Page 3 — When The ATM Says “No,” They Try To Take The Card
The next day, my son called.
Then again.
Then Lena.
Then Max again with a text:
“We need to talk. We’re coming over.”
I didn’t reply. I went to the bank.
I sat across from the branch manager—the man who had watched my account drain month after month.
“I want all transfers stopped,” I said. “Immediately. And I want my accounts locked down so no one can access anything except me.”
He didn’t argue. He just nodded, slowly, with the expression of someone who’s seen this movie before.
I walked home feeling lighter.
And then I turned the corner and saw cars in front of my house.
Movement behind my living room curtains.
My stomach dropped.
They had used the spare key I gave them “for emergencies.”
In their minds, losing my money was an emergency.
I opened the door and walked into my own home like I was entering hostile territory.
Max was on my sofa.
Lena was pacing.
And a man I didn’t know was sitting at my table flipping through my financial documents like they belonged to him.
“What is happening?” I asked.
The man stood up, smiled, and extended a hand.
“Mrs. Richter. I’m Mr. Fischer, a family law attorney. Your children are concerned about your sudden behavior changes.”
That’s when I understood the real play.
This wasn’t about rent anymore.
This was about control.
If they couldn’t get money from me voluntarily, they were going to try to legally remove my right to say “no.”
Keep reading—because the next words out of my son’s mouth were the most disgusting thing a child can say to a parent who finally sets a boundary.
