Piper’s POV
“Of course. He’s Uncle John’s assistant. What’s going on, Grandma?” I asked, getting more curious.
“It’s about their relationship,” she replied.
“Whose relationship with whom?” I asked.
“Freddy, Erin, and Megan,” she replied nervously. Her eyes kept scanning our surroundings.
“I don’t understand. Oh, maybe we should talk in threes, just between adults without children. I’ll ask the kids to go play somewhere else for a while,” I replied as I asked Jessie and Jansen to go play in the garden area near the back porch. So, I could still monitor them while chatting with Grandma.
Luckily, Jessie and Jansen understood. They both immediately ran off to the center of the garden chasing butterflies while picking some flowers.
“They’re good kids. You’re blessed, Piper,” Grandma said with a sad look in her eyes.
“What’s wrong, Grandma? Are you okay?” I asked, touching her wrinkled, trembling hand. I was sure she was hiding something.
“Megan is not John’s daughter. She’s Erin and Freddy’s daughter,” she answered and I could see that her face was wet with tears.
“Wh-what? Are you sure? How so?” I asked with wide eyes.
“At first I wasn’t sure either, then I investigated for a long time. I also conducted DNA tests on the three of them and the results were a hundred percent match. I have kept the test results in a safe place and also didn’t expect that. Why do bad things keep happening to my family? I keep asking myself what exactly have I done in the past that bad things keep happening to my children and grandchildren?” Grandma replied while crying. Her thin body trembled with sadness and disappointment.
I understood how she felt. As the leader of the family, replacing our deceased grandpa, she just wanted the best for her children and grandchildren. But, one by one, bad things happened to our family.
It started with my dad, who died in an accident the night he returned from the inauguration of our family’s new company in Greenmore. Not long after that, my grandpa died of heart disease, even though he had always practiced a healthy lifestyle, exercised diligently, and had regular health check-ups. All that time, the doctors declared him to be in good health.
The deaths of my grandpa and dad left a deep wound in Grandma’s and Mom’s hearts. It took them a long time to heal and accept the fact that Grandpa and Dad were no longer with us. I was hurt and felt very lost. I have many happy memories with them that will always remain in my mind.
“Don’t cry, Grandma. Does Uncle John know about this?” I asked as I sat next to Grandma and hugged her. Jay sat across from us and listened carefully to the conversation.
“Not yet. I don’t know how to tell him. I’ve always thought of Megan as my biological granddaughter and I love her as much as I love you and also wrote her name in my will. Names of both of you,” Grandmother replied. Tears were falling from her eyes. I stroked her back, trying to calm her down even though I knew it was useless.
“Grandma, Megan thinks you don’t love her.”
“She’s wrong. I just want to teach her to be better. She’s different from you, Piper. She’s not as smart as you are. I want her to be someone qualified, even though I know what she’s capable of. But she thinks I’m different and misunderstands me. Maybe it was Erin who poisoned her mind,” Grandma replied as she wiped her wet eyes.
“It could be Aunty’s doing. But we have no proof. So, what’s your plan?” I asked.
“I still have to tell John because I’ve done all the investigations and DNA tests. What the results will be, I’ll leave it at that. But there’s one more thing you should know,” she said.
“What is it, Grandma?” I asked curiously.
“If one day you find me dead, you’ll know who did it. Go into my workroom and open the safe. You’ll find everything you’re looking for there, including the will. Here’s the key,” Grandma replied as she handed me the small blue box.
I stared at it in a confused state. Question after question ran through my head. My hands gripped the blue box with my body freezing there.
“Piper, say something. Don’t scare me,” Grandma said, caressing my face.
I gripped the blue box tightly. Looking into her jewel-like green eyes, I tried to ask, “Grandma, be honest with me. What happens? Why are you saying all those strange things?”
“Grandma, don’t be afraid. Just tell me. I’ll protect you,” Jay said.
Grandma looked at me and Jay, then tears rolled down her wrinkled face. “John and Erin seem to plan something for me. I’m afraid I won’t make it past my seventieth birthday.”
“Do you have any proof?” I asked.
“No, I don’t. There are some things I’ve been experiencing lately. At first, I thought they were just accidents, but I’ve had a lot of them, for example, a few months ago, when I was returning from Greenmore, the brakes collapsed on failed on the way. Luckily, the car didn’t fall into a ravine, but it crashed into a house,” Grandma said as she let out a long breath.
“Are you sure it was Uncle John’s deed? Did you ask the car repair shop to check the car and report it to the police?” Jay asked.
“I did. A car mechanic said that someone intentionally tampered with the brakes. When I heard that, my mind immediately went to John and Erin,” she replied as she burst into tears.
Without thinking, I immediately hugged Grandma. “Don’t cry, Grandma. I’ll always be there for you. If you feel threatened, how about you come live with us?”
“Piper’s right, Grandma,” Jay said.
“Thank you. But this is the house where your grandpa and I spent our happiest days as husband and wife. It’s also where we conceived ideas and worked hard to make everything that it is today. This mansion is a beautiful memory of your grandpa,” Grandma replied as she wiped her wet eyes with the handkerchief she had provided earlier.
“But,” I said.
“Piper, I have to face everything, anyway. Remember my message and don’t forget to keep this key. I trust you,” Grandma said.
I nodded. “If you ever feel in danger, please let us know. Jay will help you immediately.”
“I’ll put my cell number into your phone,” Jay replied.
“Please,” Grandma replied as she handed Jay her cell phone.
“Remember my message, Piper. Don’t let anyone know about this key. Okay?” she asked.
I nodded twice. Grandma smiled happily. But I couldn’t smile. It sealed my lips at the thought of my beloved Grandma being in danger.
Was Uncle John that bad? Grandma was the woman who had given birth to him. Could Aunty have brainwashed Uncle John?