But as I read the document, my heart sank. My parents had decided to leave everything—the family home, the land, the savings, and even some cherished heirlooms—to my brother. Not a single mention was made of me.
At first, I thought it had to be a mistake, but then I read the part where they had written that my brother, being the son, would inherit everything because ’he will need to support his future family and provide for them.’
The will further explained that since I’m married and my husband takes care of me, I don’t need any inheritance. They believed my brother, as a man, should have it all because one day he would have his own family to support. It even went on to say that, as their daughter, my responsibility was now to my husband’s family, not my own.”
I was in complete shock.
My parents had always been loving and supportive, so seeing this felt like a betrayal, as though my worth was diminished simply because I’m a woman. They didn’t even discuss this decision with me, and the pain of it was overwhelming. When I confronted them, they didn’t seem to understand why I was so upset.
My mother said, ’But you’re married, Meera. Arjun takes care of you. Your brother needs this to start his own life when he marries.
This is just how things are done in our culture.’ My father chimed in, ’You should be happy for your brother; he needs this more than you do. I’m really struggling with this, because it feels like my value to my parents is tied solely to the fact that I’m a woman. They seem to think that, now that I’m married, I no longer belong to their family.
It’s as though all the years I spent being their daughter, their source of support, and their pride, no longer matter because I have a husband. I feel utterly betrayed and heartbroken. I’ve always done everything they asked of me, but now I question whether they ever saw me as equal to my brother.
I’m torn. On one hand, I am ready to fight for what I believe is rightfully mine, but on the other hand, I wonder if I should simply accept their decision since they’ve clearly made up their minds. I don’t want to cause a rift in my family, but I also can’t ignore the pain this has caused me.
What should I do? Source: brightside.me
