My Siblings Never Helped Our Parents, Yet Now They All Demand a Share of the Inheritance

I come from a large family: my father, mother, elder brother, two sisters, and myself. We live in a roomy three-bedroom flat in Manchester, and my father also built a spacious cottage in the countryside. Still, we were never what youd call a close-knit family. The childrenespecially the girlswere always bickering. As the years went by, not much changed; our relationships became even more strained and distant.

My brother was the first to move out. After he finished his National Service, he got married and became a respected man in his field. Sadly, his wife took a strong dislike to our family, which only drove a wedge between us. They had a daughter together, and although our parents tried visiting their granddaughter, the frosty attitude of my sister-in-law made those trips rather unpleasant. This pattern dragged on for some time, until about seven years ago, when the visits stopped completely.

My eldest sister fell deeply in love with an actor during her first year at university and eventually dropped out. For about three years, she trailed after him and his theatre troupe around various cities, always performing. Eventually, they had a falling-out, and he abandoned her in a town far from home. Our parents offered help, but she refusedit was her pride. At first, she bounced between hostels, but later told us she had got married.

I dont know much about how she met her husband, as none of us has seen her since her last visit ten years ago. My second sister has always been the centre of attention in our household, receiving the best of everythingperhaps her striking beauty played a part in that. She was never particularly gifted academically, but she always seemed to believe that a persons worth is measured by the size of their wallet. Right after finishing secondary school, she started dating the son of a wealthy businessman. But when his fathers business collapsed, she moved on to one of his friends, who was better off financially. They’ve lived together for the past five years and have a son.

As for me, my life has hardly been peaceful. After graduating university, I married, and my husband and I had a daughter. Sadly, my husband developed a serious drinking problem, and we divorced. Around the same time, my parents were hit with major health issues. For years, Ive been pulled between caring for my parents and raising my daughter. Sadly, my siblings have never offered any help, although now everyone is quick to lay a claim to the inheritance. Years ago, my father gave me the deed to the house in the country, but I believe I should inherit a share of the flat as well.