also decided to hang the blanket in their room because the intricate woven pattern was beautiful. “I’m going to save up some money, and we can frame it,” she said.
He loved his wife because she could appreciate the little things like that. One day, her friend, Chenoa, visited them, and Gianna showed her the blanket. “OMG, that actually looks Navajo!” her friend said.
“You think so? I think Edward’s grandmother had it for ages. She might not have known,” Gianna added. But Chenoa was Native American. She would definitely know.
“That’s definitely a Navajo blanket, and it looks old but well-preserved. Can I take a picture? There’s a man on the reservation who can identify Navajo anywhere. I’ll text him,” Chenoa explained.
They auctioned it off for a huge amount. | Source: Unsplash
A few minutes later, the man replied and confirmed that the blanket was, in fact, authentic and appeared to be antique. Edward and Gianna invited the man over, and he explained that it could be a blanket from the 1800s.
“This is serious. You two might have stumbled upon a precious antique,” the Navajo expert told them.
So they took the blanket to an antiquarian who confirmed this too. “This could be worth between $200,000 and $500,000…maybe more,” he explained.
Upon learning this, Edward and Gianna decided to place the blanket for auction despite its big sentimental value. The fact is, life is unpredictable, and they needed the money so their kids would be safe. But they didn’t expect how the auction would turn out.
“Sold! For 1.5 million dollars!” the auctioneer yelled. Edward and Gianna looked at each other, dumbfounded. They were now millionaires.
Sarah demanded money and was arrested for trespassing. | Source: Unsplash
Their big win reached the local newspaper which wrote a story about it, and Edward’s entire family, including Sarah, found out. “I demand half that money, Edward! Or I will sue you!” Sarah screamed at him.
“You kept everything for yourself, Sarah. You don’t have a case. This is our money. Goodbye,” Edward said.
Edward was right. Sarah didn’t have a case, so she started harassing them for the money. This urged Edward to have her arrested for trying to break into their home. He also filed a restraining order against Sarah and got her to stop harassing them.
In the end, Edward’s family thrived, thanks to that money. The kids had college funds, and he started his own business.
I Had My Son Do a DNA Test Which Confirmed Paternity, but Then His Fiancée’s Mother Called and Left Me Totally Shocked
Let me tell you about my son, Ryan. His journey through college was pretty much like any other kid’s, filled with ups and downs, late-night study sessions, and the occasional party. It was during his senior year, though, that he dropped a bombshell on me that would change the dynamics of our family forever. Ryan told me his girlfriend, Shelly, was pregnant.
Now, Ryan’s a good kid — responsible, kind-hearted, and a bit naive when it comes to matters of the heart. So, when he shared the news, my first instinct was to ensure he wasn’t walking into a situation blindly. I suggested a DNA test, just to be sure. Ryan, bless him, took the advice in stride and got the test done. When the results confirmed he was the father, he didn’t hesitate to stand by Shelly and start dating her officially.
A guy in college studying | Source: Pexels
The first time I met Shelly, I knew we were going to have a rough start. She confronted me about the DNA test, accusing me of thinking the worst of her. I tried to explain it was just a precaution, a standard piece of advice I’d give in any similar situation, but the damage was done. Our relationship started on the wrong foot, and despite her integration into the family, things between us never warmed up. I decided to keep my distance for the sake of peace, being civil at family events but nothing more.
A pregnancy test | Source: Pexels
Time passed, and Ryan and Shelly’s relationship blossomed into an engagement. That’s when things took a turn for the worse. Shelly, for reasons known only to her, began slandering me to anyone who would listen. She painted me as this villain, twisting my words and actions into something sinister. It was like she was on a mission to turn my own family against me, and the sad part was, it was working. My son, caught between his mother and his future wife, felt he had to make a stand. He gave me an ultimatum: apologize to Shelly for things I never said or did, or be barred from their wedding.
A guy proposing to his girlfriend | Source: Pexels
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Apologizing for things I hadn’t done would be admitting guilt to lies and slander, but standing my ground meant missing one of the most important days in my son’s life. In the end, I chose my integrity, refusing to apologize for offenses I hadn’t committed.
Consequently, I was uninvited from the wedding. The fallout was immediate and painful; friends and family turned their backs on me, swallowing Shelly’s stories without a second thought. It was a lonely time, filled with a lot of soul-searching and questioning where things went wrong.
A sad man | Source: Pexels
Then, two weeks before the wedding, out of the blue, I received a phone call that would throw everything into even more chaos. It was Shelly’s mother, Jen — a woman I had barely interacted with, given my strained relationship with her daughter. Her voice was anxious, laced with an urgency that immediately set off alarm bells in my head.
A man on the phone | Source: Pexels
“Hi. Get in the car and drive to me, it’s urgent.”
“Hey Jen. What’s that?”
And then she dropped a bombshell on me. Her words were rushed, urgent, and they carried a weight that I couldn’t immediately understand. “We need to cancel the wedding,” she said, a statement so bold and out of the blue that it momentarily took my breath away. “I found out Shelly really was lying all this time. I can’t allow your son’s life to be ruined like this.”
A woman on a phone call | Source: Pexels
My heart skipped a beat. “But how? The test showed he is the father,” I responded, my mind racing through the implications of her words.
Jen’s next question caught me off guard. “Didn’t your son say where they did the test?” I realized then that Ryan had never mentioned specifics, and a sinking feeling began to take hold. Jen revealed something that made the pieces start to fall into place in the most unsettling way.
