After Husband’s Death, Widow Learns His Secretary Is New Owner of Their House – Story of the Day

A lonely, old widow stands to lose the only roof over her head after her late husband's secretary tricks her into it. Will she get out of the mess and save her home and herself?

Ellen, 88, had always been a very simple woman. Brought up by traditional Catholic parents, all she was taught in her life was how to be a 'good' woman. The kind soul never knew friends could turn into foes or how cruel the world could be to the innocent.

Ellen's late husband, Roger, was a wealthy businessman, and he had fallen in love with her simplicity. She was a naive but wonderful person with a pure and beautiful heart.

Undoubtedly, it was Roger's love for Ellen and her admiration for him that helped them get through 58 beautiful years of marriage. They were childless, but they decided their love for each other was enough, and they got through the grief together.

But things started spiraling out of Ellen's control when her dear Roger breathed his last. He was gone, and she was alone in the world. Her parents had died long ago, and she barely had any friends. Roger was the only one she had. The one she could trust with all her heart.

God has given us all the ability to do good. If we abuse it, we will be held accountable for our actions.

"I know you're watching me from above, darling…" She tearfully kissed him goodbye before he was laid to rest under the fresh mound of earth. "You see, even though you're not here, I still have your memories. I'll miss you, darling, and I love you more than life itself!"

Once the funeral was over, people gave Ellen condolences and walked away, but she stayed there. Beside him. Talking to him about how she would like to be buried next to him when God called her home.

"It'll be a hard journey without you, darling," the old widow said as she finally stood up to leave. "I will see you tomorrow. I hope you'll look forward to my visits."

And leaning on her cane for support, Ellen walked back home. As she arrived, she looked around the comfortable space, and tears welled up again in her eyes, remembering how many lovely memories she'd made there with her husband.

She could still smell his scent there. At the very least, she reasoned, she had their home and memories to help her cope with his death. But fate had other plans for Ellen.

The next morning, Roger's secretary, Mr. Sutton, paid her a visit, and he didn't have good news.

"Mrs. Lancaster," he said. "This doesn't seem like the appropriate time, but I'm afraid there's some news that can't wait. Can I come in?"

Ellen's heart skipped a beat as she opened the door wider. "What brings you here so urgently, sir?" she asked. "I don't understand."

"I can't help you much, ma'am," he admitted as he sat on the living room couch. "The thing is, you're well aware that in addition to being Mr. Lancaster's secretary, I handled his legal matters, and a week is all I can give you to vacate this house. In simple words, your husband sold this house to me, so this won't be bequeathed to you as a part of the assets he left behind. We had an agreement that after his demise, this house shall be mine. My family will be relocating here in two weeks."

"What nonsense!" cried Ellen. "Sold the house? But Roger never mentioned that to me! He couldn't possibly have done that!"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Lancaster," said Mr. Sutton solemnly. "I understand you feel terrible right now, but my wife is adamant about the move, so I can't help you much. I'll leave the papers with you. You may have a look."

Mr. Sutton walked away, leaving an envelope on the table. Ellen ripped open the flap and read through the papers, but she didn't understand the legal jargon. How could she? She wasn't a well-educated woman, and those terms were too complicated for a simple lady like her.

With trembling hands, she dialed Mr. Sutton's number, then canceled the call. She only had one week. That's it. Her beloved husband's house would then be taken away from her. Mr. Sutton had already told her how badly his wife wanted the house, so there wasn't any point in talking to him again.

Worried, Ellen couldn't sleep a wink that night. She read those papers over and over, but nothing would go into her head. At the same time, she wondered why Roger never told her about it. He never kept anything from her, or did he?

Ellen was confused and didn't know what to do, so she took out the Holy Bible from her bedside table and began praying. She asked God to guide her through the problem, and he did.

Suddenly, an idea struck Ellen, and she hurried over to Roger's study. There, in one of the drawers, she found the diary where he wrote down all his important contacts.

"If you ever need help and I'm not there darling," he'd said, "this will come in handy. I've got all the important people here."

Ellen opened the diary and started going through the contacts. She decided to have the papers reviewed by another lawyer. Something about Mr. Sutton had seemed off to her.

Thankfully, Roger's diary had a certain contact named Mr. Gordon, who was a lawyer. She called him the next morning, and he paid her a visit at her request.

Once he checked the papers Mr. Sutton had left her, he put his reading glasses down and smiled. That confused Ellen.

"What's the matter, dear?" she asked. "Is there a problem with the papers? Oh, please tell me there is! My husband could not have sold the house! I thought it over, and I'm positive he wouldn't do it!"

"You're a wise lady, Mrs. Lancaster," said the kind lawyer. "The signatures on these documents are forged. I have handled similar cases before, so I could tell right away by comparing Mr. Lancaster's signature to those on these papers. Don't worry. Your husband didn't sell the house, and no one can get you kicked out. I think we must notify the authorities. But that is entirely up to you."

"Did Mr. Sutton try to dupe me? Oh dear, why would he do that to an old lady?" she asked in tears. "I was heartbroken, son," she explained to the younger lawyer. "This house holds memories for my husband. Oh, I want to call the police! A man like him deserves to learn his lesson!"

"All right, Mrs. Sutton," the lawyer said. "How about we give him a taste of his own medicine? All you'll have to do is pretend that you are vacating the house soon, and it'll all work out…"

Mr. Gordon came up with a brilliant plan. A week later, instead of receiving confirmation from Ellen about her vacating the house, Mr. Sutton received a letter about a court summon from her. Ellen sued him.

The evil man always knew Ellen's weakness. He assumed she would never figure out he'd duped her, and he thought he would get away with it.

However, the forged papers were insufficient evidence, so Mr. Gordon hired a private investigator who obtained solid evidence proving Mr. Sutton's evil intentions. Not only did that save Ellen and her home, but it also made Mr. Sutton pay for his actions. After all, forgery is a crime.

But the best part was that Ellen wasn't alone after the case. The bright younger lawyer, Mr. Gordon, treated Ellen like family and visited her from time to time to check on her. Ellen still thanks God for guiding her and sending Mr. Gordon her way.

What can we learn from this story?

• God has given us all the ability to do good. If we abuse it, we will be held accountable for our actions. Mr. Sutton's evil plan backfired on him, and he had to pay the price.
• God has given us two hands: one to help ourselves and one to extend to others. Thanks to Mr. Gordon, not only was Ellen saved from being duped by Mr. Sutton, but she also found the company of a kind man.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a stewardess who ran into her husband's carbon copy on a flight after his death.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.