My thirtieth birthday was supposed to be a celebration, but instead it became the week I discovered what my family truly thought of me. I had spent years serving in the military, sending money home whenever my parents needed help and believing their gratitude was genuine. So when they told me they were planning a small birthday gathering, I never imagined they had already made plans for my house, my finances, and my future.

Then I received an unexpected message from my neighbor, Mrs. Radcliffe. She told me she had seen my parents arrive at my house while I was supposedly away. A woman I didn’t recognize had also been staying there. Something about the situation bothered her enough to warn me.

I came home quietly and watched from a distance. Through a window, I saw my parents, Damon, and the woman moving around my living room.

Then I heard my mother say something that made my blood run cold.

“She’ll be gone long enough.”