My Stepfather Left Me His $640K Estate While My Mom and Stepsister Got $5K Each – What They Did When the Will Was Read Shocked Me
I was never referred to as my stepfather’s daughter. I was the “invisible and unwanted” child in my own family for a long time. He left my mom and stepsister only $5K each after his death, leaving me his $640K estate. I was more astonished by the rationale and their response than by the inheritance.
Lucy is my name. As the unwelcome puzzle piece, I grew up. After a marriage that lasted as long as a summer storm, Mom gave birth to me when I was 19. She married Mark when I was five years old. Ava, my half-sister, arrived a year later.
Mark never gave me a hug. He never claimed to love me. I was never referred to as his daughter. I was simply “Lucy” or maybe “your kid” when he discussed me with Mom. He wasn’t mean, though. He made purchases. Place food on the table. He also saw to it that I got what I required.
Mom would call and say, “Lucy, dinner’s ready,”
“Coming, Mom.”
Mark would raise his gaze from his paper. He would look at me as if I were a piece of furniture.
Then again, Ava was different. His little princess was her. You know, the golden child. She would run into the room and light up his face.
“Daddy, look what I drew!”
“That is lovely, my love. You’re really gifted.” Mark would chirp.
I also drew images in the past. After spending precisely two days on the refrigerator, they vanished into the garbage.
“Why doesn’t Mark like me?” When I was eight years old, I asked Mom once.
She appeared uneasy. “He’s fine with you, honey. He simply lacks emotional intelligence.
That was how the years went by. I’m attempting to get a little attention. Ava is being showered with affection.
I was hurt. Like a lot. However, I ignored it. I got it. I didn’t matter. I learnt to deal with it.
I studied hard, remained out of trouble, and helped with chores without being asked. I reasoned that perhaps he might notice me if I was flawless enough.
Mark gave me a single nod when I was the valedictorian at my high school graduation.
He exclaimed, “Good job!” That’s all.
He took Ava out for pizza and ice cream when she received a B-plus on a spelling exam.
College was my escape. Mark had to be reminded to pay the tuition.
“Lucy, this is really expensive for me. Don’t waste it.
“I refuse to. Thank you…” I paused, my heart wanting to name him Dad.
“Just make sure you get a job that pays well. I’m not supporting you forever.”
“I get it. I’m grateful, Mark.
My field of study was veterinary medicine. Animals have always captivated me. They didn’t show preference or pass judgment on you. It made no difference to an injured bird whether you were the stepdaughter or the biological daughter. All it needed was assistance.
I would return home to the same scenario throughout breaks. Now sixteen, Ava was Mark’s pride and pleasure. There was nothing she could do wrong.
She declared, “I crashed the car,” one afternoon.
Mark hardly raised his head from his joe. “As long as the princess is safe. Automobiles can be swapped out.
He didn’t talk to me for a week after I unintentionally scratched his truck with my bike when I was twelve.
Then, one Tuesday morning, the call came in. I was preparing for tests in my last year of college.
“Lucy?” Mom’s voice faltered. “Mark suffered a cardiac arrest. He is no longer there.
It was an unreal funeral. He was praised for being a good man. His affection for his family was immense. I felt like an impostor as I sat in the front row.
His brother told Ava and me, “He was so proud of you girls.”
I wanted to chuckle. Or weep. Perhaps both.
We sat in Mr. Steven’s legal office three weeks later. Mom gripped her handbag. Ava looked at her phone. My eyes lingered on my hands.
Mr. Steven remarked, “Thank you all for coming,” “Mark left very specific instructions about his will.”
He opened an envelope made of manila. Suddenly, the room felt smaller.
“To my wife Marie, I leave $5,000.”
Mom’s face turned pale. “Five thousand? Is that all?”
“To my daughter Ava, I leave $5,000.”
Ava’s jaw dropped. “What? That isn’t possible.
Mr. Steven read on. “I give the rest of my estate to my stepdaughter Lucy. This covers the home, any investments, savings accounts, and personal belongings. The entire amount is almost $640,000.
“This is a mistake!” Mom jumped out of her seat. “He wouldn’t do this!”
Ava sobbed. “She’s not even his real daughter!”
I was unable to breathe or move. This must be incorrect.
Mom blinked as she looked straight ahead. Then she muttered:
“So HE KNEW.”
Without saying another word, she got up, took Ava by the arm, and hurried out.
I remained motionless. I was dazed and immobile. WHY ME?
When Mr. Steven replied, “There’s more,” I was startled out of my reverie. He gave me another envelope. “Mark left you a personal letter.”
I opened it, my hands trembling. The page was covered in Mark’s meticulous handwriting:
“Lucy,
Right now, you’re probably perplexed. Even though I never said it, I was aware of everything. How you unasked for support from your mother. How you didn’t gripe when Ava received more attention. You made a great effort to make me proud.
I have something to tell you. My biological daughter is not Ava. After two years of marriage, Marie had an affair. Recently, I learned through a DNA test. It provided a lot of explanation.
