When we pass away, we would like to have something left over that we can give to those who mean the most to us. All time to put together a will and to make sure that they get at least a little something to remember us by.
Sometimes, the person may leave behind a significant inheritance and that can really lead to a comfortable lifestyle for some. In other cases, however, it can lead to problems.
In the following stories, we hear about some of the biggest inheritance instances that went horribly wrong. Prepare for quite a bumpy ride.
1. My Employer’s Young Wife Turned Me into a Modern Cinderella, Minus the Nice Dress
Hi there! My name is Becky, and this is what happened a few years ago. Honestly, I don’t know where my family would be if it hadn’t.
I worked as a maid for Mr. Sanders, or as he liked me to call him, Gregory. He was married to Linda, and they were just the nicest couple in the world. They were loaded but didn’t brag about it or act snobbishly.
They treated me with respect, you know, like a human and all. Sadly, Linda passed away way too soon, and let me tell you, it hit us both hard. Gregory was moping around like a lost puppy, and who could blame him?
Fast-forward some time, and he meets this younger woman, Marissa, at some elegant business meeting with some executives. I clocked her in immediately: she was a full-on gold digger. But she made my boss happy.
Boy, was I wrong! The second Marissa and her grown son, who looked like he could use a good manners class, moved into Gregory’s mansion, things did a 180 faster than a politician switching sides.
They basically turned me into their own personal Cinderella, minus the fairy godmother and the glass slippers. I had a feeling they’d never had a maid or home staff before, but they exploited the chance.
It was all “Clean this,” “cook that,” and “don’t you dare walk in on us while we’re counting our stacks of cash!” But fine, I could take all that… until I heard something terrible.
One day, I heard Marissa on the phone, gossiping about Gregory having COVID. My heart jumped into my throat, but then, she was moping about having to cancel some trip.
Here I was worried sick about the man who always treated me right, and all she cared about was how her husband’s sickness messed with her plans!
Of course, when I offered to help take care of Gregory, Marissa shut me down. She was the wife and it was her job. Instead, she dumped a whole load of extra chores on me, like I was some kind of human dust buster.
Later that night, after I finished cleaning up some spilled wine over dinner, I made Gregory some soup. While I was checking on him, I totally unloaded on him about everything that had happened with Marissa and her son.
I forgot he might be out cold with COVID-19 brain fog. Well, turns out my boss wasn’t sleeping like I thought. He heard every word, including Marissa and her son bad-mouthing him and basically wishing COVID would take him out. I only discovered this later.
But let me tell you, my heart about sank into my stomach. I felt awful for venting about having to clean up after these losers when he had to hear their evil wishes!
The thing Marissa and her spoiled man-child didn’t understand was that my boss was successful because of his brilliant mind. After recovering a bit from COVID, he told them he was moving to San Francisco for a while for business.
I was there when he broke the news and saw Marissa’s eyes practically turn into dollar signs. She was already planning parties and redecorating their “mansion” over there.
But before they could make any moves, Gregory told them he booked them a room at the best hotel in the city as a casual surprise. So, Marissa and her son left the house with some of their bags.
In the meantime, guess who got a life-changing phone call while knee-deep in multiplication tables with my kids? Yep, me! I still remember that conversation, and it was originally so scary.
“Hello,” I answered. “How can I help you?”
“Hi, this is Mr. Anderson of 15 Realty. Are you familiar with the house at 275 Oak Street?” the voice asked. A realtor?
“Yes,” I said curiously. “I work there.”
“I’m calling on behalf of Mr. Gregory,” the realtor said and then, went into detail.
Gregory was never going to San Fran. Instead, he bailed on his new wife and changed his entire will to give me and my family his mansion. He wrote me a beautiful letter, too, explaining that he viewed me as his daughter.
He wanted my family and I to have a safe comfortable, and most importantly, paid-off place to call home. The letter also contained his new address, a small, quaint house in San Francisco, and invited us to visit whenever we could.
I haven’t forgotten to tell you what happened with Marissa. That poor excuse for a human got the ultimate reality check. While they were off sipping margaritas in their fancy hotel room, a lawyer showed up with a mountain of divorce papers.
Of course, my boss had made her sign a prenup, too! Therefore, Marissa went from dreams of champagne showers to living paycheck-to-paycheck back in the rented apartment they used to live in.
Now, I don’t live in that mansion anymore. I downsized when all my kids left for college, but it helped me so much. My former boss died only a few months ago, so we all went to San Francisco for the funeral.
It was a bittersweet event, and I’ll be grateful to Gregory for the rest of my life.
Becky got a big surprise thanks to her kind-hearted boss, Gregory, and next, Jessie was about to find out why you should never judge someone based on what others say.
2. The Grumpy Old Man Everyone Hated Wasn’t So Bad after All
Hello, everyone. You can call me Jessie. I just want to tell you all how one customer changed my life forever. At 32, I was raising five kids at home and desperately had to return to work.
