The children had long forgotten about their mother. For months they didn’t call her, didn’t ask about her health, and they didn’t even come when she died. But when the notary finished reading the text, all three of them turned pale.

The children had long forgotten about their mother, who lived alone in a small village. For months, they didn’t call her, didn’t ask about her health, and they didn’t even come when she died. A neighbor informed them about the funeral. He said it would take place in two days.

The daughter, Anna, immediately decided not to go. She had exams, academic debts, and no money. She wasn’t going to spend her last savings on travel and a funeral, especially since she didn’t want to face relatives or listen to reproaches. Her relationship with her mother had been cold for years.

The second daughter, Victoria, learned about her mother’s death while she was already abroad. She had just checked into a hotel with her friend and was planning her vacation. Victoria quickly calculated how much a return ticket would cost and how much money she would lose by canceling the trip. The decision seemed obvious — she chose to continue her holiday.

The son, Daniel, heard the news in the morning during breakfast. He listened calmly, without emotion. Formally, he could have taken a day off work — the reason was valid. But the flight was long, and he hadn’t felt connected to his mother for a long time. There were no warm feelings left, neither for her nor for his sisters.

There were few people at the funeral: neighbors, a few acquaintances, and some of the deceased woman’s former colleagues. By the grave stood the neighbor and a young woman helping him. Anna, Victoria, and Daniel were not there. Someone quietly remarked that the children had not come.

A few days later, all three were summoned to the notary. That was when Victoria decided to fly back and postpone her vacation, Anna somehow found the money, and Daniel took a day off work. They were certain their mother’s house would be divided equally among them, as the law required. Yet each of them felt an uneasy sense that things might not be so simple.

The notary’s office was located near the city center. At the entrance, Victoria saw Daniel standing straight with his usual military posture. Anna was there too, her face tense.

The notary began reading the will. Victoria nervously tapped her nails on her phone, Anna could not sit still, and Daniel silently clenched his fingers.

When the notary finished reading, all three of them turned pale.

The house was to be sold, and all the money from the sale would be transferred to a charity fund supporting lonely elderly people.

But that was not all.

A separate clause stated that all of the mother’s financial obligations would pass on to her children. Loans, debts, and unpaid bills were to be divided equally among them. They would receive no property and no savings.

Anna was the first to grasp the meaning of what she had heard. Victoria sharply put down her phone, and Daniel slowly straightened up, as if he could not immediately believe his ears.

The notary then read the final part of the will — a personal note written by their mother’s hand:

“I spent my whole life on them. Especially on my son’s education. These debts are for his studies. Let him deal with them now.”

Silence filled the room. They had not only received nothing. They left with what they had always tried to avoid — someone else’s debts and their own conscience.