Chapter 3

Their approach was professional and systematic. First, they hook you with a sweet deal. Then, they trigger your anxiety. Finally, they swoop in with the perfect solution.

It was a textbook fear-marketing scam.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed again.

Chloe’s name flashed on the screen.

Chloe’s anxious voice burst through the receiver. “Mom! The people from the Caring Hearts Center just called me. Look, Leo and I really aren't comfortable with you being completely alone in that house. I already went ahead and signed you up for that dollar-a-day plan. It’s only thirty bucks a month, and I'm paying for it!”

…

“What gave you the right to sign me up for anything?” I hissed, trying to keep my voice steady, though a furious heat was already rising in my chest.

We knew nothing about these people. What if it was a total setup?

“Mom, can you please stop being stubborn? It is literally thirty dollars a month. Just look at it as paying someone to keep you company, and it’s not even coming out of your pocket.

“The staff, Joe, said this plan is designed specifically for seniors living alone, and tons of families use it. Neither Leo nor I live close by. Just let me spend a little cash to buy myself some peace of mind, okay?”

I sucked in a sharp, cold breath.

“Chloe, listen to me. I already told you that the place is sketchy. Letting them inside my house is the equivalent of handing them my keys and a blueprint of the layout. If something happens...”

Chloe replied coldly, “Mom, can you stop turning literally everything into a conspiracy theory? You thought the free pack of pasta was a trick, but they gave it to you anyway, right? You thought the registry form was a trap, but what bad thing have they actually done since then? What proof do you even have?”

My jaw dropped, but no words came out. I didn't have a single shred of hard evidence.

Chloe continued, “Mom, you’re retired. You don't have to fight scammers anymore. You don't have to live every single day looking over your shoulder. Can't you just relax and let yourself be taken care of for once?”

Her last words were choked with sobs.

I fell silent.

Through the line, I heard her sniffle, and then Leo's voice broke in.

He said softly, “Mom, Chloe’s just worried about you. We talked it over, and starting next week, we’re going to take turns coming back home every weekend to check on you. So that investigation of yours... Can you just drop it?”

I said, “I don't need you two rotating shifts to watch me. You both have your own jobs, your own lives to live.”

Chloe chimed in and said, “Then accept the dollar-a-day companion. It's one or the other. Either you let them visit, or we alternate weekends. You choose.”

To them, I was clearly just an old, paranoid lady with too much free time, acting as a constant drain on their energy.

I let out a heavy sigh before saying, “Fine. I'll do the companion thing.”

“Seriously?” Chloe asked in surprise.

I said, reassuring them, “Seriously. Don't drive up here every week. It’s too exhausting for you guys. Just come visit once a month.”

On the other end of the line, both of them let out an audible sigh of relief.

As I hung up the phone, my mind was already spinning with a new plan.

If the people from the Caring Hearts Center were so desperate to get inside my house, I was going to beat them at their own game.

The next morning at exactly eight-thirty, the doorbell rang.

I pulled the door open to find a young man in his mid-twenties, wearing a bright red volunteer vest.

“Hi, Mrs. Parker! I'm Joe Williams from the Caring Hearts Center, and I'll be handling your daily wellness checks starting today.” He flashed a blinding, perfectly practiced smile and gave a polite, well-rehearsed little bow.

I stepped aside, gesturing for him to come in.

As he stepped into the doorway, his eyes darted across the living room, taking in every corner with a rapid, calculated sweep.

Then the questions began. He asked what medications I kept in the drawers, how many times a day I took them, what time I went to sleep, and whether I ever got up in the middle of the night.