My first day back as a waitress was crazy. But I was all perky and ready to prove myself, when my coworker, Mark, pointed me towards table 13 like it was cursed.
A grumpy old man sat there, carefully examining the menu like it had done something wrong to him. Apparently, his name was Mr. Norton and everyone else avoided him like a contagious disease.
“No problem,” I thought, completely naive.
Ugh, big mistake.
Let me tell you, this guy was a whole new level of hungry and angry. He had a specific drink order and don’t even get me started on his affronted expression when I had to tell him we only had paper straws.
Mr. Morton gave me this look and muttered, “Stupid, softy generation. I always have iced tea. But not too cold or too sweet. Two lemon wedges and a paper straw, I guess.”
He complained constantly about other things like “loud” clients, and sent his food back twice, and yet… he always left a decent tip. Strange, right?
Every day was the same – Mr. Grumpy ordered, complained, tipped. It was tiring, dealing with his demands on top of the lunch rush, but hey, the money was good, and you gotta do what you gotta do to take care of your family, right?
Years passed quickly in a blur of spilled milkshakes, picking my kids up from soccer practice, and endless loads of laundry.
Mr. Grumpy remained a regular, becoming a predictable part of my day. Believe it or not, I learned how to handle him. I figured out his habits, managed his tantrums (because let’s be honest, that’s what they were), and even learned a little about his life.
In the end, I grew to like him and chuckled at his antics. Then, one day, Mr. Grumpy didn’t come in. I just saw his empty chair and got confused. But I got closer and saw a note and a key on his usual table. It said:
“Dear Jessie, thank you for putting up with this old grump for so long. I’m going to a special facility for hospice now, so I won’t be back. This is the key to my house. It’s yours. I’ve left my lawyer’s card so you can officially arrange everything. Goodbye, dear. P.S. My tea was too sweet, but I didn’t complain. See? My time is coming.”
His house. He left it to me! Me! A stranger! His family didn’t like him, and I was the only one who ever interacted with him in a friendly way.
The house was huge, perfect for our wild family, and it felt… unreal. So, I did what any curious (and slightly freaked out) waitress would do – I contacted his lawyer and later visited Mr. Norton in a hospice facility.
There he was, frail and quiet, the complete opposite of the fire-breathing dragon I knew at the restaurant.
He explained everything about his family, his regrets, and why he left me the house. Did I cry? You bet I did. I didn’t realize how much I had come to appreciate Mr. Grumpy, or how sad I was that he was alone.
That weekend, I took the kids to meet him. And for the first time in a long time, Mr. Norton smiled. It was a moment more valuable than any tip.
A few weeks later, he passed away. The house officially became ours, and his family, well, they didn’t want anything to do with it. This mama right here became a homeowner just by being nice!
The house was a lifesaver for our growing family, and it gave us all a chance to relax. We even started volunteering at the senior center, all thanks to Mr. Grumpy.
Now, whenever I see a grumpy old man, I just smile. You never know their story.
Jessie got something beautiful from a lonely old man, but next, Caroline was about to find that having a rich father wasn’t a guarantee of anything in life.
3. Four-Year-Old Triplets Stole Our Inheritance and Our Hearts
My dad, Graham (or you can call him Mr. Carlyle, as he preferred), updated his will and conveniently “forgot” to tell his kids – me, Caroline, and my brother, Ralph.
But fate intervened. His lawyer’s son was my boyfriend, who spilled the beans (figuratively, thankfully) about the new will, and we weren’t getting anything. Instead, he had given his entire estate to three little kids who lived in an orphanage.
Their names were Kyran, Kevin, and Kyle, and were just four years old at the time we discovered all this. So, we raced to the orphanage named in the will to check things out properly.
As soon as I saw those triplets, it hit me. On the ride back to our homes, I discussed it with my brother.
“Those are Dad’s kids!” I whispered to Ralph as we sipped fancy water in the limo. “He cheated on Marcy!”
Ralph was furious. “Marcy’s not going to be happy. The nuns said the boys are four, and their mother died last year! The affair must have been a long one…”
A mischievous grin spread across my face. “Oh, you bet Dad will do anything to keep this a secret from Marcy. Can you imagine the drama?”
Marcy, bless her heart, had been a kind presence since marrying Dad after our Mom passed away. But the age gap between them and her desire to be a replacement mother to us always made Ralph and me uncomfortable.
Therefore, Dad and she started IVF, and when those failed, she spiraled into a depression.
Ralph and I decided to confront our father with our discovery that same evening. We pretended to miss him and asked for a nice dinner with him.
Unfortunately for us, my father wasn’t a fool. He saw through us quicker than a snap.
“Alright, out with it,” he demanded. “What do you want?”
