I was shocked to receive just $39,000 in inheritance

Back then, my mother hurriedly handed me the money and said that was all they had left. "This is your inheritance," she said. I then sat down with my parents and demanded an explanation, as they had previously told me not to expect any inheritance when I, their daughter, started life from scratch and refused to help financially when my children were sick.

"Now that I have everything, what am I supposed to do with this VND1 billion?" I asked.

My father reluctantly told me that he hoped I would accept the money and handle the legal dispute with my brother, who had taken their properties, as he was in his late seventies and no longer sharp enough to deal with lawsuits and debts. My mother also promised to follow my arrangements and cut ties with my brother.

To be honest, I did not know whether to laugh or cry. That inheritance came with the responsibility of supporting my aging parents, paying off their debts, which were much larger than that amount, and settling a lawsuit with my brother.

It took me three years to handle the legal battle. Luckily, the money I won from the lawsuit was enough to pay off my parents' debts. I then used my own money to purchase a house for my parents and take care of them.

But the story did not end there. After my father passed away, my mother turned on me and reached out to her son, allowing him to live in the house that I bought. Together, they filed a lawsuit demanding the house be divided between us three. In the end, I still won the case because I still kept all the receipts for the purchase of the property. Once the lawsuit was settled, I quietly packed my mother's belongings and asked her to move out. By then, she was almost 90. I called her dear son to come pick her up but of course, no one came. She still lives with me to this day.

I hear many people say that, as children, we should endure and take care of our parents, even though they often become difficult as they age. But in my mother’s case, her discriminatory attitude began when I was a child and has not changed at all. I understood this, so while I cannot simply abandon her, I have completely discarded any familial bond with her.

Should I have done things differently?

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.