Whenever our paths crossed in the apartment, she would ask simple questions. “Have you eaten dinner yet, Dad?” she would ask.
“Yes, I ate earlier,” I would reply.
“Did you remember to take your daily medication?” she would follow up.
“Yes, I took it right on time,” I would answer.
Our conversations always ended right there. She was polite, attentive, and consistently helpful, yet she maintained a noticeable distance as if I were merely a temporary guest.
Soon after, the phone calls from Samantha and Chloe began coming in constantly. At first, they pretended to call out of genuine concern for my health, but they quickly dropped the act.
“Dad, can you ask Hannah if she can recommend my husband’s firm for a contract?” Samantha asked during an afternoon call. “His company could easily supply raw materials to her laboratory.”
The very next day, Chloe called me with an even more direct demand. “Tell her to get me a job at her center,” Chloe urged over the phone. “They handle so much money that there must be an open position for me.”
I felt deeply ashamed of their behavior. One Sunday morning, while Hannah was working on her computer in the living room, Chloe called my phone again. I accidentally pressed the speaker button while answering.
“Have you talked to her about us yet?” Chloe demanded loudly through the speaker. “She cannot keep everything for herself! If she gets to eat steak every night, the rest of the family should at least get some soup!”
Hannah looked up from her screen and met my eyes. “Let her keep talking, Dad,” Hannah said quietly.
Chloe continued complaining about her situation until Hannah finally intervened. “Do you really want to talk about financial matters, Chloe?” Hannah asked calmly. “Then let us discuss them right now.”
Her sharp tone immediately made Chloe pause. “You and your husband owe almost eight hundred thousand dollars, and the bank has already started foreclosure proceedings on your house,” Hannah revealed calmly.
A heavy silence hit the line as I stared at Hannah in absolute shock.
“And Samantha’s husband is currently under investigation for major tax irregularities,” Hannah continued. “Most of the money Dad gave her has already been spent trying to cover up those massive debts.”
I sat there completely frozen. My two oldest daughters had never shared any of those terrible financial troubles with me.
