She was a horrible, heartless granddaughter who trapped the only person who ever loved her in the basement. The old woman suffered the worst punishment. Denise was an ambitious young woman who lived with her wealthy, elderly grandmother, Beatrice, who had taken care of her since she was an infant. Although at first, Denise appeared to be a devoted granddaughter, the truth was that she only cared about her grandmother’s fortune.
Mrs. Beatrice, aged 85, was a widow of a banker who left her a fortune. Despite her wealth, she lived humbly, cherishing her lifelong career as a nurse until retirement.
Unlike her granddaughter Denise, who was 28 at the time, she was Beatrice’s only family after her daughter’s passing. Denise was very spoiled; her grandmother provided her with everything she desired. As Denise was getting older, Mrs. Beatrice cringed over her constant demands. Denise never seemed to understand the importance of money or take any responsibility. This caused much concern for her grandmother, who worried that Denise never grasped the importance of financial independence and hoped she would learn to stand on her own.
Even though Denise wouldn’t want for anything, the girl got mad every time the old lady came with any kind of advice. She didn’t like to be nagged all the time. The lady always made sure that her granddaughter had a quality education and hoped that she would go to college one day and start working in her desired field. But the girl, as soon as she graduated from high school, adopted an “I deserve” attitude. She only spent money, went out with friends to expensive places, bought clothes from luxurious brands, and never seemed to care about working at all.
For example, one day Beatrice was sitting in the living room sewing and watching TV when Denise came home and said, “Hi Grandma, can you give me money to go out with my friends?” Mrs. Beatrice replied, “Of course, dear, but don’t forget to have fun with responsibility, okay?” Denise took the money, gave the old lady a cold look, and left without even saying thank you. She hated it when her grandma treated her like some irresponsible teenager, even though she knew she was irresponsible.
At another moment, the granddaughter arrived very excited, talking to her grandmother about her plans to travel abroad. Beatrice, concerned about her granddaughter’s well-being, questioned whether she had enough money for the trip. Denise replied angrily, “I thought you were going to give it to me, but if you’re not okay, then I can handle myself.” “No, that’s not what I said,” Beatrice reassured her. “I will help you, my dear. You can have it whenever you want. I just want to know you’ll be fine,” said the lady, feeling sad and helpless, realizing that her granddaughter did not value her as she should. She just saw her as a bank.
The bond between Denise and her grandmother deteriorated more and more. The girl was always eager to spend more money, and Beatrice felt that her granddaughter only paid attention to her when she wanted something. She realized that the young woman had no genuine love or concern for her, and deep down, she knew that they didn’t have a healthy relationship. One day, Beatrice decided to talk to the young woman about her future and how she needed to start supporting herself.
“Denise, it’s high time you took responsibility for yourself, and you should stop depending on me financially. I need to be sure you can take care of yourself and have a stable future,” said the lady. The granddaughter, who had never worked in her life, was very irritated. “Do I need to work?” she replied with arrogance. However, the old lady did not give in and said firmly, “I know I’ve always given you everything, but now it’s time for you to learn to live for yourself. If you don’t get a job or get your life together, I’ll have to stop giving you money.”
Denise was very angry and decided that she needed to take care of her grandmother in order to continue living off her inheritance, as she clearly wasn’t going to change her mind. So she thought for days until she found a solution. One day, she called her grandmother and said, “Grandma, come down to the basement with me. I have a surprise for you.” The old lady was astonished since she had never heard such words before, so she went cheerfully with her granddaughter down to the basement, thinking there was something special there.
However, when she arrived, she saw a bed made up with a small table with her embroidery and her things. “Denise, what is this?” asked the grandmother, confused. “It’s for you, Grandma,” replied the young woman. “What? Why are you crazy?” Beatrice wasn’t understanding anything. It was early 200000, and the world was in chaos because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The granddaughter began to explain, “Grandma, with this corona pandemic, older people are more vulnerable, and that’s why you have to be isolated for your safety.” Beatrice looked at her granddaughter with fear, “But I don’t want to stay here in the basement. It’s dark and humid down here,” she replied, starting to feel sad. Denise looked at her grandmother and said, trying to sound worried, “I’m sorry, Grandma, but I don’t want you to get sick.” The lady felt a tightness in her chest and fear. She knew something was wrong. “No, Denise, please don’t leave me down here. I can stay in my room, and you can bring me food and my medicines. Please don’t do this to me,” Beatrice begged.
