Two days later, we all gathered at the lawyer’s office for the reading of the will. Mom, Emma, and her new live-in boyfriend, Tyler, were all smiles.

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The lawyer began. To my wife, half of my remaining bank accounts. To my daughter Emma, the other half, plus all personal property within the house. To my daughter Sheila, my personal library.

Emma was grinning. “What about the house?” she asked eagerly.

The lawyer looked confused. “The house isn’t mentioned in the will.”

“What do you mean?” Mom demanded. “He owned the house!”

“According to my records,” the lawyer said, “your husband didn’t own the house at the time of his death. It appears to have been sold over a year ago.”