Here’s what counts, though. A family is not formed by blood. Things happen. You showed me more love and respect than anyone else in that house, even though you were never my biological child. The only person who ever truly made me feel like a father was you.
I was always viewed as a paycheck by Marie and Ava. I was a person to you. Even when I was too afraid and obstinate to be as kind to you.
With this money, I hope you can fulfill your lifelong desire of becoming a veterinarian. In your room, I noticed some pamphlets. I am aware of your strong desire to aid animals.
Lucy, you deserved better from me. One day, I hope, you will be able to forgive an old idiot who didn’t know how to love.
Look after yourself.
Mark.
I felt as though I had been holding my breath for years as my chest tightened. I read his signature again after stroking it with my fingers. And once more. I had to be sure it wasn’t my imagination.
That night, I went to see Mom and Ava and told them everything.
“What does the letter say?” She made a demand.
I glanced up at her. Anger, not sadness, twisted her face. As though I had personally stolen something from her, Ava was giving me a fierce look.
I confessed, “He knew about the affair,”
Mom’s face turned pale.
“Mom, Ava’s not his daughter, right?”
It exploded instantly.
Ava shouted, “You lying little…”
“How could he…? He didn’t ever say anything. Mom cut me off.
“He claims that you both treated him like a wallet right here. that he was only treated like family by me.
Mom grabbed the letter. However, I withdrew it.
“Give me that!”
“No.”
“This is ridiculous!” Ava let out a scream. “Somehow, you were able to manipulate him! You most likely told him false information about us.
“What lies?” Slowly, I got to my feet. “That he covered the costs of all three of your car crashes? That he sent you money even though you left college twice? That Mom complained he didn’t buy her enough jewelry and used his credit cards to go shopping?”
“That’s different!” Mom lost her temper. “We’re his real family!”
“Are you?” I displayed the letter. Because Ava isn’t his daughter either, based on this. What, then, makes you more genuine than I am?
Ava’s face fell flat. “You’re telling lies! Mom, tell her she’s lying.
Mom spoke nothing but quiet.
“Oh my God,” muttered Ava. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
“Ava, honey…”
“Don’t!” Ava whirled around. “You dare not! You gave me the impression that he was my father for the entirety of my existence.
“He was your father in every way that mattered!”
“Then why did he leave everything to her?” As if I were poison, Ava pointed at me.
For the first time in my life, I felt strong.
“Perhaps because I never asked him for anything. Not once. Are you able to say the same?
Without saying another word, Mom and Ava hurried to their rooms. I took the car back to my place so I could think clearly about this whole situation. Yesterday was that day.
I woke up this morning in the bedroom of my leased flat. I made the decision to retain my inheritance.
I intend to give Riverside Animal Rescue half of my earnings. Veterinary school will be covered by the remaining half. Somehow, Mark knew I wanted that. The pamphlets he spoke of? I assumed he was unaware of them.
At seven o’clock this evening, my phone rang.
“Lucy, honey, we need to talk about this inheritance situation.”
Mom’s voice had changed. Sweeter. False.
“What about it?”
“Well, you know that Mark would prefer that you tell your family. When he wrote that will, he most likely wasn’t thinking straight. You know, the drugs? We ought to divide things evenly.
“He seemed pretty clear to me.”
“Lucy, use common sense. Your sister is Ava. Your mommy is me. Each of us deserves more than $5,000.
“Why?”
“Because we’re family!”
“When you allowed Mark to neglect me for eighteen years, were we family? When Ava had everything and I had nothing, were we family? When I lived in this house, were we family?
Quiet.
“Don’t be tough, Lucy. All of our lives could be changed by this money.
“Mom, it has already transformed my life. Just not in the manner you had hoped.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
It indicates that I now have a clear understanding of what true love looks like. It’s silent. It doesn’t require credit, money, or attention. It simply gives. just as Mark did. as I have attempted to achieve throughout my life.”
“You’re being dramatic.”
“Am I? When was the last time you inquired about my well-being? Not what you needed from me, not what I could do for you. How recently did you show concern for my feelings?
One more quiet.
“I care about you, Lucy.”
“No, mother. You are concerned about Mark’s finances. There is a distinction. You have two weeks to move out with Ava.
I ended the call.
As I write this, dear readers, I am sitting on my terrace. I have Mark’s letter in my pocket, folded. I’ve perused it twenty times.
He claimed that I gave him a fatherly sense. He was unaware that he had imparted to me a valuable lesson: Love isn’t always overt or evident. It is concealed during peaceful times. Occasionally, it arrives too late. However, it changes everything when it’s genuine, when it’s earned after years of unappreciated sacrifices and modest deeds of generosity.
Mark ended up picking me. He saw me when no one else did, in his own difficult, restrained manner. I got more from him than just cash. He proved to me that I was important.
Blood is said to be thicker than water. However, I’ve gained more knowledge. Any blood that flows through self-serving veins is shallow compared to the water of the chosen family, which is gained with devotion and sincere concern.
The value of that exceeds $640,000. It’s worth every penny.
