The inheritance of lies: A sister's betrayal

When Charlotte's mother dies, her sister Barbara doesn't waste time trying to exclude her from the inheritance. Armed with an old document, Barbara tries, with an air of superiority, to ruin Charlotte's plans. But when the truth comes to light, it's Barbara who faces the ultimate betrayal, and by the time she realizes her mistake, it's too late.

I always thought that family was unbreakable.

That no matter what happened, blood was blood, and at the end of the day, we would always be there for each other. That's how family works, right?

But after my mother passed away, my sister Barbara showed up without warning and made me question everything I thought I knew.

And when the truth came to light?

It was Barbara who begged for forgiveness.

My mother raised two daughters: me, Charlotte, and my older sister, Barbara.

Naturally, Barbara was always the favorite. She was the one who received all the attention.

Did Barbara want a roast chicken? My mother had it cooking as soon as the words left her mouth. Did Barbara need her laundry picked up? My mother would get in the car and pick it up.

Barbara was also beautiful. Stunningly beautiful, and she never stopped making sure people looked at her. She was blonde, with piercing blue eyes, just like our mother.

Meanwhile, I was the different one. I had dark hair, dark eyes, and, to be honest, I never looked like either of them.

But I never questioned it. Why would I? I loved my mother.

No, I adored my mother with everything I had. She was my whole world.

So when she fell ill, I was the one who put my life on pause to take care of her. I never complained, not once. Not when bruises appeared on my arms because she clung to me tightly when I took her to the bathroom. Not when she would get frustrated and throw food all over the room. Not even when she collapsed and cried for hours.

Barbara, on the other hand?

She was too busy chasing her dreams of becoming an actress.

"I can't take care of mom, Charlotte. I have auditions. I have producers to meet. I have to stay relevant and go to events. You understand, right? Right, Lottie?"

And I understood.

Because that’s what she always did. I always understood, while Barbara lived her life as she pleased. I tried not to focus on her and how much I needed help.

Instead, I let Barbara come and go, wearing her new clothes and showing off photos with actors and actresses she'd met.

"This is a glamorous life, mom," she said one day when mom was too weak to get out of bed to eat her soup. "And you really should improve your look, Lottie. You need to get noticed. Your posture is terrible because you’re hunched over that computer."

"It's my job, Barbara," I simply said.

Life went on that way for months. And then, finally, mom passed away. But that was when Barbara came back.

And she wasn’t mourning. Not at all. She was hungry, even starving.

For our mother's money.

After the funeral, we met with Alistair, my mother's lawyer. Barbara came in like she owned the place, dressed in black but wearing diamond earrings I'd never seen before.

I should have suspected something was wrong when she sat down with an arrogant smile.

The lawyer pulled out the official will, but before he could read it, my sister made her first move. Barbara reached into her designer bag and pulled out a yellowed, folded piece of paper.

"Before you read that," she said sweetly, "I have something interesting to share."

She slid the paper toward me.

"Look what I found in mom’s drawer when I was looking for her jewelry."

I unfolded it, and as soon as I read the words at the top, my stomach sank.

ADOPTION DECREE.

Barbara leaned back with a smug grin.

"Well, well, well," she said in a slow voice. "Looks like I finally know why you always looked so different from us."

My hands trembled as I read the document.

Once. Twice. Three times.

"You… you're lying," I exclaimed. "You made this up! You had one of your weird friends do it!"

She let out a fake sigh, her long nails tapping on the desk.

"Oh, Charlotte," she said. "Don’t be so dramatic. My friends have better things to do. And anyway, it’s all right there. You’re adopted. Girl, you’re not even mom’s biological daughter. I always knew your brown eyes and dark hair didn’t belong in our family."

I felt sick. I felt like the vomit was rising in my throat.

Had my mother hidden this from me my whole life? But why would she? Why not tell me the truth?

Would it have changed anything?

Not for me. I would have been more grateful to her.

Barbara crossed her arms.

"So, even though mom’s will said everything would be divided, you know, she always said that, I’ll make sure you get nothing. You don’t belong to this family, so why should you get anything?"

"Ladies, please calm down. Let’s take a moment to think this through," said the lawyer.

But I was too stunned to speak. Barbara’s words had hurt me. Deeply.

And that’s when I saw it. There was one detail she had overlooked in her move. The name on the adoption papers had been erased. Someone had deliberately tried to remove it.

And that?

That made me suspicious.

"Please, Alistair," she said. "You can go ahead with whatever, but as for the inheritance, I want it all. I can wait for you to sort out the papers."

The lawyer sighed and nodded.

"But I think you both need to have a conversation before we meet again."

Barbara scoffed.

"No need."

Barbara was so sure she had won. But I wasn’t going to let her take everything without proof. I didn’t want to be cruel, but I had missed two promotions during the months I’d been taking care of our mother.

I needed to know I had the safety net of her money. I just needed to have something in my name…

I decided to demand a DNA test.

