Freddy and Hazel’s sibling relationship falls apart when their parents’ wills are read and their estates are unequally divided. However, once settled in the abandoned house he was given, Freddy found a trap door that opened to a secret room and explained why it was granted to him.
Freddy clenched his fists next to his sister Hazel and her smug fiance Mark as the lawyer read his parents’ will.
Hazel fidgeted in her chair and paused, “Mr. Schneider, but why did I get the main house?”
Mark spoke with his lips raised slightly and said, “Your parents met me.
They are aware that we intend to get married and start a family. Since Freddy likes to travel and has never brought a girlfriend home, the future family should rightfully inherit a big house.”
“Really?” Freddy shot back sarcastically, but only because Mark’s constant attitude annoyed him.
“Of course, your parents agree,” Mark laughed. This is what they did. I do not.
“Mark, that’s not fair,” Hazel added shakily.
“Honey, it’s more than fair,” her fiancé said.
Mark and Freddy were locked in an excited exchange of glances. Mark broke the tense pause and suggested that Freddy’s lifestyle was the reason for his parent’s choice.
Mark interrupted Hazel as she tried to defend her brother, saying that they should have gotten a mansion instead of an abandoned house.
Freddy’s voice broke when he confronted his sister about their parents’ outdated views—especially in relation to his own life choices.
While Hazel acknowledged that some parts of Freddy’s existence were hard for their parents to accept, she shook her head.
Their generation experienced things differently. She pursed her lips and remarked, “They never knew if you would or could have children.”
Freddy laughed sarcastically. “Hazel, this is the 21st century. They can observe how technology works by watching TV and movies. He went on to say that his parents noticed his tendencies and began to treat him differently.
“Stop it!” Hazel frowned. “I won’t let you talk about them that way. Mark grinned even more when she finally told her brother to respect his parents’ choice.
Freddy hung his head, nodded to Mr. Schneider, accepted the will, and left the law office with a hunched shoulder.
*** Once he got the keys, Freddy moved into the abandoned house. The quality exceeded his expectations. The large mansion that Hazel had inherited was bought by his father for a reasonable price, but they moved into it after he married Doreen.
The fact that his parents didn’t think he was worthy still hurt. Damn, I’m not worthy to share their wealth fairly. However, this was no longer relevant.
This was his home now and he needed to make the most of it.
On the first day, Freddy took stock of all the things that needed fixing and decided to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms. But after looking up the renovation price online, he sighed heavily. It would cost thousands of dollars to restore the site to a viable state, and that amount only included labor costs.
He shrugged and reached for his laptop again, “I could teach myself.”
“How hard can it be?”
Warning: There was some spoiler. Freddy, a former theater student who is now a globetrotter, took on this challenge as his most difficult undertaking. He tried to dispel misconceptions about his abilities by posting updates on the progress of the repair on social media.
Freddy finished the kitchen and after two weeks went to the toilets.
Still, he sighed as he looked at the primary one for a while. Renovating the bathroom seemed more difficult than just replacing a few cabinets and tiling, and it was a lot of work. Maybe he should spend some money on qualified remodelers.
As he walked around the house he thought, “Hmm, maybe I could do something else.” “Obviously the bedrooms need a new coat of paint. as well as the attic. Wait, what’s that?”
Freddy seems to have just entered a small room designated for a home office. However, this was the first time he noticed a strange protrusion in the corner. “Don’t tell me this floor is rotten or something. “How much will it cost?” he lamented that he would have to use the rest of his fortune for real construction projects.
Remarkably, his fingers passed through the floor as he bent down to touch a strange unevenness in the floor. “Ew! It’s rotten,” Freddy said, wiping his hands. But when his attention returned, he saw a strange emptiness that wasn’t there.
“What?” Freddy muttered to himself and picked up the phone. He looked more closely with the flashlight and noticed the stairs leading into the shadows.
His hand penetrated the ground. “NO NO NO!” Freddy’s hand quickly sealed the opening and covered him with a blanket.
