Social Worker Delivers Food to Sweet Old Lady – after Her Death Gets $80k Inheritance from Her

A few months after she befriended the old lady, the woman sensed something fishy about her behavior. However, she witnessed the truth unfold when the lawyers declared the dead woman's will and its contents.

Sometimes, receiving a small token of appreciation for a kind gesture might be surprising enough to put a smile on our faces. But for Redditor freeeeekkkk, the unexpected way she was repaid for her favor almost dragged her to court.

The woman was a part of a meals-on-wheels program in high school that encouraged volunteers to build a conversation with those they delivered meals to. It was here where she met an unfamiliar old lady who seemed sweet initially.

The Original Poster (OP) delivered food to the woman thrice a week during her first three months of volunteering. The old lady was housebound because she'd fallen and needed food delivery. She lived alone and had children across the states.

Eventually, the old woman's will laid the groundwork for trouble in OP's life.

When OP's commitment to the program ended, she befriended the old lady and met her once every couple of weeks. The two talked, played cards, and hung out together more often.

Their friendship magnified with time, and although the woman was feeble, OP thought she exhibited impeccable alertness for her age. However, this is where OP got things wrong.

Five years into their friendship, OP spotted specific issues cropping up, such as the woman being in a confused state and having problems identifying words. The drastic change in the lady's behavior seemed out of character for OP.

The woman often exhibited such odd behavior, and whenever OP questioned her, she vaguely brushed it off as "regular effects of aging." Unmoved by her response, OP encouraged her to bring the issue to her doctor and family's notice.

The old lady assured OP that she'd informed her children and doctor about what she was dealing with. For a while, OP believed her, and everything seemed perfect until the beginning of the following year.

With each passing day, the woman had difficulties dealing with anything normal she once liked doing. Her condition worsened with time, prompting OP to visit her daily. Since her children couldn't move her to an assisted facility, they hired a professional caretaker, and upon their insistence, OP moved in to offer extra support.

Although the doctors surmised the woman would live relatively longer, fate had other plans. Her death shattered OP, who thought it was bittersweet because she knew how the woman suffered during her final days.

Just as OP was dealing with her old friend's loss and began looking elsewhere to stay, the lawyers informed her about the will. The woman had divided her legacy equally among her children and OP. The Redditor was shocked because she had no idea about this. Eventually, the old woman's will laid the groundwork for trouble in OP's life.

According to the will, the woman had left OP a life-changing fortune of $80K and nearly the same amount to her children. OP thought it was a tremendous gesture. However, the will's contents didn't go too well with the woman's children.

They planned to contest it because they speculated their mother had added OP in the will around the same time she had dementia and were assured she could've mistaken OP as one of her children.

OP was conflicted and second-guessed herself for letting an old lady with dementia add her to the will. Although she was interested in claiming the money, she wasn't willing to do it at the cost of upsetting the woman's children. She found herself at a dead end, so she turned to random strangers on Reddit's "AITA" forum for insight.

Among the people who comforted OP, saying she wasn't wrong, the post's top-voted commenter warmonger asserted that OP was guiltless as long as the old lady was mentally sound when she made the will.

"Her money, her choice. What were her kids' views of having someone care for their mother so much when they weren't helping themselves?" the Redditor questioned.

OP clarified that she had no clue in what state of mind the lady amended her will as she hadn't moved in with her until her dementia progressed to the final stages.

As the discussion magnified, OP amassed a lot of supporters and a few critics who found her situation dodgy. Some commenters like Redditor Evie_St_Clair felt there was a missing piece to the bigger picture. The person stated:

"This sounds shady as hell. Why would a woman change her will to include someone that came for a visit every couple of weeks?"

However, user BrrangAThang jumped in OP's defense, writing, "Because no one else was visiting her."

"Her children should have been around enough to notice she had dementia, but they just left her to herself! I can imagine the woman being so grateful that someone actually CARED. I get it," Redditor mysticmuser asserted.

Although OP has kept readers in the dark about the fate of the money she inherited, she felt that the older woman's children weren't wrong for contesting the will.

"I don't think her kids are bad people or doing this out of malice, so if it's found they are entitled to the money, I think I wouldn't stand in the way of them having it," she conclusively proclaimed.

What happened further and whether OP had surrendered the $80K to the old lady's children or kickstarted her life with it is still unknown…and only time will tell!

Questions to Ponder:

If you were OP, would you give up the money you inherited in favor of the woman's children?

The old lady's children wanted to contest the will because they felt their mother had included OP in the will when she had wasn't in her right mind. They surmised she could've mistaken OP as her child and parted the legacy with her. On the flip side, OP said that although she wanted to keep the money, she would surrender it if it was proven that the woman's children were the rightful heirs to the money she inherited. Would you give up the fortune you inherited in a similar scenario if you were OP?

What are the chances the woman's children could prove the money OP inherited was rightfully theirs?

The woman's children were convinced their mother wasn't of sound mind when she revised her will to include OP. Do you think they have a chance in court to prove this and take back OP's inheritance?

If you liked reading this story, here's one about a man who moved into his inherited house and was shocked to see a woman with three children and their luggage at his doorstep.

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