"What’s the point, Charlotte?" she scoffed. "You know what it will say, Lottie. That you’re not family. I wonder where mom found you. Do you think your biological mom misses you?"

I didn’t think of anything except the fact that our mother would be turning in her grave at Barbara’s behavior.

"Just do it," I demanded. "Think of it this way. If I really am adopted and there’s proof, you’ll have more right to everything."

That did it. She slowly shook her head. Suddenly, she stood up from the couch, a martini in hand, and looked at me.

"Fine. Let’s do it."

But the results?

Oh my God. They shocked everyone. Because Barbara?

She wasn’t biologically related to our mother.

After the results came in, I went to see my Aunt Helen, my mother's younger sister. She had been very quiet about everything, but after I told her about the DNA results, she finally told me the truth.

"Your mother never wanted either of you to know, Lottie," Aunt Helen said, tears in her eyes. "Because she knew how much it would hurt both of you."

"Know what?" I asked, my heart racing, but I already had an inkling it had to do with Barbara’s birth.

"Barbara wasn’t mom’s biological daughter, Lottie."

"So you knew?"

Aunt Helen nodded.

"Your mom found Barbara at a train station when she was two years old. She had been abandoned. My sister took her in, raised her as her own. And she never, ever wanted Barbara to feel less loved. It helped that she had the same blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Okay," I said slowly, trying to piece together all the pieces of the puzzle. "But how did Barbara have an adoption decree? If she was found at a train station, I mean..."

Aunt Helen sighed and looked out the window as though gathering her thoughts.

"Because your mom made it official, darling. She went through the judicial system and legally adopted Barbara a year later. She wanted to make sure no one could take her away."

My stomach twisted. I didn’t know how to feel. Or how to feel it.

"So, mom just didn’t tell her?"

Aunt Helen shook her head.

"She never told either of you, Lottie," Aunt Helen said softly. "Because to her, it didn’t matter. Barbara was her daughter, just like you. Whether by blood or not, she loved both of you equally, and nothing would change that."

But Barbara never saw it that way.

She spent her entire life being treated like the golden child, like she belonged.

And in the end?

Barbara was the adopted one. I was the biological daughter...

The biological daughter.

When I told my sister the truth, at first she laughed. We were in the kitchen, and I couldn’t wait to tell her. I needed to know the truth too.

"Now you’re lying, Charlotte," she said. "You probably had someone falsify the results, right? Or you hacked the system! You’re the computer expert..."

But when I showed her the DNA test and told her everything Aunt Helen had said?

Her face went pale.

"No. No, this can’t be true. Mom wanted me! She... she couldn’t have adopted an abandoned child."

But she did. She did.

"Barbara," I said. "She loved you. And the fact that you’re adopted doesn’t change that. Our mother was wonderful. She probably saw you and couldn’t wait to love you."

Barbara looked at me. She was... I don’t know. I couldn’t read her face. I didn’t understand what she was thinking. I had no idea.

She was blank.

As for my mother, she gave everything to Barbara. She saw a little girl and wanted to take her home and love her, make that little girl hers.

And instead of spreading that love and joy... what did Barbara do in return?

She tried to steal my inheritance.

She tried to erase me from our mother’s life.

And now?

It was she who lost everything.

We went to see the lawyer again. Together, but in separate cars. Barbara couldn’t even look at me.

Alistair confirmed that my mother’s will was valid. Despite Barbara’s cruel attempt to exclude me, I still got half of everything.

"But... wait!" Barbara said, digging her nails into her thigh. "I don’t want to share..."

"Barbara," said Alistair. "It’s clear. Your mother wanted both of you to share everything. Fifty-fifty. Now, if you want to play this biological daughter game, I don’t know what to tell you... Charlotte might just take it all."

My sister thought she could rewrite history, but legally? She couldn’t touch a thing.

The will was clear. We had to divide everything.

But after her move? After trying to erase me from our mother’s legacy? Barbara lost more than just her pride.

"We’re going to court," she said.

"I really don’t recommend it," Alistair said.

"So what?" Barbara said, nearly screaming. "Do you just want us to split the money and pretend we’re family again? I want nothing to do with Charlotte! I want my money and my house. And then I want to be done with this."

"Barbara, please..." I said.

"Shut up!" she yelled, throwing one of Alistair’s pens on the floor. "I don’t want you near me. You’ll only be here to remind me that I’m not our mother’s biological daughter. So no. Let’s do this. And when I win, you’re going to get the hell out of my house."

That was it. She’d done it. I didn’t want to be kind. I didn’t want to share. I didn’t want Barbara near me any more than she wanted me near her.

So?

I hired Alistair immediately. For me this time, not on behalf of my mother’s inheritance.

"Let’s do it," I said. "Let’s go to court."

"But I want Alistair!" Barbara said, standing up.

"Too late, sister," I said.

Months later, Barbara fought it in court, desperate to keep it all for herself. But she failed.

In the end, the judge ruled against her.

And I got everything.

She tried to destroy me, and in doing so, she destroyed herself and her future.

And you know what?

I think she deserved it.

What would you have done?