Stepmom demands 22-year-old to donate $9,000 of her grandmother's college fund money to her 15-year-old half-brother

Advertisement
  • A recent college graduate walks on campus in her cap and gown.
  • [Am I wrong] for not wanting to share my college fund with my half brother?

    I recently graduated from college completely debt free, which honestly feels like a blessing these days. That was only possible because of a college fund my grandma set up for me when I was born. She was basically like a second mom
  • picked me up from school, came to every recital, stayed over when I was sick. She passed away when I was 17, but before that, she made it very clear that the money she saved up was for my education only.
  • She even had it written into a trust with my name, specifically for college related expenses. Anyway here's where it gets messy.
  • A young woman looks out the window.
  • My dad got remarried when I was 15. His new wife was never exactly warm toward me, but I was trying to be civil for my dad's sake. Two years after they got
  • married, they had my half brother, who's now 7. He's a sweet kid, and I don't have anything against him, but we're not close. I basically moved out for college shortly after he was born, so I only see him during holidays or quick visits.
  • A couple of weeks ago, after my graduation, my dad asked to "talk privately." We sat down and he started with, "I'm really proud of you. You've done so well." Then
  • he got to the real point: "I was wondering if you'd be open to setting aside some of the leftover college money for your little. brother. You've got about $9,000 left, right? That could really help us start saving for his future."
  • I kind of froze for a second. I told him I hadn't fully decided what I'd do with the leftover money, but I was planning on using it for my move (I got a job out of state), maybe a down payment on a used car, or even grad school in a couple years.
  • He said, "I get that, but your brother doesn't have anyone else who can do that for him. It would mean a lot if you helped. You were lucky he should be too."
  • I replied (as calmly as I could), "But Dad, that money wasn't from you or anyone else. It was from Grandma. She saved that money for me. Not for anyone else, and definitely not for your new family."
  • He got quiet. Then he said. something like, "I just thought you'd care more about your family. Guess I was wrong."
  • An older woman looks sternly at her stepdaughter.
  • And that really p d me off. Because where was that same energy when he let my stepmom exclude me from holidays? Or when I had to figure out FAFSA and apartment hunting on my own because he was "too busy" with my brother?
  • Now my stepmom has been acting super cold giving me that fake polite tone, and making comments like, "Well, not everyone's raised to be generous,
  • I guess." My dad barely talks to me unless it's about surface level stuff. It honestly feels like I committed some crime just for wanting to keep my college fund for, I don't know, my future?
  • I told my mom (my parents are divorced), and she was livid. Said I shouldn't give them a cent, especially since my grandma never even liked my dad's new wife in the first place.

Tags

Scroll Down For The Next Article