AITA for refusing to share my inheritance with my e**itled sister after she cut me off for 10 years?

Upon inheriting a substantial amount of money from his grandfather, a 28-year-old man is now being confronted with requests from his 35-year-old sister. Following their parents’ death in a car crash ten years prior, the sister, then 18, left him to pursue her own interests, forcing him to support himself and finance his own college education.

Now that he’s come into a fortune, his sister resurfaces out of nowhere, reminding him of their familial connection and vaguely mentioning her money troubles. When he declines to divvy up his newfound riches, she flies into a rage, branding him as self-centered and unappreciative, as certain relatives pressure him to show forgiveness. Read the original story below…

‘ AITA for refusing to share my inheritance with my e**itled sister after she cut me off for 10 years?’

Here’s a little context. My older sister (35F) severed all ties with me (28M) roughly a decade ago, around the time I turned 18, which was soon after our parents passed away in a car crash. She essentially left me to fend for myself during an incredibly difficult period in my life, citing my lack of “maturity” as the reason, and stating that she desired the freedom to enjoy her life.

No communication, no messages, and a complete absence of assistance. I was compelled to hold down several jobs to sustain my living and fund my education, entirely independently. Now, skipping ahead to last month, I received a significant sum of money from my mother’s father. This inheritance was unforeseen, and it has transformed my circumstances.

Suddenly, my sister is back in the picture, acting like we’re the closest family in the world. She starts hinting at financial struggles and how tough life has been for her.
I told her outright that I wasn’t interested in sharing my inheritance, especially after she abandoned me for a decade.

She became very upset and called me self-centered and “ungrateful” because “we’re family.” Am I the bad guy for standing firm and not giving her money? My friends agree I’m not wrong, but some family members believe I should be more “understanding.”

Here’s what people had to say to OP:

ExistenceRaisin −  Definitely NTA. She cut you out of her life for 10 years, and now the only reason she has reconnected with you is because she wants your money. If she cared about family, she would have been there for you when you needed her

becoming_maxine −  NTA. She can’t play the family card after being NC for over 10 years. Didn’t grandfather leave her anything or does she feel e**itled to dip into your share too?

Easton_HJE −  Nope NTA. I wouldn’t give her any of it. If she couldn’t be there for you for ten years she has no business trying to come back and act like you two are besties.

HugeInTheShire −  NTA. She clearly just want the money, but why didn’t she inherit anything? Most grandparents don’t leave everything to one grandchild, was she left out or did she blow hers already?

VacationWeary7466 −  OP here: Just wanted to add, she didn’t even show up for our parents’ funerals, claiming she was “too busy with work.” How can she claim to be family now?

Hawaiianstylin808 −  Not quite sure how you are ungrateful. I mean she hasn’t done anything for you. S**fish. Again she is no contact until she needs something. You are just following her lead by providing her with the exact same level of family responsibility she has provided you over the last 10 years.. NTA. Block her on everything.

Netflickingthebean −  Nope, please, give her nothing, not even your attention. She showed you how much she valued you already, the only value that changed was the value of your bank account.. NTA

nycgarbagewhore −  INFO: how did she find out you inherited anything? Did other family members keep in contact and tell her? I would be wondering what else they’ve told her over the years.

Change2001 −  NTA. But tell her you will think about it and to get back to you in another decade. Maybe you will have made a decision by then.

DJ_Too_Supreme_AITA −  NTA. Suddently, my sister is back in the picture, acting like we’re the cloest family in the world. Yeah, she suddenly appears after you get this life changing inheritance. OP, don’t fall for this. Your sister doesn’t care about you, she cares about money. Don’t give her a dime.

She begins to imply she’s having money problems and that her life is hard. I would just say “that’s wild.” What about you? You were forced to fend for yourself while grieving the death of your parents and being abandoned by your only sibling but of course, her life is hard 🙄

She became incredibly enraged and called me selfish and “ungrateful” due to our “familial” connection. It’s amusing, especially coming from someone who left an 18-year-old to take care of himself. Were we “family” at that point? Furthermore, it always infuriates me when someone with a sense of entitlement believes they deserve something solely because of “fAmIlY.”

You’re entitled to prioritize your own needs since she hasn’t offered you any assistance. You can’t be accused of lacking gratitude if you never received anything that warranted it in the first place.

Is the sibling right to retain the entirety of their inheritance, or ought they to pardon their sister for what she has done and divide the assets with her? What is your opinion? Express your opinion below.