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The woman's parents constantly funded her brother's lavish lifestyle and kept him in top priority. They intentionally left her out financially, but she turned the tables on them one day.
Becoming a beneficiary of a surprise chunk of inheritance might be a thrilling experience for many. But it's never the case for some, as pointed out by 26-year-old Redditor throwinheritancebro on Reddit's “AITA” sub.
Although the legacy she obtained could've been surprising enough to put a smile on her face, it wreaked havoc on her family when an unexpected drama blew up after the will was declared.
The surprising inheritance the young woman received sparked a family conflict. | Source: Flickr
The Original Poster (OP) grew up very close to her brother, 27. But as they entered their teenage years, the siblings grew apart for various reasons. OP's brother became a high school dropout and joined a “bad crowd.” In contrast, OP pursued her graduation and laid the groundwork for a brighter future.
Her parents and brother were furious with her decision and teamed up against her.
OP's brother was jobless and lived in an apartment fully financed by their parents. He lived in an expensive city doing nothing because he knew his parents could never afford to see him homeless and would keep funding his lifestyle. They often refinanced their house to support him and financially ignored OP in the bargain.
OP's brother was jobless & lived a lavish life out of their parents' money. | Source: Pexels
With such ongoing instances, OP sought comfort whenever she visited her grandpa, 95, once a week. During these visits, she cleaned his house, did grocery shopping, ran errands, and hung out with him. She grew closer to her grandpa with every weekly visit.
Her brother was never invited because he'd burned bridges with their grandpa by stealing his valuables and their deceased grandma's jewelry. Sadly, OP's relationship with her grandpa was cut short when he passed away. Since she was very close to him, his loss shattered her.
The declaration of his will followed, and it was something the family had eagerly waited to be disclosed. But problems sparked when OP's inheritance was declared, and her family teamed up against her after learning what she got.
After the grandpa's passing, the will was declared & sparked chaos in OP's family. | Source: Pexels
Although OP's brother inherited money from their late grandfather, the legacy she inherited stood out. She became the sole heir of her grandpa's house and gained a decent chunk of money, which was way more than what her brother received. “Think 100K vs. 10K,” she elaborated on Reddit.
OP felt terrible that her brother didn't get as much as her and surmised he could be dealing with an undiagnosed mental issue. With such thoughts prevailing, the real bomb fell on OP when her mom frankly told her she needed to share the money with her brother to help him get back on his feet and not rely on his parents' money anymore.
However, OP turned down her mom's request, saying she didn't want to continue supporting her brother's lifestyle. Her parents and brother were furious with her decision and teamed up against her.
OP found herself dealing with a mess and second-guessing herself for not giving her brother some money to kickstart his life, so she asked moral judges on Reddit for insight.
OP's parents & brother teamed up against her when she refused to share her inheritance with him. | Source: Pexels
The post's top-voted commenter Sheeba789 asserted that OP wasn't wrong for not wanting to share her inheritance with her brother. “Your brother got less of a share because of his actions. He burned bridges with people, and he has to live with the consequences,” the person stated.
Meanwhile, user tsukinon surmised that OP's grandfather could've estimated the value of all the things her brother had stolen when writing down the will and how much each heir got.
As the discussion blew up, more people flocked to the thread and guessed OP's grandpa could've had “some” valid reason for leaving her brother a lesser share. And some like Redditor milkbeamgalaxia thought OP's mom was at fault, asserting:
“If she cannot, she needs to learn to accept other people are not responsible or accountable for his welfare, and when he burns bridges, it is not the other party's responsibility to rebuild them.”
In the end, OP filled curious readers in on what her parents inherited. “It was my mom's dad, and they didn't get along very well, but about ten years ago, my grandpa gave them their inheritance early,” she revealed, adding that her parents were acknowledged in the will as early recipients of the inheritance.
Meanwhile, it's still guesswork if OP had given part of her money to her brother or not, as she has kept readers in the dark about the issue.
Questions to Ponder:
Would you share your inheritance with your sibling who never makes an effort to get on their feet and heavily relies on “easy money?”
OP declared that she didn't want to share her money with her brother because she didn't want to encourage his “lifestyle.” She also asserted that it was her parents' choice to support him if they wanted to, but she would never help him. What would you do if you had a sibling like OP's? Would you lift a finger to help them?
Do you think OP's mom made the right move by asking OP to share her inheritance with her brother?
Several people on Reddit turned into avid supporters of OP and condemned her mom for asking her to share her inheritance with her brother. Should your parent ask you to give up your inheritance to your sibling, would you do it, and how would you react? What would you advise parents who feel entitled to their children's inheritance?
