Five years ago, my family fractured in a way I didn’t fully understand. My older sibling (28NB) decided to cut ties with all of us, citing “emotional neglect” and “favoritism.” They made their exit dramatic and final no calls, no texts, not even a casual birthday message. It stung, but I respected their decision and focused on moving forward.
This year, our dad passed away. Losing him was devastating, and I took on the responsibility of handling everything funeral arrangements, legal paperwork, sorting out his affairs. My sibling was silent. No condolences, no presence at the funeral, no acknowledgment of the loss. I managed it all alone.
When the will was read, I learned that my dad left everything to me. He was clear: my sibling was excluded because they had chosen to walk away from the family. The inheritance—enough to pay off my student loans, buy a house, and build a safety net came with mixed emotions, but I honored his wishes.
Then, out of nowhere, my sibling reappeared. They found out about the inheritance through a mutual friend and reached out not to reconnect or offer an apology, but to demand half of it. Their reasoning? “It’s only fair.” They revealed they’re drowning in debt and accused me of being “inhumane” for refusing to help, arguing that “family is family.”
I told them no. My stance is simple: they made the choice to leave and didn’t even show up for dad’s funeral. Why should I override his clear wishes to bail them out now? That decision has sparked a firestorm. My sibling is calling me selfish and greedy, dragging my name through the mud to mutual friends, some of whom think I should “do the right thing” because “they’re struggling.”
But here’s the thing: they didn’t care about me or our family until money became involved. This doesn’t feel like a genuine attempt to rebuild a relationship—it feels transactional, like I’m just a lifeline for their bad financial decisions.
Was I wrong for refusing to share the inheritance? Or am I right to respect my dad’s wishes and protect what he entrusted to me?
