Woman Refuses to Attend Estranged Father's Funeral — Then Finds Out He Left Her 'Everything' in His Will

Mar. 15, 2025

Group of people at a funeral in a stock photo.Photo:Terry Vine/Getty

Terry Vine/Getty

A woman whose “terrible relationship” with her father caused her to skip his funeral now says he’s left her everything in his will — and she is unsure of what to do with it.In a post shared toReddit, the anonymous, 28-year-old woman writes that her dad “walked out on my mom and me when I was 10 and only popped up in my life when he needed something—usually money or a favor. He remarried, had two other kids, and basically acted like I didn’t exist.“When she turned 18, she decided she “was done with him,” she adds.A person signing a will in a stock photo.Izusek/Getty"He tried reaching out a few times over the years, but it always felt forced, so I ignored him. My mom passed away a few years ago, and I didn’t even hear from him then. It solidified my decision to cut him off for good,” she writes.A month ago, she got a call from her father’s wife, saying he had died unexpectedly. When his wife asked the woman to attend the funeral, she said no. “Why should I show up to mourn someone who wasn’t there for me when I needed him?” she writes in her post.“A week after the funeral, I got a call from a lawyer. Turns out, my dad left a will, and in it, he left everything to me—his house, his savings, his car, everything. His wife and kids got absolutely nothing,” she writes.The post continues: “I was floored. I didn’t even know he had that much to leave behind. The lawyer told me my dad had tried to make amends and felt guilty about abandoning me, so he wanted to ‘make things right.’ “But now the man’s wife and kids are “furious” with the woman, saying she “stole” their inheritance and “didn’t even have the decency to show up at the funeral.“The woman explains that she now feels “conflicted.““On one hand, I didn’t ask for any of this. On the other, I get why they’re mad. I didn’t have a relationship with my dad, but now I’m walking away with everything, while they’re left with nothing,” she adds.Commenters have suggested the woman give the inheritance to someone else, like the man’s wife, or donate it.“You could find a great cause for children who have parents in the system or something similar. Do good with it!” wrote one commenter.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.In a follow-up post, that woman writes that she ultimately decided to “give everything back to the wife and her family.““They’re still angry at me and I can’t blame them. What my dad did was messed up. I wouldn’t want to leave them in the position my dad left my mother and I,” she adds.

A woman whose “terrible relationship” with her father caused her to skip his funeral now says he’s left her everything in his will — and she is unsure of what to do with it.

In a post shared toReddit, the anonymous, 28-year-old woman writes that her dad “walked out on my mom and me when I was 10 and only popped up in my life when he needed something—usually money or a favor. He remarried, had two other kids, and basically acted like I didn’t exist.”

When she turned 18, she decided she “was done with him,” she adds.

A person signing a will in a stock photo.Izusek/Getty

Izusek/Getty

“He tried reaching out a few times over the years, but it always felt forced, so I ignored him. My mom passed away a few years ago, and I didn’t even hear from him then. It solidified my decision to cut him off for good,” she writes.

A month ago, she got a call from her father’s wife, saying he had died unexpectedly. When his wife asked the woman to attend the funeral, she said no. “Why should I show up to mourn someone who wasn’t there for me when I needed him?” she writes in her post.

“A week after the funeral, I got a call from a lawyer. Turns out, my dad left a will, and in it, he left everything to me—his house, his savings, his car, everything. His wife and kids got absolutely nothing,” she writes.

The post continues: “I was floored. I didn’t even know he had that much to leave behind. The lawyer told me my dad had tried to make amends and felt guilty about abandoning me, so he wanted to ‘make things right.’ "

But now the man’s wife and kids are “furious” with the woman, saying she “stole” their inheritance and “didn’t even have the decency to show up at the funeral.”

The woman explains that she now feels “conflicted.”

“On one hand, I didn’t ask for any of this. On the other, I get why they’re mad. I didn’t have a relationship with my dad, but now I’m walking away with everything, while they’re left with nothing,” she adds.

Commenters have suggested the woman give the inheritance to someone else, like the man’s wife, or donate it.

“You could find a great cause for children who have parents in the system or something similar. Do good with it!” wrote one commenter.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a follow-up post, that woman writes that she ultimately decided to “give everything back to the wife and her family.”

“They’re still angry at me and I can’t blame them. What my dad did was messed up. I wouldn’t want to leave them in the position my dad left my mother and I,” she adds.

source: people.com