The unfortunate young woman had bought some masks and protective clothing and said that it was just to protect her grandmother. But of course, it was all just a lie. She waited for the right moment to put her plan into action, the plan to trap the poor old lady there. Beatrice got scared and tried to fight her granddaughter, “Are you crazy? I’m not going to stay here,” said the old woman, trying to get out of there.
But the girl pushed her onto the bed, “I’m sorry, Grandma, but I have to do this for your health. Don’t worry,” said Denise. The old lady tried to argue, but Denise simply turned and left the basement, locking the door with her key. The lady was left alone and scared, without understanding what had happened. She ran to the door and started knocking and begging her granddaughter to release her, but the young girl just laughed and left her grandmother talking to herself.
The old lady, terrified, began to think about what she had done wrong to deserve to be treated like this by her own granddaughter. She felt betrayed and hurt, not knowing how Denise could be so cruel. She was there, abandoned by the person she thought loved her, the granddaughter she had raised with so much love since her daughter passed away. She cried and asked for help, but no one listened. Loneliness and fear consumed her, and she lost hope of the young woman freeing her. The wench, a cold and selfish woman, had managed to trap her grandmother in the basement of the house. She was bursting with happiness that her evil plan had worked because now that Beatrice’s fortune would be hers alone, she could spend as much as she wanted without anyone bothering her.
She started spending her days in shopping malls, fancy restaurants, buying clothes, jewelry, and luxury items for herself and her friends, as she always had. But this time, without being bothered by anyone. Over time, the evil woman also traveled to exotic places, staying in five-star hotels, and enjoying the best of life. Meanwhile, Beatrice was trapped in the basement, abandoned. She had nothing to do there except lying down on her bed and distracting herself with her embroidery on the small table. The granddaughter took so long to visit her that sometimes the old woman didn’t even have water to drink.
She wondered if the young woman was even thinking about her and how unhappy she was there. Denise, on the other hand, completely ignored her imprisoned grandmother. She didn’t care about, nor even remember, that she was there. She constantly forgot to bring her food or clean the place where the lady did her business since there was no bathroom in the basement. It was obvious that the evil woman didn’t care about the poor old woman’s hygiene or health. She only cared about her own pleasures and her quest to spend money and feel powerful. Beatrice was just a pawn in her selfish game.
One day, Denise came into the basement and asked her about their latest property valuation, worried about the value of their estate. “Grandma, can you tell me how much we’re worth today?” It was clear that she actually wanted to know the value of the mansion and other properties with ulterior motives. The old lady replied sadly, “Why do you worry so much about money, my granddaughter? It’s not the most important thing in life. Are you keeping me locked up here just for that? To spend more? I would have given you all the money you wanted.
It didn’t have to get to this point.” Denise rolled her eyes and turned away from her grandmother, “It’s easy for you to say that. You have a guaranteed fortune. But what about me? How am I going to survive if I don’t have money?” she screeched dismissively. “Besides, it’s not like that at all. You’re here because I don’t want you to get sick. I told you,” and she stormed off. The old lady cried so much that night because she realized that there was no love in her granddaughter’s cold heart.
The months went by, and Denise became increasingly cruel to her grandmother, neglecting her and ignoring her needs more and more, leaving her alone for long periods. One day, the old lady tripped as she got up from her bed and fell, seriously injuring herself. She screamed so hard that there was no way Denise couldn’t ignore what had happened. The evil woman, instead of helping her, got angry and shouted, “You are always getting in the way! Now I will have to waste my time and money taking care of you!” Beatrice was shocked by her granddaughter’s attitude and deeply hurt.
The pain in her ankle was nothing compared to the one she was feeling in her heart. The grandmother tried to argue, but the young woman didn’t want to listen. She just took a piece of gauze and said, “Weren’t you a nurse? Well then, you can patch yourself up. And if you do any funny business again, I won’t even bring you food anymore,” with that, she took her bag and left, leaving her grandmother alone and disconsolate.
Denise, the mean woman, had revealed her true evil colors and was completely devoid of any empathy for those who loved her the most. As time went by, Denise got to know Kevin and a couple of friends’ anniversary party. She saw him talking to a group of people and was immediately attracted to him. Kevin was tall, with brown hair, green eyes, and an engaging smile. When their friends introduced the young woman to him, she smiled shyly and tried to make conversation. “Hi, nice to meet you. You’re friends with Mary and Levi, right?” said Denise. “Yes, I’ve known them for a few years. They’re amazing friends,” replied the young man with a smile.
