I (29F) never had the best relationship with my stepmother (62F). My dad married her when I was 15, and while she wasn’t cruel, we just never clicked. Dad passed away two years ago, leaving me his small house in his will. My stepmother had been living there with him for the past 14 years.
After the funeral, I asked my stepmother, who had been living there for 14 years, to pay rent, but she refused. I knew Dad had left her a decent sum of money, so I figured it was fair. Our conversation went something like this:
Me: “I know this is a difficult time, but we need to discuss the house situation.”
Stepmother: “What do you mean? This has been my home for over a decade.”
Me: “I understand, but legally, it’s mine now. I’m not asking you to leave, just to pay rent.”
Stepmother: “That’s ridiculous! Your father wouldn’t have wanted this!”
Me: “Dad left you money. I’m just asking for a fair arrangement.”
My stepmother refused, citing her long-term residency and emotional attachment to the house. I gave her a month to reconsider, but she wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, I evicted her. It was messy and emotional, with my stepmother accusing me of being heartless and greedy. Eventually, she moved out, and I felt relieved to have it over with.
A year later I ran into my stepsister, Emma, at a coffee shop. She dropped a bombshell
on me:
Emma, confessed: “You know, Mom’s planning to leave that apartment to me now.”
Me: “What apartment?”
Emma: “The one your dad bought for her before he died. Didn’t you know?”
Apparently, Dad had secretly purchased a small apartment for my stepmother before his death. There was an agreement that if my stepmother stayed in the house she shared with Dad, the apartment would go to me after her death. However, if she was forced to leave, she could give it to anyone.
I was stunned. I immediately called my stepmother to confirm this, and she coldly told me it was true. She said, “You kicked me out of my home. Why should I leave you anything?”
Now, I’m torn. I thought I was just protecting my inheritance and rights, but it turns out I’ve lost out on additional
property. The apartment is in a prime location and worth significantly more than the house I inherited.
I feel betrayed by my dad for keeping this secret and angry at my stepmother for not telling me about this arrangement. If I had known, I might have handled things differently. At the same time, I can’t help but think that if my stepmother had just agreed to pay rent, none of this would have happened.
Am I wrong for evicting my stepmother and inadvertently losing out on inheriting an apartment?
Source: nowiveseeneverything
