“What do you mean, you’ve owned it?” she finally asked, her voice laced with incredulity. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I explained the situation, about how I had purchased the house after her mother, Vivian, passed away. I had wanted to ensure our family’s legacy, to protect the money from potential squabbles. It was my way of safeguarding the future, a future I mistakenly thought I could shape and control from behind the scenes.

As I spoke, I could feel her anger brewing on the other end of the line. “You mean to tell me we’ve been paying you rent this whole time? Why didn’t you just tell us?”