A few days later he asked Mr. Schneider about the floor plans of the house.
Hesitant to explore the hidden staircase, he asked, “How do I find the floor plans of this house?”
Mr. Schneider recommended that you check with your local authority. You see, we didn’t know about the air raid shelter in my father’s former house until after he died. Properly built during the First World War.”
The lawyer promised to look into it further and get back to him. When Freddy received the floor plans a few days later, he was able to verify that the house actually had a basement hidden under trap doors.
Although Freddy realized he didn’t need to look down there, his curiosity was piqued and he began to wonder if his parents had given him the house because of this hidden area.
With a sledgehammer, he proceeded to demolish every piece of rotten wood that matched the size of the trap door. The rest of the floor looked pretty typical. “Oh, dude. “I’m sure there’s water down there,” muttered Freddy as he descended.
Using the flashlight on his phone, he could detect a strong odor of mold and dampness in the air. As he reached the stairs he muttered, “Great, this will be more money.” As far as he could tell, it was an ordinary room.
However, in the middle stood an antique typewriter and a table strewn with papers. Freddy rolled his eyes at the thought of being the standard female lead in a horror movie and muttered, “Scary, but…interesting.”
However, I found it really fascinating. Did Father know about this place? He reached for one of the sheets on the table, which contained a small poem, and was surprised to notice the name Milton at the bottom of the page.
Among the documents, he discovered poetry signed by his father. God, God! Dad wrote and was a poet. Freddy penetrated further and found an elaborate box under the papers.
He hurried upstairs and read the poetry with great anticipation, admiring their depth and elegance. He quickly realized that the other pages he found inside the elaborate box were from a novel that told the story of two men in love.
“Is that why they kept this place?” He thought and remembered the last words his father had said to him before he left the house:
“One day you will understand.”
Freddy is struck by the revelation that his father hid much of who he was, possibly out of jealousy of his own limitations in contrast to Freddy’s freedom in the current world.
Despite the late hour, he called Hazel, eager to tell her about this find.
He hurriedly replied, “Hazel, I have to show you what I just discovered.
“Please visit my home tomorrow. Without his presence. It is important that we keep this between us for now.”
Mark’s intervention interrupted their chat, but Freddy insisted on keeping it between siblings.
To Freddy’s amazement, Hazel turned up alone the next day. He showed her the novel he found, the poetry, the elaborate box, and the hidden cellar. “It’s a love story of two men going to war,” he said.
Hazel tried to reconcile this with her father’s biases and was taken aback. In order to learn more about this event, Freddy expressed his theory, which suggested that their father may have had identity issues of his own.
She paced the room in shock as she took in the information. It’s just absurd!
What about mom? “
She should read the novel, Freddy urged. “I believe Dad was going through a lot, and because of the times, he had to live in secret. I believe he projected his entire being onto me, including his self-loathing, because I was free to do as I pleased.”
She nodded curtly, her confused smile turning into a small smile. But before she could retrieve the pages, the front door burst open.
Mark’s character had now moved into Freddy’s living room and he demanded, “What are you trying to get my wife to hide from me?!” in a loud, irritating voice.
He said that Freddy was hiding something important. “Or he’s trying to convince you to fire me!”
Freddy sighed and rolled his eyes. “Hazie, tell me you won’t fall for that bull,” he said.
“I wouldn’t invite him today even if you were seeing a really nice guy.
It is too valuable for anyone else to know this secret.”
He is trying to use us once again like he did with the house. Mark pointed confidently and sneered, “He wants you to hide something from me, so I won’t act in your best interest.
Hazel said nothing, her mind seemed to wander.
Mark whispered to Hazel, “You know I’m right, baby,” his tone becoming alluring and kind. Because you love me more than he always hated me.
They’re trying to separate us from each other.”
“Mark, please stop! Finally, Hazel jerked her wrist up and declared, “If Freddy found anything here, it would be legally his.
