My son forgot to pick me up from the hospital, even after ten calls. Fearing something was wrong, I ignored the pain from my wounds, took a cab home, and found the locks changed. A note on the door read: “Don’t come back. There’s no place here for a leech.” I didn’t cry. I didn’t argue. Because my late husband left me one final secret weapon—and I’m about to change everything.
The taxi driver hesitated before pulling away from the curb. He looked in his rearview mirror at the elderly woman standing on the sidewalk, leaning heavily on a cane, a small hospital bag at her feet.
“Are you sure you’re okay, ma’am?” he asked through the open window. “It looks like nobody is home.”
Martha forced a smile, though the cold autumn wind was biting through her thin coat. “I’m fine, young man. My son… he must have just stepped out. Thank you.”
