A poor nurse decided to care for her four elderly neighbors after realizing they only had one another to rely on for household chores. The nurse finds the will of the deceased neighbor after her death.
Cassandra Myers worked as a nurse at a local hospital. Although nurses in America are usually well paid, Cassandra Myers’ salary was mainly used to pay off her parents’ loans, leaving her barely enough to live on.
Cassandra lived with her family in her ancestral house, which was located in a quiet area. The four older siblings of Cassandra’s next door neighbors were all in their 80s.
This is an illustration only. Source: Pexels Time after time, Cassandra would see the siblings struggle with their everyday chores. | Source: Pexels
Time after time, Cassandra would see the siblings struggle with their everyday chores. In their old age, the siblings had to transport their groceries, clean their homes and yards, pick up trash and prepare meals for themselves.
Cassandra offered help when she got back from her shifts at the hospital. Cassandra’s presence was appreciated by the four sisters.
“You are heaven sent, Cassandra,” Marie, the eldest sister, once told her. “Will you at least allow us to pay you for your help?” She asked.
Cassandra shook her head. “Oh, no, Marie. I will not allow you to pay me! I do this because I care for you, not because I want any money in return. Really, don’t worry about it,” She replied.
This is an illustration only. Source: Pexels Every day, Cassandra helped them by cooking their meals and washing the dishes after they ate. | Source: Pexels
Every day, Cassandra helped them by cooking their meals and washing the dishes after they ate. Cassandra also assisted them by helping to arrange their maintenance medications and dressing them up.
One day, while they were having dinner together, Cassandra asked them, “Why didn’t you ever go to a nursing home? Surely, they can take better care of you compared to me.”
Clara, another sister said they did not trust nursing homes. “We wanted to spend the remainder of our lives together. If we were put in a nursing home, we wouldn’t be able to sleep in the same room, and we’ll have to deal with so many other people,” She explained.
“We would rather spend the rest of our days surrounded by genuine love and care. We never know what other people’s intentions are,” Mindy, Mindy is the youngest of the siblings.
This is an illustration only. | Source: Pexels
Cassandra nodded, understanding where the sisters were coming from. “Well,” She explained to them. “You don’t have to worry. As long as I am able, you can count on me for help,” She smiled. “That’s what neighbors are for!”
“You are the best neighbor anyone could ask for,” Lisa, the second-eldest sibling, said this to her, reaching for her hand.
Cassandra, no matter how exhausted she was after returning from the hospital, made sure she visited her siblings. They shared a meal and Cassandra would make sure they had everything they needed before she went to bed.
As time went by, it became more and more inevitable. Each sibling died, leaving Cassandra with the task of organizing their funerals and grieving their loss.
Illustration only. Source: Pexels After the death of her sister, she cleaned the house and attended the funeral. There were no other visitors except for Attorney Abigail Smith, who introduced herself to her. | Source: Pexels
When the last of the sisters died, she cleaned their home and attended the final funeral, where there were no visitors aside from a lawyer who introduced herself as Attorney Abigail Smith.
“You must be Cassandra,” Abigail said it. “Thank you for taking care of the sisters all these years. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Cassandra gave Abigail a tearful smile. “They were a delight to be with. I will miss all of them dearly.”
Illustration only. Source: Pexels. The lawyer explained that Cassandra had to visit her office the same week as her because she had something to talk about with her. | Source: Pexels
The lawyer revealed that Cassandra needed to visit her office that same week because there was something she had to discuss with her. Cassandra was confused but she promised to go to the lawyer’s office that day.
She was handed a document by the lawyer when she arrived. “Lisa, Clara, Mindy, and Marie each had children. I know you’ve never met them because they didn’t bother attending any of the funerals, but they live in nearby states. When the sisters realized their kids didn’t care much about them, they decided to change their will,” She elaborated.
“They left everything to you,” Attorney Abigail shared the information. “In the document, you will see everything you will inherit from them, including money, jewelry, and the house they lived in.”
This is an illustration only. | Source: Pexels
Cassandra’s jaw dropped. She was shocked to learn that her neighbors had given her their entire estate, despite the fact that they had children. “It can’t be! I don’t deserve all of these,” She said she was shocked.
Attorney Abigail shrugged. “You do, Cassandra. You were a daughter to them more than their own children. They saw you as the rightful heir to their fortune,” She assured her.
Cassandra was confused. When she saw the document stating that she would be receiving the fortune left by her four sisters, she felt shaken. She was unsure what to do with it, but she quickly realized that it was sufficient to pay off her parents’ remaining debts.
After the meeting, the children of the four sisters began calling Attorney Abigail to request the reading of the will. They all wanted to challenge the will in court after she said that they were not included in the will.
This is an illustration only.Source: Pexels. Attorney Abigail explained that every child would get a letter from their mothers before they could do so. Source: Pexels The children received the letters on the same day. | Source: Pexels
However, before they could do that, Attorney Abigail said that each child would receive a letter in the mail from their mothers. Each letter contained the same message:
“My dear child,
You might be wondering why I left you with nothing. You know that I love you dearly and that I am happy that you were able to start a new life without me in a different state. I am proud of all your success, but I always wished you would take time off your busy schedule to visit me and spend the last of my days with me.
I was deeply hurt and offended by the fact that you never paid attention to me after you moved. I had wished you’d come each holiday, but you never did. So I decided to leave my fortune to someone who was there for me all the years you weren’t.
I hope you accept and understand this decision. I know you are capable of living life without my estate, the same way you have been living without me all these years. Love, mom.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
The children received the letters on the same day. They communicated with one another via group chat, and they decided to withdraw the lawsuit. They realized how awful they had been to their mothers and that they didn’t deserve anything from them.
Cassandra didn’t meet any of the sisters’ children but she would see fresh flowers on the graves of each one of them on the anniversary of their deaths. Cassandra was able to smile knowing that their sisters had finally chosen to pay attention to them in the best way possible.
What can we learn about this story?
- Do what you can to help others when you’re able. Cassandra was a kind and generous neighbor who didn’t expect anything in return. After realizing that she loved her elderly neighbors more than their children, she believed she was their rightful heir to their estate.
- Spend time with loved ones before it is too late. When the sisters died, their children realized how much time they wasted neglecting their mothers. They were sorry they didn’t spend more time with them while they were still alive. The sisters left flowers on their graves every year to show their regret.
This story is worth sharing with friends. This story might bring joy to their lives and encourage them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who nursed his beloved grandmother while she was ill, only to inherit an old armchair after she died.
This piece was inspired by the daily lives of our readers, and was written by a professional author. Any resemblance with actual names or locations is just coincidental. Images used for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.