Money is frequently the driving force behind the dissolution of even the most solid relationships. It’s not uncommon for inheritance disputes to turn familial affection into bitterness. This was the reality for today’s protagonist, who recounted her intricate story on Reddit. In her situation, money didn’t merely create division within her family—it became a means of justice against those who had wronged her over the years. Now, the very people who mistreated her are pleading for her assistance to survive.

A young woman turned to Reddit and shared her emotional story.

A woman, going under a nickname CountTimely3205, has turned to one of the Reddit communities to share her absolutely astounding and somewhat shocking family story.

The woman wrote, “I (F) recently turned 18 and received an inheritance worth around 700k from my paternal grandparents. Several years ago my mum (38F) married my stepdad (50M), who had four kids (17F, 14F, 10M) from his previous marriage, and my stepfamily treated me awfully. My stepdad hated the fact that I wasn’t related to him by blood, and he constantly ostracized me for being mixed race (I’m half Colombian from my dad’s side).

I only got £2 allowance per week, even though I had to pay for public transport. I had to share a room, but he turned the sunroom into a bedroom specially for my younger sister, and he wouldn’t allow me to try out for a scholarship for a private school even though I could’ve easily passed because it would be ‘unfair’ to my siblings.”

The OP shared that her mom and stepdad had an additional two children (7F, 5M) together. They also have her step-nephew (1M) living with them, making the family a really huge one. The woman added a few more words about her stepfather’s personality, saying, “My stepdad used to be a construction worker while my mum was a homeowner, and although they still worried about money, we lived in a decent house and had a regular, working class upbringing.”

The OP’s stepfather brought many troubles to his family.

The woman shared, “Around 2 years ago, my stepdad got arrested for something awful, and after all the financial problems that followed, including spending money on the new baby after he was born with birth defects (he’s fine now, don’t worry), we ended up getting evicted. We had to move into a 2 bedroom council apartment, with me sharing the largest bedroom with the two eldest sisters and my nephew, my other siblings sharing the other bedroom, and my mum sleeping in the living room.”

The whole family appeared to be on the verge of poverty, and all members of it were feeling deprived of everything since the OP’s stepfather got into a mischief. The woman shared, “My mum works two minimum wage jobs, and made me get a second job too even with my exams coming up, yet she’s fine with my stepsister staying home all day after dropping out of school. We can afford necessities like food and heating, but we’ve had to cut back on basically everything else.”

OP received a good sum of money, which could’ve changed the situation for all her family members for better.

The woman wrote, “So, I received this sizeable inheritance worth around 700k from my paternal grandparents, being their only living descendant. This includes a 4 bedroom home in Boston as well as a small 2 bedroom vacation house in California. After I got my inheritance, my mum begged me to use it to help out our family, and I refused.

The thing is, my father and his parents were American, while the rest of my family are English and don’t even have passports, so it’s not like they can live in the property. I plan on using the money to pay for University and afterwards travel the world and experience new cultures.” She later added for more clarity, “Sorry for the confusion, I’m not great at finance. The 700k comprises savings, investments, and other assets, it doesn’t include the properties.”

OP has her own plans for the future, and she doesn’t feel obliged to help people who mistreated her. The woman said, “I’ve always loved animals and I want to follow my passions and open a cat café without having to worry about money. My family wants me to sell the property I inherited and buy a house in this country for them to live in, as well as another second house for my sister and her son.

I promised I’d help them buy groceries and rent a better apartment, but it shouldn’t be my responsibility to take care of them. It was my name in the will, not theirs. My stepsister is especially furious with me and says it’s unfair that I get a ‘fairy tale’ ending even though her life was harder than mine. Everyone thinks I’m ‘wasting’ my money on my wants and ignoring their needs. Am I a bad person?”