“Well, Daddy,” I started sweetly, “we’re just worried about you. My boyfriend mentioned you changed your will…”
I almost jumped at my dad’s dark expression. He glared at us, then tried to explain. We yelled back. It was a whole thing, and then, my brother made a little mistake.
“We know those brats are your children,” Ralph threatened. “And if you don’t provide for our share, we’ll tell Marcy!”
That’s when the real drama began. Because Marcy rounded the corner. “I think you already did, Ralph.”
Dad threw us out of his dining room immediately, but you know we stayed close by to eavesdrop. This was our future! Our money!
In short, Marcy demanded answers, and I could hear her tearful voice. Dad was forced to confess to a drunken encounter with a woman in Geneva.
It happened during the worst parts of Marcy’s depression. But even Ralph and I were shocked when Marcy said she kinda knew about the affair already.
Dad then revealed that he only found out about the triplets recently, after discovering their mother had died. Well, despite suspecting his infidelity, Marcy wasn’t going to act all understanding and forgiving.
She banished Dad to the couch and left to her bedroom. The next week was awkward, although Ralph and I tried to cheer our father up a little at work. Okay, we were also still trying to get back in the will.
But it was hard to watch him tiptoe around Marcy, and her silence was deafening. But a few days later, we arrived at his house just as Dad was parking his car in the driveway, and the three of us heard the sound of laughter coming from inside.
We went in, followed the noise to the backyard, and my jaw almost dropped at the sight. Marcy was playing catch with the adorable triplets. Dad was obviously speechless.
Marcy turned to him with a big smile, said she still loved him, and asked him to raise the boys together. For the first time since I was born, I saw my father crying as he hugged his wife and begged her for forgiveness.
Ralph and I looked at each other, and we just knew not to fight for this anymore. Besides, we already had trust funds and high positions at our father’s business.
So, the will remained the same, but we learned a valuable lesson about honesty and family (and maybe next time, we’ll just ask for a raise instead of an inheritance).
Caroline and her brother discovered that family was more important than money, but now George’s youngest son, Jay, was about to find out that his big brothers got a lot more than him as inheritance. Would he feel the same?
4. I Got the Last Laugh against My Big Brothers and Their Millions
My name is Jay, and I was 23 while my half-brothers were 34, when our father, George, passed away. He was a financial titan. Like, luxury-speedboat-on-a-whim kind of wealthy. But most of that money came from his first wife’s family’s company.
So, it wasn’t exactly a shocker when his will left most of it to his sons from that marriage, my not-always-pleasant brothers, Matt and Guy.
They were given $2.5 million to split evenly, and I got an old trunk. Dad’s lawyer, bless his heart, babbled about “sentimental value” and how my father knew I’d appreciate it the most.
Of course, Matt and Guy were already cracking jokes about dusty antiques and flea market finds. Yeah, they weren’t my biggest fans because Dad and I spent so much time together.
We were extremely close, and I suspected my brothers resented that. This decision probably brought them a lot of relief, thinking Dad actually favored them over me.
But see, I knew my old man better than anyone. Empty gestures weren’t his style. This decision was made for a reason.
Therefore, the dusty behemoth of a trunk he gave had to hold something more than mothballs and forgotten memories. Therefore, I let my brothers laugh and enjoy themselves. Later, Dad’s lawyer made us sign a waiver, saying none of us would try to contest the will no matter what.
The next morning, this Indiana Jones-worthy trunk arrived at my shoebox of a student apartment. Travel stickers from exotic locales (that made my passport cry a little) adorned its worn surface.
I quickly spotted a thick, aged envelope tucked away on the lid, and sighed when I saw it was addressed to me in Dad’s familiar handwriting.
“My dearest Jay, if you’re reading this, I’ve passed on, and I hope you can forgive my decisions regarding my earthly possessions.
This trunk belonged to your great-grandmother Judith, a bold woman who scandalized her family in the ’20s by eloping to Paris with a young artist.
She was adventurous and beautiful. She went from one talented lover to another, and so on. She also kept a diary of her years as a model in Paris, along with sketches from her partners and their friends.
As you explore her collection, you’ll discover some very notable names. I haven’t had it appraised, but I believe you’ll find it valuable. Until we meet again, remember, I love you. Live fully and be happy.”
I almost cried while reading that, but then, I finally got excited about my inheritance. Inside, I found the biggest treasure you can imagine – think sketches from legendary names like Picasso and Matisse, all gifts to my great-grandmother from her artistic admirers! And so much more!
There was no way I was letting some random local antique store owner lowball this potential treasure trove. I called up a buddy with a keen eye for art, who pointed me toward a high-end art gallery in the heart of New York City.
The guy who owned the place, Mr. Brandweiz, looked like Ebenezer Scrooge’s long-lost cousin, all thin and perpetually suspicious. At first, he was ready to usher me out the door with a dismissive wave, but when I unveiled the portfolio from the trunk, his whole demeanor shifted in a flash.
