I Refuse to Pay for My Niece’s College, Even Though I Got Her Late Dad’s Inheritance

I never imagined I would be in this twisted situation where my own family treats me like the villain. I thought I had a decent relationship with my niece, and I always tried to be supportive in ways that felt reasonable. But recently, things took a turn that I did not see coming. Not only is my niece ungrateful for things I’ve done for her, but she’s making me regret them.

Hi Bright Side readers!

Please, read my story before you judge. When my niece was only three years old, my brother died in a horrible accident. Our whole family fell apart for a while. He was a young single dad, and no one expected something like that to happen.

It turned out that in his will, he left all his money to me. He trusted me, obviously, and he made that choice on his own.

I showered his daughter with love, but I was not her parent. She was adopted. I put her over myself and my life multiple times and helped where I could, showed up for important moments, bought her things here and there, gave her birthday presents, and tried to be someone she could always rely on emotionally.

For years, there was never any mention of the inheritance. Not once. In fact, as she grew up, she became more distant.

Fast-forward to recently. She is nineteen now and getting ready for college. Out of nowhere, she called me. No warning, no warm up, no conversation.

She went straight into it. Her exact words were, “Send me dad’s money. I need it for college.” It felt like she was demanding something that I stole from her.

I told her the truth. The money was mine. Her father left it to me, not to her. He never said it was meant to be a college fund or a savings plan for my niece. He left it directly to me. I was firm but not rude.

I said I could not give her the inheritance as I need the funds for my own son’s education and I feel as if I’ve given more than enough to her already. She immediately hung up. No goodbye, no discussion, nothing.

Two days later, things got worse. I found out she had told several extended family members and close friends that I was stealing her father’s money “wrongfully” and refusing to pay for her future. She made it sound like I was hoarding something that legally belonged to her and that I had been secretly sitting on it while she struggled.

People started messaging me, calling me selfish and heartless. Some even hinted that I should be ashamed for using “her dad’s money” on myself or just be “understanding, kind” and do what my brother “would’ve wanted”. MY brother left his money to ME.

I also never signed up to be her financial backup plan. I never agreed to pay her tuition. What hurt most was her reaction.

If she had come to me politely, talked to me like a human, asked for help or advice, I might have tried to support her in smaller ways. But demanding money and acting like it was owed to her made things feel completely different. It turned everything into a transaction.

My niece still refuses to talk to me directly. She only communicates through vague posts and messages sent through other people. I keep thinking about that moment she hung up on me. It stings more than the money ever could, and I think our relationship is beyond repair at this point.

Sometimes doing the right thing for yourself makes you look like the bad guy. I can live with that. But I do wonder. Am I really in the wrong here, or are people just picking sides without thinking logically?

In our previous letter, a man shared how he suffered terrible consequences after he refused to do a pregnant coworker’s work for free. Read the full story: I Refuse to Cover My Pregnant Coworker for Free, Now HR Is Involved