Everyone Lied to My Brother, But It Was Vera Who Felt Betrayed…

Everyone always deceived her brother, yet it was Ava who felt truly betrayed

The telephone rang in the middle of the night.

Ava, love, our house is on firewere burning! Her mothers voice trembled with sobs, the crackling of flames and panicked shouts clear in the background.

Ava was instantly wide awake.

Her mothers house was fifteen miles outside Oxford, a large place but far from modern. The city crept outward, swallowing up the surrounding village bit by bit. Ava tried to recall just how old the place was once.

Her great-grandfather had built it in his day; Granddad added a summer floor, then came another transformation and the upper floor became habitable all year. Over time, it had stretched longer, a veranda was added to one end. The place looked sturdy at first glance, but that was only a trick of the eye. In winter, it was cold as a barn, in summer, always damp.

The house rotted away, quietly, carrying on regardless. They all understood the truth. It ought to have been pulled down, but Mum was stubbornshe wanted repairs. She was mistress of the house, Dad long gone, so her word went.

Theres only enough for renovation, not a new build.

Mum, why do you want such a big place? Youd have more than enough for a smaller home, and you could get lovely two-storey plans these days at a reasonable price. Thered be more space for your beloved roses. Ava pleaded.

You just dont understand, Ava, interjected her brother, Peter. This house is our family seat, the ancestral home, our estatecall it what you will. It must be preserved. A proper refurbishment and itll be good as new.

Peter was always in their mothers corner, as she was in his. Avas suggestions were always met with stubborn resistance, even though they made the most sense for everyone.

Shed grown used to it. When another of Peters grand schemes failed, with Mum cheering him on, Ava simply shruggedlet them have it their way.

If its repairs you want, then repairs it is.

Darling, well still need your help. Just a little, if were short. Ive money from selling the flat your Aunt left for us in the will. No need for somewhere so far from home.

Youve sold the London flat? To fix up this mess? That would buy more than one new house here!

But only half of it was mine. The other half passed to her son.

So you forced him to sell his partthrew your nephew out?

I didn’t throw him out, he bought my share. Sold it a bit cheap, but thats all they could manage.

Mum! You dont need money, neither do we, you could have just

Given it away? I have my own family.

Maybe youre right. Go ahead, do your renovations. If you dont need anything else from me, Ill be off.

A month later came another late-night call. The house was ablaze. Ava and her husband, James, arrived to find nothing left but ashes. Nothing could be saved.

Ava, maybe your mum could move into one of our flats? The one-bed on Victoria Road would be idealthe last tenants just moved out.

Id thought about it, but the flats yours.

Ava, darling, all the properties are ours. Your mum needs help. Well lose a little rental income from that place but weve two others, and ours to live in.

But that ones yours in particular.

Dont fuss, whats mine is yours. Let your mum have it. Theres furniture, everything she could need. Well help buy whatever else is missing.

They moved her mother in and bought everything she needed. One day, Ava dropped by unannounced with groceries and just to see her. The television blared in the living roomthe same one theyd gifted for a milestone birthday. Coffee brewed in the air.

Mum, you said everything burned. But thats the telly we gave you for your birthday! And the coffeewas the coffee maker not lost in the fire?

What, you think I stole it? We moved everything out before the refurbishments. The place was just bare walls. There was insurance, so I said what I did. Whats the problem? The furnitures at Peters.

He has a new flat, hasnt bought so much as a wardrobe or a sofa yet. Youve taken your things back, but they need the rest. They wont have any use for your old sheets.

Peter bought a flat? With what

How would I know? He bought it, thats all, I didnt ask.

Ava realised her mother was keeping things from her, as always. She wouldnt say now, but time would tell. Ava always knew Mum went above and beyond for Peter.

Her brother never had much luck; nothing worked out for him, everyone took advantage. But it was always Ava who felt swindled. Something here felt off, too.

What will you do with the old plot? Its a nice bit of land, youve money and insurance.

Whats there to do? Its all gone, Ill sell the land. Ive a roof over my head. Lucky when your daughters well off! Poor Peter, thoughdebts, only debts

Would you not think of buying yourself a place with that money?

And this? Would you throw your own mother out?

This is James flat.

Youll manage!

Maybe we should rebuild the house, then. Or put up something even better. The neighbours all have gorgeous houseslike something out of a magazine.

No, Ive decided, Im selling the plot. That old house passed down through the men, and Peter doesnt want it. He wants his city comforts, not a village life.

Im not going to try to change your mind.

James, Mum wants to sell the land.

Thats her business, really. Id fancy building something myself, that spots always appealed to me. Your dad loved his afternoons under the old linden tree, remember?

I felt so sorry when it diedalmost as though it was a sign for him. Maybe we should build ourselves?

Id live there gladlywe always dreamt of a big house. The children would love it, and in time, bring the grandchildren.