Turns out, the sketches were the real deal! Not just real, but potentially worth millions. The man practically needed smelling salts as he flipped through the biggest names of the art world.
I filled him in on my great-grandmother’s story, and by this point, his eyes were about to bulge out of his head. “Do you have any idea what you’re holding?” he finally croaked out. “This is a literal goldmine!”
And a goldmine it was. Publishing houses were tripping over themselves to get their hands on Judith’s scandalous diaries, Hollywood came knocking for a movie deal, and the next thing I knew, I was rubbing shoulders with directors and A-listers.
All thanks to my jet-setting great-grandmother and a dusty old trunk full of secrets. Oh, and the best part of this whole crazy story?
Those chucklehead brothers of mine who were mocking my “worthless” inheritance? Well, they couldn’t do anything about it because of the waiver the lawyer made us all sign.
I knew Dad wouldn’t do something so odd without a reason! Sweet, sweet karma.
Jay got the better end of the deal with his trunk inheritance, but Agatha was about to face a similar situation under more mysterious circumstances.
5. My Husband Left Our Farm to a Strange Woman
I’m Agatha, 65, and after building a life with Richard, all I knew was about to disappear. Let me give you some background.
Richard and I met in college and settled on his family farm in Milwaukee, and our lives were filled with animals, fresh air, and the quiet hum of routine.
We weren’t blessed with children, but we had each other, and that was enough. News articles about women choosing careers over motherhood only further validated our path.
Sure, the occasional trick-or-treaters from neighboring farms brought a smile to our faces, but honestly, the farm kept us plenty busy.
Years rolled by, and as age crept in, we hired help to manage the farm and eventually moved to a quieter suburban area of Milwaukee. Retirement was a golden time, filled with the comfort of a life well-lived. Then, everything changed.
Richard’s sudden heart attack left a gaping hole in my heart. I was still grieving when our lawyer called, asking me to come to a will reading.
“Why, Mr. Perkins?” I asked puzzled. We had no children, no extended family – what was the point?
But he insisted, so I went to his office the next day, bewildered. A while later, I was gaping because Richard had left everything, except for his mother’s old turquoise pendant, to a strange person.
“Who is Sue?” I asked, outrage bubbling up. “And why didn’t Richard ever mention her?”
Mr. Perkins explained that Sue was Richard’s daughter. What? She was born from a relationship Richard had before me – his “first love,” he’d told our lawyer.
Sue’s mother had kept the pregnancy a secret and raised her alone. After learning about her through social media years later, Richard reconnected and even financially supported Sue and her daughters.
This felt like a huge betrayal, but not for the money. I could have supported their reunion. Instead, his silence stung. I looked at Sue for real, and her face showed shock.
She offered to share the inheritance with me because she had only reached out to her father hoping to have a connection.
Looking at her, I knew what I had to do. “No,” I said. “Richard left you everything for a reason. You deserve it.”
I told her I was planning to move to Florida, where my parents had retired, so I honestly didn’t need the farm anymore.
Sue understood and was glad I wasn’t angry. Yet, I left the office with a bittersweet weight in my heart.
I went home, feeling dejected as I packed. But I was looking forward to living in the condo my parents had left me. However, when I grabbed one of Richard’s framed portraits, I felt like I wanted to scream.
I grabbed the pendant from my purse and tossed it on the floor. “Ugly thing!” I yelled with all my might. Little did I know, that moment would be the turning point I wasn’t expecting at this age.
The pendant flew open, revealing a tiny note: “Agatha, look in the study under the table.” This cryptic message jolted me into action.
In Richard’s study, taped under his desk, I found a key and a longer letter. My heart pounded as I read. First, my late husband apologized for the bombshell of Sue.
He also acknowledged our shared dream of children, a wish that had been replaced by a life we both grew to cherish. He went on to reveal the real reason for leaving most of his estate to Sue – she was struggling financially.
But then came the twist. Richard had secretly stashed his and my life savings in a safe, hidden behind the landscape painting of Milwaukee in his office.
He worried Sue might try to claim it, so he’d cashed it all out and bought gold bars – a secret fortune just for me. Finally, he said he loved me and thanked me for the life we built together.
I was bawling by then and thinking that Mr. Perkins could’ve protected my savings somehow if Richard hadn’t acted so bizarrely.
But after all, I was glad he had made sure I was taken care of. With the money from the safe and a renewed sense of purpose, I packed my things and headed south.
Florida, with its sunny skies and friendly communities, welcomed me with open arms. Sue even friended me on Facebook and often sent photos of her daughters enjoying the farm.
Looking out at the beach from my balcony, I smiled. Life had thrown me a curveball, but Richard, in his own way, had ensured a comfortable future.
Maybe, just maybe, he’d made the right choice after all.
