Leaked group chat forces Liam to choose between his grandmother's will and his brother-in-law's demands

The group chat is called "Fitzroy Flatshare (do not add family)". It's Liam, Tahlia, and their housemate Jess. It's 8pm on a Thursday and Brett has just left after a thirty-minute confrontation in the living room.

**Tahlia:** ok what the actual fuck was that

**Liam:** he just walked in. no text no call. stood in the middle of the room and said "we need to talk about grandma's money"

**Jess:** did he bring the kids

**Liam:** no. came alone. said he drove her to chemo every tuesday for six months and did her shopping and changed her lightbulbs and she told him "you'll be looked after"

**Tahlia:** did she though

**Liam:** i don't know. maybe. but the will is clear. me and sarah. that's it.

**Jess:** what does sarah think

**Liam:** she said "he's your problem" and hung up

**Tahlia:** classic

**Liam, 8:47pm:** he wants forty thousand. half the savings. said if i don't agree he'll "tell everyone what really happened"

**Jess:** what does that even mean

**Liam:** i have no idea. i didn't do anything.

**Tahlia:** maybe he means the time you forgot to pick her up from bingo and i had to go

**Liam:** that was once. and you were happy to do it.

**Tahlia:** i was not happy. i was hungover. but i did it.

**Jess:** focus. liam what are you gonna do

**Liam:** i dont know. i dont want a war. but i also dont want to give him money she never promised him.

**Tahlia, 9:02pm:** i might have done something dumb

**Liam:** what

**Tahlia:** i was trying to forward your last message to jess but i think i sent it to the family group chat

**Liam:** you what

**Jess:** oh no

**Liam:** tahlia

**Tahlia:** i said i was sorry. i deleted it immediately. but brett saw it.

**Liam:** brett is in the family group chat?

**Tahlia:** sarah added him last month. i forgot.

**Liam:** fuck

**Jess:** what did the message say

**Liam:** i said "i think he's lying about the promise. he never helped with anything real. just drove her places and acted like a hero."

**Tahlia:** yeah that's the one

**Liam:** brett just texted me. one word. "interesting."

**Jess:** what are you gonna do

**Liam:** i dont know

The next morning, Liam finds a voicemail on his grandmother's old phone that he'd kept for sentimental reasons. It's from six months ago. Brett's voice: "Just checking in, Gran. Let me know if you need a ride Thursday." Her reply, faint in the background: "You'll be looked after, don't worry." The context is impossible to parse.

**Liam, 9:15am:** i found a voicemail. she says "you'll be looked after" but it could mean anything. a painting. a chair. not cash.

**Tahlia:** send it to him

**Liam:** i dont think it helps. it just proves she said something.

**Jess:** what does sarah say now

**Liam:** she said "i told you he was trouble" and hung up again

At 10:30am, Brett posts a screenshot of Liam's leaked message to his Facebook, tagging Sarah and several cousins. The caption reads: "So this is how my brother-in-law talks about me after I spent six months caring for his grandmother while he 'worked from home.' Classy."

**Tahlia:** i am so sorry

**Liam:** it's not your fault. you didn't mean to.

**Tahlia:** i did mean to forward it. just not to the wrong chat.

**Jess:** what now

**Liam:** i dont know. i feel sick.

**Tahlia:** i'll pay for a mediator. a real one. formal. i'll cover it.

**Liam:** you don't have that kind of money

**Tahlia:** i'll figure it out. i owe you.

**Liam:** okay. i'll ask him.

Liam texts Brett: "Let's do formal mediation. I'll cover half." Brett replies within minutes: "No. I want what I'm owed. Not a chat."

The group chat goes quiet. Liam sits on the couch, staring at his phone. Tahlia makes him tea. Jess puts on a movie no one watches. The voicemail sits in his inbox, unresolved, like everything else.