'I refuse to share inheritance after learning disturbing truth about my family'

20 November 2023 , 15:13

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Her dad wasn't left anything in the will (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images)

A woman is refusing to share her inheritance with her loved ones after she discovered a family secret so controversial, that it got her dad excommunicated from his parents and subsequently, his inheritance. She explained her grandma, her dad’s mother, chose to exclude her dad and brother from her inheritance. “Sadly my grandma passed away last year. After her funeral, I and my two aunties were called to speak to a lawyer.

When we went through the inheritance, the lawyer explained that she divided it into three equal parts. It was between her two daughters and me, who got my dad's share of the inheritance,” she said on Reddit. The grandmother died with a house worth more than £500,000 ($623, 500) to her name, and over £200,000 ($250,000) worth of cash and other heirlooms.” A total of £700,000 ($870,700) to be shared between the three, which would see the woman receive £233,000 ($290,500) before inheritance tax and lawyers fees.

“She left her son nothing,” explained the woman, meaning her father. “When my dad found out, he protested and asked how was that possible.” Giving some context to the situation, said that she and her older brother had never met their grandad. “According to my dad, he and his father had a very toxic relationship,” she said.

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“After my dad and my mum met, they started dating at university and they had my brother. My parents then got married which made my grandad stop talking to my dad. A couple of years later had me and we've been living happily ever after.” She said it was only when her grandad died, that she and her older brother were introduced to their grandmother and were welcome to spend time with their previously estranged family member.

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“My dad began to spend more time with his mum. We got to also spend more time with her and we even spent the Christmas holidays at their house. She was this sweet old lady who just loved us so much. Her energy was so electric and contagious. I won't lie when I say that Christmas as a teenager were my most cherished times.”

When the woman's grandmother died, the lawyer in charge of distributing the bequest delivered her a letter from her grandmother that had been written a year before her death. “In this letter, to be read after her death, she explained that her husband (my grandad) had disowned my dad completely,” she said, in shock.

“This is because my dad is not my brother's actual father as he's a child from a relationship my mom had previously. My dad met my mom when she was pregnant with my brother,” she explained. The letter went on to detail how her grandparents, her grandad, in particular, thought this was “extremely weird”. She said, “He did not approve of this and was vehemently against it.”

“My dad didn't listen and married my mum a year after my brother was born, which prompted my grandad to excommunicate him for good. During the years my grandma stayed in contact with my dad but we (my brother and I) did not meet her until after my grandad died,” she said. “The thing is, neither my brother nor I knew that my dad wasn't his biological father.”

The day after the astounded woman received the letter revealing a huge family secret, her father angered by his parents’ decision to remove him from the will, but including his daughter, requested to meet her to discuss a more equal sharing of the inheritance.

The day after the astonished woman received the letter revealing the large family secret, her father, enraged by his parent's decision to exclude him from the will - but include his daughter, asked to meet with her to negotiate a fairer division of the wealth. “He doesn't know that I know and I don't know how to tell him I know.” She said. “I haven't received any money yet but based on this I feel like I will not share it.

“My family are understandably calling me greedy but I just don't really trust them anymore. This is already causing heavy division in my family and now I feel like dropping this news will destroy my family completely,” she said. “Should I just be truthful about the reasoning or what should I do?” She asked Reddit.

This sparked a debate on Reddit who were torn whether she was not an a** h*** for feeling upset and unwilling to share her inheritance. One commentator sided with her when they said, “You aren't the a** h*** about the inheritance no matter what you decide. Your grandma had a clear reason for what she did, so it's not like there's any "funny business" that would make her will invalid.”

But another said, “Legally you are in the clear but honestly, yeah bit of an a**hole. What your grandfather and grandmother did was sh**ty. Your father chose your brother as his son and family. Your Grandfather clearly has a "blood is all" attitude. That sucks.”

Another agreed that she was in the wrong, “Yeah I'd say a bit of an a**hole. Who her brother’s father is doesn't change the fact she's spent her entire life with him as a sibling. I can understand the resentment of a secret as huge as this colouring how she sees her dad. I'd be sharing the inheritance with my brother, same dad or not.”