Relatives Didn’t Care about Me When I Was in Foster Care until They Learned I Inherited $1.6M — Story of the Day

I had to grow up quickly and learn how to be independent after my parents died when I was a toddler. My relatives didn't check up on me while I was in foster care until they discovered that my parents had left me with more than a million dollars which I claimed when I was 18.

I was born into a wealthy family. Although I couldn't remember much about my parents, I would often look back at the photo albums and videotapes they left behind so that I wouldn't forget about them altogether.

In those albums and videotapes, my parents and I would often be surrounded by many of their relatives. They would come to our house and attend every special event my parents hosted.

Emilia's parents always hosted family gatherings at their home. | Source: Pexels

"What an adorable little girl you are, Emilia!" one of my aunts gushed in a videotape I watched recently. "You're welcome to come by our house any time," she said.

I couldn't help but laugh as I watched that video. I now realize that they were only trying to please my parents by saying kind words to me, but our relatives didn't care about me at all.

When I was four years old, my parents died in a tragic car accident while on a business trip. At the time, I was left at home with my trusted nanny.

In just a couple of days, my entire world changed. My nanny took me to my aunt's house, the same aunt I watched on the videotape, asking her to take me in.

Emilia was left an orphan after her parents died. | Source: Pexels

"Madison and Jason are dead?" the aunt said, surprised. "Did they leave Emilia with an inheritance?" she asked curiously.

My nanny, Elizabeth, realized that my aunt was only interested in my parents' money and not me. She informed my parents' lawyers about this so my relatives couldn't take advantage of me.

"They didn't leave her caretakers with any money," Elizabeth told them.

"Then we can't take care of her," my aunt quickly replied. "She's just another mouth to feed."

Emilia's relatives refused to take her in. | Source: Pexels

My nanny was turned down countless times by my relatives who had no interest in taking me in. Ultimately, she and my parents' lawyer had no choice but to put me under foster care.

Every day, growing up, I dreamt of seeing my relatives, but no one ever came to see me. Only my parents' lawyer and my nanny Elizabeth would constantly visit me regardless of where I went.

When I was old enough to understand, they explained what had happened to my parents. Finally, when I asked them about my relatives, they had enough courage to tell me the truth.

When Emilia was old enough to understand, she started asking questions. | Source: Pexels

"You see, your relatives are no good for you," Elizabeth told me. "A couple of years ago, when they found out that your parents passed, they ransacked your entire house searching for jewels and any other valuables they could take. Good thing they found nothing," she said.

I was heartbroken when she told me this. I couldn't believe that my relatives only wanted my parents' money.

When I turned 8, I was adopted by a woman named Samantha. She was a cashier at a grocery store, revealing that my parents had helped her and her family a long time ago.

Emilia was adopted when she was 8. | Source: Pexels

"I couldn't believe they passed away. It made me sad," she admitted when she picked me up. "I wanted to make sure you were taken care of."

Samantha had three other children at home but insisted on adopting me. She and her husband Dave did everything they could so I could live comfortably, even if it meant working two jobs each.

I never grew hungry and had everything I could need, thanks to them. Aside from providing me and my adoptive siblings with our needs, they also showered us with so much love, time, and affection through the years.

Emilia loved her adoptive family dearly. | Source: Pexels

The most challenging thing for my adoptive parents was to raise enough money for the education of all four of us siblings. We tried to help them by gunning for scholarships in several schools and universities.

However, our scholarship grants were still not enough to cover everything. Our mom started to lose weight, and our dad suffered from back problems from working too much. They didn't complain or show us their exhaustion, but we knew it was because they both worked so hard.

After I graduated from high school at the age of 18, I discovered something from my biological parents' lawyer. She showed up at our house with an antique chair, saying my parents wanted it passed on to me.

Emilia didn't know her life would change after high school. | Source: Pexels

"A chair?" I asked the lawyer curiously.

"It's not just a chair, dear. Go ahead and lift that cushion," she suggested.

As soon as I did, I immediately knew that my life and that of my family were about to change for good. Our family jewels worth over $1.6 million were hidden inside a chest, along with a letter.

"

it read.

There was a letter under the cushion alongside a chest. | Source: Pexels

Thanks to the inheritance, I was able to pay for my education at a prestigious university. I also paid off my siblings' loans, so my parents no longer needed to worry about it.

I shared the money with my foster family and eventually invested in properties so that the money I had kept growing. I was able to give back to my mom and dad for all the sacrifices they made for my siblings and me.

Eventually, news of the inheritance traveled to my relatives. After hiring my parents' lawyer, one of my aunts found a folder with my name written on it on the lawyer's desk.

Emilia's relatives eventually found out about the inheritance. | Source: Pexels

While Attorney Hathaway wasn't looking, she took a peek at the folder and saw that I had finally claimed my inheritance worth over a million. Immediately, they started searching for me, hoping to get on my good side.

"I'm helping you out because my parents raised me to be kind. I hope that you, too, can be kind to your neighbors. I didn't hear from all of you while I was growing up. It's weird to me that suddenly after I received an inheritance, you show up out of nowhere," I told them.

Seeing the look on their faces was enough for me. I knew that I would never see them again after I handed them the check. I was right.

After they received the money, they no longer contacted me again. I decided to cut all ties with them and focus on the family who loved me dearly without expecting anything in return.

What can we learn from this story?

• Family is not about blood. It's about who's willing to hold your hand when you need it the most. Emilia felt more love from her adoptive family than she ever did from her relatives. They raised her without expecting anything in return, so when Emilia had the opportunity to give back, that's precisely what she did.
• Be careful about the people you keep close to you as they have the biggest tendency to betray you. Emilia never heard from her relatives after her parents died. They refused to take care of her and only showed up again after finding out she had received an inheritance. Her late parents learned the hard way that even your closest relatives could have ulterior motives no matter how kind you are to them.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a brother who inherited his dad's wealth while his sister got nothing but a letter asking her to visit her great-grandmother's home.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.