My Parents Tried To Give My Inheritance To Their Favorite Daughter, But….

A Legacy of Favoritism

My parents tried to give my inheritance to their favorite daughter, but my grandparents had a surprising twist in store. Male 28-year-old comes from a family with a convoluted and long history of favoritism.

My younger sister Amy, 25, has always been preferred by my parents, especially Dad, over me. Starting in our childhood, this partiality only got worse as we grew up.

The Golden Child

Amy was the golden child from my earliest memories. Our parents threw her an elaborate birthday party including professional face painters, a bouncy castle, and a petting zoo when I was five and she was two.

I had a store-bought cake and a little family supper for my birthday that same year. This helped to define the tone for years to come.

The differences became clearer as we aged. Amy always received the newest toys, the greatest clothes, and most attention.

I recall saving months of allowance for a new bike when I was 10 years old. Amy wanted one too; hence she had a fit when she saw it.

Rather of educating her about waiting or saving, my parents went right out and got her an even nicer bike than mine. Another arena where the bias was evident was school.

Invisible Achievements

Amy’s parents attended all of her school functions while they usually missed mine. I took front stage in the school play in fourth grade.

I practiced for weeks driven by great enthusiasm. My parents arrived an hour late on the night of the play, therefore missing my major scene.

They were consoling Amy after she complained of stomach ache. She was good later on; they had simply lost count of time playing with her.

Regarding academics, nothing I ever appeared to do seemed sufficient. I joined the math club, often received straight As in middle school, and even took first place in a regional science fair.

Though my parents hardly noticed these successes, they gave Amy a celebratory dinner and purchased her a new phone as encouragement to keep getting better. This happened when she scored a B+ on one test in her weakest subject.

The Harvard Hurdle

In particular, high school was difficult. With an eye toward their approval, I put myself into whatever activity I could along with keeping a 4.0 GPA.

I was editor of the school newspaper and debate team captain. Amy posted through school, hardly keeping a C average, and spent much of her time hanging out with friends.

I was chosen from our university as one of two junior year applicants to participate in a famous summer program at Harvard. It was such an honor and I felt great.

My dad grumbled and moved the topic to Amy’s forthcoming dancing performance when I told the news over supper. At least my mother remarked,

“That’s nice”

But she moved on fast.

The Graduation Gap

My parents couldn’t bring me to the airport on the night Amy’s concert fell on the same day I was leaving for Harvard. They wanted to see Amy perform.

I asked the parents of a friend for a ride. Another agonizing experience was the college application process.

I worked months on improving my essays, engaged in extracurricular activities, and SAT preparation. Several elite colleges accepted me, and I was given a sizable scholarship to my ideal college.

When I told my parents about this at supper, their reaction was barely passable.

“That’s good but don’t let it run to your head colleges and everything”

My dad advised.

“Just remember about us when you’re off becoming a big shot”

My mother said.

Defying Expectations

On the other hand, my parents were quite understanding when Amy barely passed high school and chose not to attend college. They admired her for knowing herself and for defying social expectations, something they never done for me.

They even paid for her a car as a graduation gift. Emotionally, this persistent favoritism suffered me greatly over my teens and early 20s.

I battled anxiety and despair, beginning therapy in college. I came to realize that my parents’ actions were not my fault.

Years of effort were needed to develop my self-esteem and learn to validate myself rather than depending on my parents’ approval. My immediate family did not help me, yet I still managed to lead a decent life.

By the time I finished from college with honors, I had a decent job in finance and even purchased my own house by 27 years old. Though my parents aren’t, I’m glad of what I’ve accomplished.

The Inheritance Conflict

Then is where the current drama begins. On Dad’s side, my grandfather died not too long ago.

He left a sizable estate and was a successful businessman who started from nothing. In his will, he split his possessions equally among his grandchildren, including me, Amy, and our cousins, as well as his children, Dad and his siblings.

My portion of the bequest was significant, roughly $500,000. It would have let me invest in my future, pay off my education loans, and perhaps even launch my own company someday.

This unanticipated windfall and the chances it could present made me happy when the will was read. Though my parents clearly became agitated.

The Unjust Demand

Later, they drew me aside and said me they felt it was unjust I received an equal portion. Amy, who lives in our parents’ basement and works part-time at a coffee shop, said she needed the money more since she was suffering.

Though stunned, I attempted to keep cool. I clarified that Grandpa made this decision; they had no say on how he decided.

They insisted I should act morally and give Amy my fair part. They became enraged when I turned down and began guilt tripping me, calling me unappreciative and selfish.

Every incident my dad could recall where they had helped me came under discussion. Though I worked part-time to help with finances, he emphasized paying for my medically necessary braces and buying me school supplies.

The Executor’s Betrayal

He cited the bare minimum and allowing me reside at home during college. He conveniently forgot about the car they bought Amy, the many shopping sprees, and the fact they still support her at 25.

The matter got rapidly more serious. Acting as the will’s executive, my dad chose to handle things himself.

Along with her own inheritance, he declared he would be interpreting Grandpa’s intentions and give Amy my whole part. He said Grandpa would have wished if he had known our unique situation.

I was broken. This was not only obviously illegal but also a terrible reminder of how little my parents thought of me.

Seeking the Truth

Pointing that Grandpa had always treated all his grandchildren equally and that he was aware of our circumstances, I tried to reason with them. Then my mother accused me of speaking ill of the deceased by implying Grandpa would have preferred anything else than what my dad was advocating.

I mentioned certain memories of Grandpa pushing my academic and career goals, but my parents brushed off these as misinterpretation. They said Grandpa wanted to make sure Amy was taken care of and had privately voiced worry about her future.

They had no response when I asked why he hadn’t simply penned the will that way. Then Amy, for her part, was awkward about the circumstances but did not voice criticism of our parents.

She merely shrugged and said,

“Mom and Dad know best”

When I tried to chat to her alone. She obviously wasn’t going to be much help.

Grandma’s Intervention

Feeling misled and wounded, I asked Grandpa’s widow, my paternal Grandma, for guidance. Hearing what was happening, she became enraged.

She informed me that my parents had no authority to alter the will and that this was exactly not what Grandpa had planned. Grandma sent some material that clarifies the matter several years ago.

Apparently, my parents asked Grandpa to give everything to Amy in his will. Grandpa had steadfastly objected, saying he thought all of his grandchildren should be treated equally.

He had even included a stipulation in his will declaring that anyone challenging the equitable distribution would lose their portion. Equipped with this knowledge, I challenged my parents.

The Scheme Fails

Grandma’s disclosure of their earlier attempt to affect the will startled them. Saying they were only looking out for Amy’s future helped my dad try to defend it, but I could see the guilt on their faces.

Grandmother acted right away. She got in touch with her will’s other executives and attorney.

She also got in touch with my dad’s siblings, who shared her equally strong indignation at what he was attempting. Taken together, they stopped my dad’s scheme and guaranteed that the will would be carried out as stated.

Though they are unhappy with me, my parents were obliged to back off. They argued I should have handled this in-house instead of involving others and accused me of turning the family against me.