In a shocking twist, I inherited my estranged fatherโs mansion and fortune, leaving his second wife and daughter with a mere fraction. But as I was starting to adjust to my new life, I discovered a secret and was faced with a choice that would test my integrity.

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Hey there! Do I have a story for you! Itโs about a family drama and a whole lot of money. Sounds like a soap opera, right? But this is my life, Iโm Angela, a 19-year-old who thought she knew her estranged dad until recently.

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Letโs rewind a bit. My dad, well, heโs a piece of work. Broke my momโs heart by having an affair with Clara and then had my half-sister, Lily. After the divorce when I was 10, I lived with my mom and saw my dad sporadically.

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To be honest, I wasnโt missing much. Growing up, my dad was more like a guest star in the sitcom of my life, popping up now and then, but never really part of the main cast.
After he left us for Clara, his affair-turned-second-wife, it felt like he didnโt just move out, he kinda checked out of my life too.

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My mom, though, sheโs a total rockstar. She picked up the pieces without ever dissing him in front of me, always saying he loved me in his own messed-up way.

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My dad lived in this ridiculously huge mansion by the coast, made his fortune, sold his business for a million, and that house? Itโs on an island, the biggest land around, sold for a fortune too. But despite his wealth, he was bitter, holding grudges like trophies.

A mansion by the coast | Source: Shutterstock
When my dad sold his business and moved into that mansion on the island, it was like he was building his own fortress of solitude. Our already rare visits became even less frequent, turning our relationship into something youโd barely call acquaintances.

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I wasnโt close to him, but I did idolize my aunt, his sister, whoโs an RN. Sheโs basically the cool aunt everyone wishes they had. Sheโs this amazing nurse, always laughing and making everyone around her feel better.

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Hanging out with her made me think that maybe not everything about my dadโs side of the family was a lost cause. She showed me you could be kind and successful without the drama.
Sheโs also the reason I decided I wanted to become a nurse. My dad seemed to respect that, always saying he was proud of me following in her footsteps.

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So when he passed away, imagine my shock when I found out he left everything to me! Weโre talking about an 8 million dollar legacy! I was floored! I mean, whatโs a 19-year-old supposed to do with that kind of money?

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The will reading was surreal. Here I was, expecting maybe a sentimental item or two, but instead, I got the keys to Hamilton Manor, his prized possession.
Meanwhile, Clara and Lily got a mere $10,000 each. It didnโt add up, especially since he seemed to dote on them.

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Hearing about my dadโs death knocked the wind out of me, not gonna lie. I thought I was over it, but sitting in that lawyerโs office, listening to his will, all those old feelings of abandonment came rushing back.
And then finding out he left me everything, including the mansion, while Clara and Lily got next to nothing? Total plot twist.

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So I eventually moved into the mansion, even though it felt weird. Every room was like a time capsule of my familyโs past, filled with memories I wasnโt sure I was ready to face. But nothing prepared me for what I eventually found on his old laptop in the study.

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After settling into the mansion, I started poking around my dadโs stuff. Not to be nosy, okay maybe a little, but more like trying to connect dots or something.
Then, in his study, which was like a shrine to his ego, I found his old, dusty laptop. Curiosity got the best of me; I powered it up, half expecting it to fall apart.

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What I found blew my mind! Emails upon emails between my dad and his lawyer about this crazy plan to fake his death. Yeah, you heard that right. The man staged his own death as some twisted loyalty test for Clara and Lily.
The will? Part of the act. He was planning on coming back from the dead once he saw how theyโd react to their inheritance. The mansion and all that money he left me? Just props in his twisted game.

A young woman looking shocked at what sheโs seeing in a laptop | Source: Shutterstock
Sitting alone in the study, surrounded by the remnants of my dadโs grand scheme, I felt like I was at the epicenter of an emotional quake. The laptop in front of me felt like Pandoraโs boxโits secrets out and wreaking havoc in my life.
I leaned back, trying to process the whirlwind of feelings: betrayal, confusion, a weird sense of vindication, and under it all, a deep, nagging hurt.

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Itโs one thing to suspect your dad prefers playing the aloof millionaire over being, you know, an actual dad. Itโs another to find out he staged his own death as some bizarre loyalty test. Who does that?
The revelation forced me to question everything I thought I knew about love, loyalty, and family. Was his version of love always about tests and conditions? Had loyalty been reduced to just another game to him?

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Family. That word felt so heavy now. I always envied friends who had those warm, sitcom-style families. Mine? We could probably give the most twisted soap operas a run for their money.
But sitting in that mess of revelations, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, there was a chance to redefine what family meant to me. Could I take this inheritance, this burden of wealth, and turn it into somethingโฆ good?

Young woman looking out the window | Source: Pixabay
The mansion was quiet, almost suffocatingly so, as I pondered over my next steps. The obvious choice was to confront my dad, demand answers.
But what then? Part of me wanted to just walk away, leave the drama and the money behind. Yet, another part, a part I wasnโt so keen on admitting existed, was curious. What could I do with such an inheritance? Could I make it right, somehow?

Young woman leaning by the window | Source: Pixabay
I was still trying to process all this, feeling like Iโd fallen into a rabbit hole, when I heard footsteps. My heart stopped. I spun around, and there he was. My dad. Alive. In the flesh. It was like seeing a ghost, but worse, because ghosts donโt usually come with a ton of baggage.

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โAngela,โ he starts, and hearing him say my name after thinking he was gone was surreal, โI know this is a lot to take in. But youโve got to understand, this was all for a reason.โ

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Iโm just staring at him, part of me still not believing heโs actually there. โA reason?โ I finally manage to say. โYou put us through hell for a reason?โ He nods, all serious.
โYes. It was a test. To see whoโs really loyal, who really loves me for me, not just my money. I needed to know if Clara and Lily were here for the right reasons.โ

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I couldnโt believe what I was hearing. โSo, you leave me the mansion, the money, thinking what? That theyโd show their true colors over being left breadcrumbs?โ

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โExactly,โ he says, as if it all makes perfect sense. โBut I need you to stay quiet about this,โ he adds. Then, he sweetens the deal by making me an offer: he would still leave me the mansion after his death if I kept his secret.

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I remember laughing, not because anything was funny, but because it was either laugh or scream. โYou want me to pretend youโre still dead? Keep acting like the grieving daughter while you play puppet master?โ

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He had the gall to look offended and tell me it wasnโt about playing games. That It was about knowing the truth.
โThis isnโt a game, Dad. Itโs our lives. And Iโm not your pawn,โ I told him.

Girl trying to explain | Source: Shutterstock
That was the last straw. I couldnโt believe the lengths heโd go to manipulate us all. I told him straight up, no deal. I wanted no part in his mind games.
The mansion, the money, it meant nothing if it was all built on lies and scheming. It was clearer than ever that my real life was waiting for me, far away from my fatherโs manipulations.

Girl walking away | Source: Pexels
So, I walked away. Decided then and there that Iโd rather live a simple life than one filled with my dadโs drama. It was liberating, choosing honesty and integrity over wealth and deceit.
And thatโs my tale. Just a girl, her manipulative dad, and a decision to choose real relationships over material wealth. What would you have done in my shoes?
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