So my sister could contest the will that she believed our mother would leave behind, she wished for our mother’s death. This was a valuable lesson for her.
My father was a prominent stockbroker and he died in September 2013. He had been suffering from a terminal illness. As a stockbroker, he received a great salary, so he tried to care for us while he lived.
My father left everything in his trust account to me when he died. He wanted my mother to know how to best use the money for our benefit. Jane and my sister are the only children of our parents.
My sister, who was married three times to the same man, had fraternal twins. This happened in the same year that our father died. Since they were married, they had been praying for a child. The birth of twins was a miracle.
Jane was so discouraged that she had given up on hope. She never imagined she would have a baby at 47. But Tom, her husband of 51 years, proved to be able to carry the baby.
Jane works as a school teacher at an elementary school while Tom is a convenience store owner, which makes them comfortable financially, so imagine my shock when they started demanding to know what my father willed to my sister and their kids.
They came to see me because I was the executor of the estates for our trust funds, which were merged at the death of our father.
My sister and me having a discussion about my father’s will.
“I can’t believe dad would make you the executor when I’m obviously older than you are!”Jane exclaimed one morning when Jane and I met over coffee.
“Two years is not a lot Jane, “I replied.
“Oh please,” She laughed. “We both know you have always been a favorite of dad and mom. You always jump and roll over at their whim like a well-trained dog. That’s why you were made executor, admit it.”
My sister and me arguing over the will. Photo by Getty Images | Photo: Getty Images
She was correct, I knew that, even though I didn’t appreciate her way of putting it. I had always tried to be a loving filial son to my parents.
I was also aware of the difficult relationship she had with her parents. They were not very happy about the man she chose as a partner, and she could not accept their lack of enthusiasm, so she slowly drifted away.
My mother forbade me from telling Jane the details of Jane’s inheritance. Because Jane had kids, our mother wanted to leave her money for her family, but it wouldn’t be a fair split between us.
She wanted it to be 30/70 with me receiving 70% and the family house getting 70%. I argued the decision when she told me.
I felt the will was unfair and argued with my mom.
“You can’t do this mom,” I said. “Jane will be furious.”
“I know this will upset your sister, son, but it is how I want it to be.”
“You’ve been a better child and have done a better job caring for us.”
“Above all, your relationship with us has remained positive and uplifting, I’m sure your father would have wanted you to have the lion’s share as well.”
“But mom, “I started.
“— Enough about this,” She cut me off. “It is my money and I will do with it as I see fit.”
My mom didn’t like it. She declared her decision final.
It was rejected every attempt that I made to bring the matter up, so I made peace. Jane learned the truth and was as angry at Jane as I expected. She called her mom multiple times daily to persuade me to change my mind.
At some point, the tension between Jane and our mother became so deep that Jane said she couldn’t wait to hear news of our mother’s death so she could contest the will, set it right, and forget about our family.
This angered our mother, so she revised her will to exclude my sister and her family completely, meaning they wouldn’t be getting a single penny after her death. A fitting lesson if you ask me.
My mom was finished. She changed her will and expelled my sister.
What can we learn from this story?
- Greed kills.Greed is a terrible master, and it ruled Jane mercilessly, making her yearn to know how much she could expect to inherit after her mother’s passing. It is impossible to imagine what Jane would have done if she had known that she would inherit a lot of money.
- Be kind to your parents.Not just because you hope to inherit something from them but because they have put a lot into getting you where you are now. You can show your appreciation by being kind to them.
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This account was inspired by the story of a reader, but it is written by a professional writer. To protect identities and preserve privacy, all names have been changed. We would love to hear your story. It might change someone’s mind. Send your story to [email protected] if you’d like to share it.