In a Reddit post shared with subReddit r/AmITheAsshole (AITA), site user u/Accomplished_Bar5656 asked, “AITA for suing my parents for my college money?”
“My great-aunt set up savings accounts for all of her female relatives. In our culture education for women is not really valued and she thought that was bullshit,” she explained in the beginning of her post.
The great-aunt, who had grown up in London and became a doctor, “funded the education of as many of her nieces and grand-nieces as she could.”
And when she passed away, she left cash to all her female relatives and descendants ― including the author of the post.
Then, her parents got access to the account
The author then revealed that her parents found their way into the accounts created for her sister and herself by their now-deceased great-aunt.
Her parents used the money to pay for their son’s wedding, she revealed ― and while she was irate with the use of her and her sisters’ cash, her sister “didn’t care because she got married two years out of high school and had no intention of going to college.”
However, the poster had no idea about how much had been withdrawn until she tried to pay for her (American ― read: expensive AF) college.
“When I graduated I went to the bank to get money for school and it was almost all gone. There was like $13,000 left,” she said.
“I asked my parents about it and they said they had needed the money. I finally found out where the money went. I got furious,” she added.
“I got student loans and moved out. I am a great source of shame to them and I don’t give two fucks.”
She’s now seeking to sue her parents
The author of the post shared that she’s currently suing her parents ― and that it’s alienating her from her loved ones.
“My entire family is against me,” she shared. “They all think I am a complete asshole for airing private family business in public, and that I am putting money ahead of family.“
In fact, her brother was so incensed by the lawsuit that he offered to front the cash for her uni fees in exchange for her dropping the case.
“I agreed as long as we had a legally binding contract. He said I was being an asshole for not trusting him. I said he should not have accepted my money for his wedding,” she said.
“I am somewhat ashamed to be doing this but I don’t want to have this debt I should not have.”
An overwhelming majority of the commenters were on her side
“Your parents didn’t borrow your money. They stole it. I hope you have all the documents to show that money was yours,” one person commented, adding “your brother is also the AH for trying to get you to drop a lawsuit with what is most likely a lie.”
“They think you are an asshole for holding them accountable for their awful actions. They thought you would be a pushover, but you are showing them you’re not. Your great-aunt would be proud of you,” another commenter said.
“They put money ahead of family when they stole OP’s education money for themselves and for a wedding. A wedding is not a NEED, it’s a want,” yet another site user opined.
But what do you think?