Test tubes with liquid | Source: Pexels
The paternity test — Shelly had arranged it through her father, Jen’s ex-husband, a detail that Ryan, nor I, had been privy to. Jen was convinced the results we’d been shown were fabricated.
My heart pounded as the truth began to dawn on me. Ryan had never seen the actual test results, only the conclusions as presented by Shelly’s father. The realization hit me like a freight train: we had been deceived on the most fundamental level.
A shocked man reading a letter | Source: Pexels
In the days that followed, the truth unraveled like a thread pulled from a sweater, undoing the fabric of lies Shelly had woven. It turned out Shelly had been dating multiple guys and got pregnant accidentally. The real father was someone with no means to provide, and somehow, Shelly decided to pin her hopes and future on Ryan, my son, exploiting our family’s financial stability.
A pregnant woman | Source: Pexels
The fallout was devastating. Ryan was heartbroken, his trust shattered by the person he had been ready to build a life with. The wedding was called off, and the family was thrown into turmoil, trying to grapple with the deception and its implications. Shelly, faced with the exposure of her lies, chose to leave, moving in with her father, the same man who had aided her deceit.
A bride on her own | Source: Pexels
It was a trying time for all of us, especially for Ryan. Yet, through the storm of emotions and upheaval, there were unexpected silver linings. Jen and I, once at odds because of our children’s relationship, found common ground in our mutual concern for our kids’ well-being. We started communicating periodically, a connection forged in the fire of our shared ordeal.
A sad young man | Source: Pexels
The aftermath was a period of healing and reflection. Ryan took time to mend, leaning on his family and reevaluating what he wanted for his future. It was a tough lesson in trust, love, and the complexities of relationships. But eventually, he emerged stronger, more resilient, and with a clearer understanding of himself and his values.
A happy older man on the phone | Source: Pexels
In the end, life has a way of moving forward, of healing wounds and offering new paths. Ryan found peace, and our family found unity in the face of betrayal. Shelly’s departure marked the end of a tumultuous chapter, but for us, it was the beginning of something new — lessons learned, bonds strengthened, and a future filled with hope.
How would you have reacted when you heard your son was being taken advantage of? Let us know on Facebook.
Meanwhile, here’s another story about a DNA test that exposed a mother-in-law’s secret.
I Did DNA Test to Prove I Didn’t Cheat on My Husband, Exposed My MIL’s Humiliating Secret Instead
Marrying Jake was the culmination of every dream I’d ever had about love and family. At 25, I felt like the luckiest woman alive, stepping into a future that seemed as bright and promising as the man standing beside me at the altar. Our life together was everything I’d hoped for, a perfect blend of love, laughter, and shared dreams. Yet, amidst this idyllic existence, there lingered a shadow, a detail so significant it threatened the very fabric of our happiness.
A sad older woman | Source: Pexels
Two months ago, we welcomed our daughter, Jess, into the world. Her arrival should have been an unblemished joy, but instead, it became the center of unwelcome speculation. Jess had vibrant green eyes, a trait that stood out as an anomaly in both our families, sparking whispers and doubts about her paternity.
A frustrated young couple | Source: Pexels
Despite Jake’s unwavering trust in me, the constant barrage of insinuations from our families wore us down. In a bid to silence the gossip and solidify our family against external doubts, I suggested a paternity test, a decision that Jake initially resisted. He believed in us, in me, and saw no need to prove our truth to anyone. However, the persistent whispers eventually led us to proceed with the test, hoping it would put an end to the speculation.
An older man with a book open in front of him | Source: Pexels
The day the results came, we decided to face the music together, inviting our families over for a dinner that would reveal more than anyone had bargained for. As I stood before them, test results in hand, the tension was palpable. “Jess is indeed your daughter, but your dad isn’t actually your dad,” I revealed, my words hanging in the air like a thunderclap.
An adult son sitting with his stressed father | Source: Shutterstock
The reaction was immediate and visceral. My mother-in-law, Janice, paled, her actions betraying her before words could. My father-in-law was shell-shocked, the revelation tearing through decades of marriage and trust like a knife. Janice’s protests of innocence and manipulation fell on deaf ears as the magnitude of her deception became apparent.
The fallout was cataclysmic. A secret affair, buried for years, came to light, challenging the identity and relationships within Jake’s family. My father-in-law’s departure marked a poignant moment of realization for us all, as we grappled with the implications of a lie that had shaped the very foundation of their family.
A sad older woman | Source: Pexels
In the aftermath, Jake and I were thrust into an emotional maelstrom. What had started as an attempt to defend our family from unjust suspicion had unraveled a tapestry of lies, revealing a betrayal that went far beyond our immediate concerns. We were left to navigate the complex terrain of trust, identity, and familial bonds, forever altered by the truths that had come to light.
As my husband and I stood amidst the wreckage of his family’s legacy, we realized that our journey was far from over. The challenges we faced, though daunting, reinforced our commitment to each other and to Jess. In the face of upheaval, we found strength in our unity, a testament to the enduring power of love and the resilience of family.
This revelation, while painful, marked the beginning of a new chapter for us. One where the definitions of family, loyalty, and love were rewritten in the context of honesty and acceptance. Amidst the chaos, our dedication to each other remained a guiding light, leading us toward healing and a deeper understanding of what it means to belong.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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