When Julia and Helga’s father passed away, the sisters found themselves in a battle that would change everything. Helga was furious with their mother, Mrs. Hanson, over the inheritance. Julia was in the kitchen, but she could hear every word of Helga’s angry outburst from the living room.
“How dare you?” Helga screamed into the phone, her voice filled with rage. Julia felt a mix of shock and anger as she listened to her sister lash out. Mrs. Hanson had decided to leave 30% of the estate to Helga, while Julia would receive the rest. It wasn’t a fair split in Helga’s eyes.
She thought she deserved more, especially since she had just had twins at the age of 47. But Mrs. Hanson felt differently. She believed Julia deserved the money because she had always been there for their family, while Helga and her husband were often selfish and only called when they needed something.
“Helga, please don’t yell,” Mrs. Hanson tried to calm her daughter. Julia stepped closer, her heart racing. She could feel the tension in the air. Mrs. Hanson decided to put the call on speakerphone, wanting Julia to hear everything. “I knew you would see reason, Julia. Our mother was so obstinate.”
“MOTHER! You can’t just give everything to Julia! She doesn’t even have children! Don’t you care about the twins? They deserve their share of the money!” Helga’s voice was shrill, and Julia clenched her fists, shocked that her sister could say such things.
“Helga, it doesn’t matter whether Julia has kids or not. She sacrificed so much of her life to take care of your father and me, whereas you didn’t. You have a husband who can support you. This is my money, and I get to decide who receives it,” Mrs. Hanson explained firmly, but Helga was not satisfied.
“I DON’T CARE WHAT JULIA HAS DONE! YOU KNOW WHAT? I CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO DIE, AND I’LL SUE FOR MY SHARE! GOODBYE!” Helga screamed, her voice dripping with venom before she hung up.
Mrs. Hanson sighed, placing her forehead in her hand, clearly upset. Julia felt a wave of anger wash over her. How could her sister say something so cruel?
“Mom, she’s just angry. She didn’t mean that,” Julia lied, trying to comfort her mother, but deep down, she knew Helga meant every word. Helga would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, but their lawyer assured them that as long as Helga received something, she couldn’t contest the will.
In the following months, Helga bombarded their mother with calls, trying to convince her to change the will. Each conversation ended in loud arguments, wearing Mrs. Hanson down. Julia’s anger towards Helga grew stronger with each fight.
Then, the day Julia dreaded arrived. Their mother passed away, and at the funeral, Helga put on a dramatic show of grief, crying loudly and pretending to be heartbroken. But most of the family knew her true nature and whispered among themselves, “She’s only here for the money.”
After the funeral, Helga wasted no time calling Julia about the inheritance. “I know we both got our share, but I really need more money,” she said sweetly, but Julia could hear the greed behind her words.
Finally, Julia hatched a clever plan. During one of their phone calls, she said, “Okay, listen. I want to move to New York, so I’m going to sell Mom’s house. I’ll give you 50% of the sale, even though it’s in my name. Does that seem fair?”
“Oh, that’s fantastic, Julia! Thank you! I knew you would see reason. Our mother was so obstinate. You’re the best aunt to the twins ever. I swear this is all for their future!” Helga gushed, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. Julia felt a chill run down her spine.
She wasn’t sure if Helga was truly going to use the money for her children, but it didn’t matter because Julia was lying.
The house sold quickly because it was in a great location, and Helga was practically drooling at the thought of getting half of the sale. Julia thought to herself, “She doesn’t deserve a single penny.”
“Okay, I’m going to put your part of the money in a bank account, and I’ll send you the details later. Is that alright?” Julia asked as they met for coffee right before she left for New York.
“Of course! Of course! Though, I’m going to miss you so much!” Helga said with a smile, but Julia didn’t trust it for a second.
“Cool, well, goodbye,” Julia replied, standing up and giving her sister an awkward hug. Helga acted as if she would truly miss her, but Julia could see right through her act.
A week after Julia moved to New York, she finally sent Helga the details to the safety deposit box.
“Your sister couldn’t just wire the money to our account?” Helga’s husband asked, puzzled by the unusual method.
“She’s an idiot. You know that. I’ll go to the bank right now and check things out,” Helga replied, her smile hiding her true intentions.
When Helga arrived at the bank, she was led to the safety deposit box. As she opened it, her heart raced with excitement, but when she saw what was inside, her face fell. “That’s all?” she gasped, staring at the three $1 bills. Next to them lay a note that read: “That’s all you deserve.”
Helga’s screams echoed through the bank, filled with disbelief and rage. “What is this?!” she cried, her voice cracking. But Julia had already blocked her number, and they never spoke again.
What can we learn from this story?
Greediness leads to nothing. Helga treated everyone poorly and only wanted money. In the end, she received nothing.
Follow your relative’s wishes. Even though Helga pestered Julia and their mother terribly, Julia chose to honor her mother’s desires.
What do you think of the story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
