The case progressed smoothly through the court system in November. Rebecca recovered from her procedure and produced certified copies of the original paper files, proving the transfer was completely legitimate with valid signatures and proper land registration.
Samuel called me immediately upon receiving the records. “Their primary defense argument has completely collapsed,” he stated.
By December, while court proceedings were wrapping up, I used the money saved from canceling my sister’s transfer to lease a clean, sunlit apartment near my workplace.
On our first evening there, Gemma ran around the empty living room, delighted by the echo of her own voice. We didn’t own a dining table yet, so we shared a simple meal sitting on a blanket on the floor.
“Is this our real home now?” Gemma asked with wide eyes.
“For now it is, sweetheart,” I smiled.
“And does Grandma still stay in the other one?” she inquired.
I paused before answering. “For now she does, too.”
I had no desire to teach my daughter to hold hatred toward her grandmother, but I was determined to teach her that loving family does not mean tolerating mistreatment.
By January, I secured an additional editing client, working late into the night after Gemma went to sleep. For the first time in years, every dollar of my income went toward my own priorities: rent, healthy groceries, daycare costs, medical savings, and future investments.
