My Son-in-Law Tried to Take Control of My Finances—Until My Old Army Friend Became New Bank Manager

never thought I'd have to protect my life savings from my own son-in-law, but the moment he started "helping" with my finances, I realized I was in for the battle of my retirement years. I'm sixty-seven and served in the Army for twenty-two years before settling into a quiet life in Summerfield, Arizona. My ranch-style home with its sprawling front porch wasn't much, but it was paid off and it was mine—until Parker showed up and almost convinced me otherwise. It all started eight months after my Katherine passed away. Cancer took her quick—too quick for me to even process what life would be like without her voice echoing through our house. Fifty-two years of marriage gone in six painful months. The silence afterward was the loudest thing I'd ever heard. My daughter Melissa started visiting more after that, bringing casseroles on Tuesdays and helping sort through Katherine's clothes. She'd always been a good girl, hardworking, honest—never gave us a minute's trouble growing up. So when she started bringing Parker along, I didn't mind. He seemed polite enough, always called me "sir" and pulled out chairs for Melissa when we ate dinner together. But looking back, I should've noticed how his eyes lingered just a little too long on the mahogany credenza where I kept my financial documents.