Mark put his arms around her and tried to urge, but Hazel was done.
“ENOUGH!” Hazel pushed Mark away with a scream. “Oh my god, you’re so boring! All you ever cared about was money! You never really loved me. Mark, we’re done! I’m shocked I ignored every warning sign!”
Freddy sighed in relief.
“Is this why you’re breaking up with me?”
Mark sputtered, a shocked look on his face.
Indeed, Mark. It’s done. She cried with her arms crossed, “I want my life back.”
He turned to plead with Freddy. “Freddy, tell her she’s making a mistake.
“Mark, Freddy won’t help you.
Hazel replied walking to the door, “He’s been trying to open my eyes to see your true colors for years now.” “Get out of here and out of my house!”
“It’s my house too!”
“We are not married!”
“I will fight you in this!”
Freddy said, “I’ll call Mr. Schneider right away,” and quickly called their lawyer to clarify the circumstances.
Desperate, Mark shouted, “I want my ring back!”
“Mark, that ring belonged to my grandmother.
I’ll keep it to myself. In response, Hazel escorted Mark out of the house by force. With tears of relief in her eyes, she turned to Freddy as he left. “I think I have to stay here for a while.
Freddy gave her a warm hug and said, “You can’t stay as long as you need to.”
She pulled back after a while, a slight smile on her lips. “Can we order Chinese food? I can’t wait to read Dad’s book.”
“Sure,” Freddy replied, feeling the tension loosen.
Publishing my father’s book turned out to be easier than expected. Friends from the LGBTQ+ publishing scene were happy to help Freddy. Touched by the story, Hazel asked Freddy to keep all the royalties.
After the meeting with Mark, Mr. Schneider promised him that he would never disturb them again.
Apparently, Mark left town, but Freddy didn’t seem to mind. His priority was to make his sister happy and carry on their father’s legacy.
Finally, Freddy had the urge to travel again. After renting out his house, he embarked on a completely new journey. When he returned, he was overjoyed to see Hazel happily dating a successful, kind man who truly loved her.
Although it wasn’t a blockbuster, the book got great reviews. Freddy therefore decided to publish his father’s poetry along with a prologue that described their father’s secret life. It was an ode to acceptance, love, and the value of being true to yourself.
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Freddy and Hazel’s saga unfolds as a powerful narrative of family dynamics, hidden truths, and personal redemption. Initially, Freddy’s discovery of the secret chamber and his subsequent discovery of his father’s hidden literary works form a poignant backdrop to the story. Unexpected revelations challenge long-held beliefs and prejudices and change the siblings’ understanding of their parents and themselves.
Freddy’s quest to restore an abandoned house, though initially driven by a sense of injustice, evolves into a journey of self-discovery and family bonding. The hidden cellar, once a symbol of perceived favoritism, becomes a repository of their father’s unspoken identity and creativity. Through the process of revealing and sharing these intimate aspects of his father’s life, Freddy and Hazel work through their complex emotions and confront the prejudices that have affected their family relationships.
Hazel’s decision to end her relationship with Mark reflects a pivotal moment of personal empowerment and clarity. Her confrontation with Mark, aided by Freddy’s revelation, ultimately leads to the dissolution of the toxic relationship and the restoration of sibling solidarity. Freddy’s support of Hazel during this tumultuous time underscores the depth of their bond and his determination to protect his sister from harm.
As Freddy moves forward in his life, the publication of his father’s novel and poetry becomes a tribute to his legacy of love and acceptance. The positive reception of these works and support from the LGBTQ+ community highlights the impact of accepting and celebrating one’s true self. Freddy’s journey from disillusionment to restoration illustrates the transformative power of uncovering hidden truths and honoring one’s heritage.
Ultimately, Freddy and Hazel’s story is one of resilience, redemption, and the enduring power of family. It serves as a reminder that even in the face of adversity and unexpected revelations, there is always an opportunity for growth, healing, and a deeper understanding of yourself and your loved ones.