Youre a dreamer.

So what? And your mum could live with us there if shed like.

Well build, but the lands still hers. We need to do things properly, so therell be no regrets. We should buy the land.

But shes your mother!

Thats exactly why it should be above board, so she cant dispute it later. I havent forgotten my less-than-lucky brother, you know.

Ill handle the landshell put it on the market soon. Or perhaps we could just ask outright, maybe shell sell to us?

No, shell be cagey.

Then well just buy it outright

And why didnt you come straight to me?

Mum, you need money. Now you can buy yourself a really nice flat.

Her mum said nothing but made no move to buy a place.

Ava and James built their own family house. They had to pour every saving into it and take out a loan, but they managedbetween their salaries and the rent from their other properties.

After the move, things got even easierthey let the third flat, the one theyd just vacated. Mum, in the end, never bought a home. Shed given her money to Peter, who couldnt keep up with his mortgage repayments. As for the insurancewell, it never got paid; the fire hadnt been as accidental as claimed, theyd moved everything out beforehand, the house was intentionally burned for the claim, and they ended up with far less than planned.

Mum would come round to visit.

Youve got lots of space here, its lovely! But Peters flat is cramped. The children need their own rooms but they only have two.

I told them to buy bigger. The old house wouldve been perfect if we’d built another. A shame I didnt just listen.

I did offer to build before the fire, Mum. It wouldnt have been just the same, but warm and comfortable. We wouldve helped.

You did offer. Well, now Im suggesting you move back into the city. Ill take the house, and you can have your flat back. Perhaps Peter will want to live with me. After all, the house always passes down the mens line. It should go to Peter.

Youre serious? We built it, but it still passes to Peter, does it? If the old house had survived, hed only have sold it anyway.

That would have been his rightits always been this way for generations.

Generations? That house was eighty years old, not centuries!

Well, lets not argue about it. When do you want to swap?

Swap our house for our flat? Weve only just registered you to live there! Be glad we did even that, we might not have.

You already know youll never buy, youve put everything into Peter. Now this house will go elsewhere. Not to Peter.

“You’ve got plentyPeter’s just unlucky!”

Unlucky? The money from the London flat went to him, the insurance (if it had come through) wouldve gone to him, everything passed down from Dad went to himthe savings, the car. Hes hardly unlucky, and Im not rich! James and I worked for every penny!

Its not his fault he trusts people so muchhes always being cheated, poor boy!

Im always the one left feeling cheated, every single time. Anyway, the house and land are oursproperly bought and paid for. Peter wont live here, but hes always welcome to visit.

One weekend they had a visit from David, Avas cousin from London.

Had to come see how my poor family are getting by. Aunt said you were all skint, struggling for every penny. But you live like lords!

Thats what Mum said? Naturally

I took out a loan myself, just paid it off now. Ive brought you some earrings, AvaMum wanted you to have them.

The rest Auntie insisted at the funeral that all your mums jewellery was promised to her. I managed to hide this box thenshe searched for it.

I didnt quite believe her at the time, but Im glad I kept them. These earrings were for you, from Mum.

You did rightotherwise, itd all be Peters by now. What a waste! He always gets whatever he wants, while we slog away and Mum brings him everything on a plate!

Dont give her anythingyou keep them, or sell them if you like, you need them more. She lied about it, Id wager two hundred percent.

Are you serious? Will you tell me?

Ill tell you everything

Mum rarely visits these days; says her legs hurt. Peters too busyafter all, hes always being deceived. Ava and James live quietly and happily; the children are thriving. David often comes to visit, and life carries on, with everyone forging their own path to happiness as best they canSometimes, late in the evening, Ava would wander out to the linden stump, now carved into a curious seat by James careful hands. Shed sip tea with the ghosts of her ancestors, thinking of all theyd built and lost and built again.

It was quiet here, far from the crackle of flames and clatter of arguments, from expectations that never quite fit. The childrens laughter floated from the upstairs windows. Lights glowed golden along the path James planted with roses. For once, the house felt lived-in, not simply inherited or managedno museum piece, no possession to quarrel over, but a place where days unfurled slowly, and happiness wasnt begged from anyone.

Ava ran her thumb over one of the pearl earrings, warm from her ear. Sometimes she caught her reflection and thought how little she resembled her mother at all. She wondered if Peter ever found peace in his own city flat, or if he still sought out fortune just beyond his reach, forever bolstered by promises that always, somehow, cost someone else.

The stories shed been toldthe ones about inheritance, about what people deservedfelt faded now, as though smoke had whisked them away. Ava understood, finally, that home was less about what you received than what you chose to keep and give and grow. She pressed her hand to the stone wall, steady and new, and smiled.

In the hush that followed, there was only the soft sound of night, the roots of old decisions deepening beneath her feet, and above, all the windows of her own making shining against the dark.