Denise noticed that Kevin was kind, smart, and attractive. She soon found out that he worked as a mining engineer and that his job paid very well, as he worked for a multinational company. The following week, Denise was very excited when the day came. She got ready to look perfect and captivate the man’s heart once and for all. She chose a very nice dress and spent hours putting on makeup. Her plan worked very well as when Kevin saw her, he was stunned by her beauty.
He took her to dinner at a chic and sophisticated restaurant where he proposed to her, and she said yes right away. The young man was delighted with her and smiled constantly. They talked for hours, and Denise was charmed by Kevin’s intelligence and kindness. He was handsome, kind, and most importantly, rich. As she realized that not only did she want to be with him, but that she couldn’t miss the chance to live the life she always wanted. And so the two got married a couple of months after their engagement. They often went to expensive restaurants, hung out in luxurious places, and took trips to exotic destinations. Denise loved the lifestyle Kevin provided her and fell in love with him.
However, while enjoying the luxurious lifestyle, Denise neglected her grandmother even more, spending less and less time with the old lady, who felt increasingly alone and abandoned in the basement. In addition to being in need, the mean granddaughter made up excuses that she was working just to justify her absence, claiming that she also couldn’t stop enjoying her life. Kevin didn’t know about Beatrice, and Denise didn’t see the slightest need to introduce her to him. She only cared about her own happiness and didn’t think about the consequences of her actions. However, she didn’t realize that her selfish interests and her cruelty towards her grandmother were leading her down a path of no return.
One day, while they were hanging around in the car, Kevin felt curious to see his wife’s house since they had been together for a while, and he had never been there. He was curious to learn more about her life and was excited to see where she lived. He wanted to surprise her and didn’t tell her he was going there. When they arrived, she looked at him with a smile and an astonished face, but she let him in and showed him around the house. The young man was impressed with the mansion; he found it big and beautiful.
Denise took him through all the rooms, but he noticed that there was one place she didn’t want to show him: the basement. It was a door locked with a key on top of the bookcase. “What’s behind that door?” Kevin asked curiously. “Ah, it’s just a storage room, a mess. There’s some old stuff down there,” replied Denise quickly, trying to change the subject. He was wary of her tone, as if it didn’t sound trustworthy, but decided not to push her. Just then, they spent the day together, talked, and watched movies. Kevin was growing fond of Denise and was happy to be with her. At the end of the day, when they were about to leave, he heard noises coming from that basement.
He asked her again, “What was in the basement?” “I already told you, it’s just a storage room with trinkets,” said Denise with an irritated tone of voice. He got confused and said everything was fine, but something in his heart said something was very wrong. Kevin was even more suspicious, but they both left.
But a few days later, he arranged to do a night TV show marathon together at her house. However, that was only a part of his plan to investigate what was in that basement. After his wife went to sleep, and so it was when she had fallen asleep on the couch, he quietly took the key and went to the locked door. He opened the door and saw a staircase leading down to a dark, dank basement. He went downstairs slowly, carefully, and when he reached the bottom, he was shocked by what he saw.
It was a place with gray concrete walls and dim lighting. There was only a small window, almost in the ceiling, which led in a dim moonlight. In the right corner was a single bed with a beat-up mattress and some old covers that looked like they hadn’t been washed in years. Next to the bed, a small wooden table with crooked legs and a stuck drawer in which Beatrice kept her embroidery.
The rest of the basement was empty, except for a few stacked cardboard boxes and a few spider webs in the corners. The air was thick with a strong smell of mold, dust, feces, and urine, and there was Denise’s grandmother, lying on her bed surrounded by dirt and rubbish. She was thin and pale. When Beatrice saw the young man, she was very scared and confused.
Kevin screamed so loudly and desperately that Denise woke up in a fright and jumped off the couch. She ran downstairs and was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say when she saw her husband helping the old lady to her feet. Then she started explaining the whole story to Kevin about how she trapped her grandmother downstairs to protect her from COVID-19. However, when he brought the poor old woman into the light, he saw her malnourished and weakened.
Beatrice started to cry and couldn’t stop. It was a mix of happiness at finally being free and sadness at never wanting to be able to look at the face of the only person she had loved in the world. Kevin was shocked by the cruelty of that evil woman and immediately called the police. Denise tried to run, but he grabbed her and then locked her in the basement until the cops arrived.
When the police arrived, they arrested Denise for elder abuse. Kevin felt relieved to have found the poor old lady, but he was also very sad to have discovered his wife’s true nature. He was willing to take care of Beatrice, and the two ended up getting very attached to each other. They never saw Denise again. Years later, Kevin loved her like his own grandmother and took good care of her, saying that he would try to make it up to her by treating her right until the end of her days.
