His late father had conditions for him to receive his inheritance: bond with his half-brother and his dad’s mistress. The money would be a huge help, but he doesn’t want anything to do with them!
Fruit of a Father’s Infidelity
OP (Original Poster), who’s 18, has a 16-year-old half-brother he never met. He’s OP’s dad’s child from an affair he had with another woman when OP was a kid.
New Wife, New Life
OP’s father left him and his mom for his mistress and started a new family with her. He also never paid any child support or alimony and rarely reached out to OP.
He wrote, “He basically abandoned me and chose his new family over me.”
A Single Mom’s Sacrifice
On the other hand, OP’s mother raised him independently and worked hard to provide for him. Sadly, the year prior, she passed away from cancer, and she left OP all of her possessions.
It was not much, but it was enough to pay off OP’s student loans and for him to buy a small apartment. But of course, OP was devastated by his mother’s passing, and he misses her every day.
The Passing of Another Parent
Several weeks before OP shared his story, he received a call from his dad’s mistress, now his wife. She informed OP that his father died in a traffic accident and that he left a will.
OP wrote, “Apparently, he had inherited a lot of money from his parents and had a successful business.”
A Significant Sum
It turned out that OP’s father left half of his estate to his wife and the other half to his sons: OP and his half-brother. But there’s more: he also left a note stating he wanted OP to meet his family to get the money, which is close to $800,000.
Apologies and Conditions
In the note, he also asked for OP’s forgiveness, saying he regretted not being a good father to OP. OP’s dad asked his lawyer and wife to contact OP to inform him about the substantial portion of the inheritance he had left him.
OP was told that he was required to meet and spend time with them and go through a list of topics in conversation with a lawyer. And he can’t just see them once; it had to be around 30 hours to be eligible.
A Dead Man’s Bribe
OP was shocked and angry when he heard of that information. He hated his father for trying to “buy” his forgiveness with his money after ignoring him for most of his life.
So, OP told his father’s wife that he didn’t want anything from his dad and wanted nothing to do with them.
Be Our Family
At that moment, his dad’s wife sounded hurt and said they were just trying to honor his father’s wishes. She added that they wanted to get to know OP and be a family.
OP wrote, “She said that my half-brother was looking forward to meeting me and that he was willing to share ‘his’ inheritance with me. She asked me to reconsider and give them a chance.”
Not in His Best Interest
However, instead of going any further, OP hung up and blocked her number, saying he didn’t want to have any contact with them.
He said, “I don’t care about the money or the family.”
The Only One Who’s Worthy
OP only cared about his mother, the only parent he ever had. She loved and supported OP and was the only one who deserved the inheritance, not his father’s family.
He wrote, “I don’t want them to have it either, though.”
Money or Pride?
It seems that OP was set to inherit 25%, and he would rather have the money go to his youngest sister, whom he loves the most. But he doesn’t want to process something he sees as a bride.
He asked, “What should I do? Am I the a**hole for not wanting to meet them or follow my dead father’s wishes?”
What Would Mom Think?
OP is really conflicted because he knows he could just lower his pride and take the money. But to him, it feels like he’d be disrespecting his late mother if he did so.
Still, he really needs the money.
Redditors’ Thoughts
People think it wasn’t right for OP’s father to make emotional attachments a condition, as stated in his will, because forgiveness can never be forced.
The top commenter wrote, “Not the a**hole. I might talk to a lawyer myself and see if I could get the money with as little contact as possible. Also, you can’t attach an emotion as a condition. Feeling forgiveness is not something that can be willed, so that’s ridiculous.”
Be a Hypocrite, Take the Money
However, many Redditors suggested OP follow the conditions and take the money because it will only benefit him and his sister in the end.
A Redditor commented, “Take the bribe, OP. It helps no one to refuse it, and no one is judging you. It only hurts you if you don’t take it. You’re young, and so you may not know how truly, truly important money is. Meet his other family. It will all be worth it. Use the money for your own future family, one you would never abandon. You can make the decision later to keep your half-brother in your life or not.”
The same person added, “When you get older, you see how it seems total jerks run the world. Hypocrisy is through the roof in ways that hurt people. So, don’t worry about being a hypocrite. You deserve this money. It’s yours. Don’t let your dad screw you one last time by standing on ‘principles’ that don’t matter. Play the game. Laugh all the way to the bank. Then live a virtuous life.”
If you were OP, would you take the money? Do you have any opinions on the matter?
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This post first appeared as He Refused to Receive His $800,000 Inheritance From His Late Father, Who Abandoned Him and His Mother. It’s Only a “Bribe,” and He Can Never Buy His Forgiveness! on Quote Ambition.
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