A lot of inheritances are not so sweet. Inadvertently, they led three people to make discoveries that changed their lives.
A woman who was upset found out the truth while taking care of property that had been left to someone else. After buying a run-down house for $1,000, he found a terrible story about a father who was left behind.
Another learned the truth about his grandparents while redoing their beloved home as promised. These amazing tales show that money isn’t the only way to measure wealth. This means being loyal, working hard, and remembering the past.
I got nothing from my grandmother’s will until I figured out her secret plan.
When Grandma died, I thought I would get the farm, which is worth a lot of money to our family. I worked the land, fed the animals, and learned its rhythms as a child.
When the lawyer read her will, my life changed. It was my cousin Felicity who got the farm. She took more pictures than she worked in the fields.
“Your grandmother loved you more than anyone else, Diana,” the lawyer wrote in a letter. Grandma’s handwriting was hard to read through my tears as I opened it and shook my hands.
“Dear Diana,
If you read this, you have to make a choice. Yes, you love this farm, and it has changed you just as much as it changed me. But I needed to know when its real guardian would show up. That’s it for now; you can stay as long as you want.
The farm can’t be sold while you’re there. Wait a minute. In three months, my second will will be made public.
“Love, Grandma.”
Why did she not give me the farm? Did she doubt me?
I watched Felicity whisper to her husband Jack. I heard developers and quick money.
After that, Felicity told Diana, “Take the money and leave. You can start over in the city.”
I shook and said, “This isn’t about money.” It’s about family.
It was clear she didn’t care as she threw the keys at me. Get in shape.
The next day, I went back to the house. Even though the job was hard, the worn-out ground felt alive when I touched it. Daisy, the old cow who understood everything I said, woke me up in the morning. In the afternoons, they fixed fences and took care of crops.
Unexpectedly, our neighbor Ross became a friend.
“Do you need help again?” He made a joke and brought his tools.
“Fence hates me,” I muttered as I wiped my sweat off.
He laughed as he showed me how to make the posts stronger. “A good fence makes a happy farm,” your grandmother always said.
It’s funny that she never said how much work it would be.
As I watched the sun go down from the porch, I could smell smoke. I saw that the home was on fire.
“No!” I screamed as I ran toward the fire.
People nearby yelled and brought water. Ross took my arm.
“Too dangerous!”
All the animals—
He told me to stay away as the house burned down and said, “They’re safe.”
By dawn, Felicity was standing in the ashes with a rough voice. Doesn’t this change anything?
“No,” I said again. “Farm is still here.”
My dear Diana, you live in a barn. It’s over. “Just sell.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
She scowled and said, “You’re stubborn.” “There is nothing left.”
That’s right. I had my memories, the land, and Grandma’s love.
I built again over the next few weeks. With Ross’s help, I fixed fences, tilled areas, and planted crops.
As we sat on the porch steps one evening, he said, “You’ve done good, Diana.” “Your grandmother would be happy about you.”
I looked out to the sky and said, “Thank you.” “I believe I understand why she did that.”
He said yes. “She knew you were needed on the farm.”
After three months, the lawyer called us for the second reading of Grandma’s will. Felicity showed up, and her arrogance made me go crazy.
“Dear Felicity and Diana,” the lawyer said, “it’s time to show who really takes care of the farm.” Felicity, I thought this might help you connect with your family history. I hope Diana has shown that she can take care of the farm. I give you the farm right away.”
Felicity’s features were twisted by her anger. That’s not funny! She set the house on fire!”
Jack stood there with a bill. It’s funny, because when I told my friend at the gas station about the fire, he said that Felicity had bought gas that day.
Fierce, Felicity was caught. “All right!” I didn’t want her here!”
The lawyer’s speech eased things up. Dani, you own the farm.
The farm was where I felt safe. The animals and fields there made me feel safe and whole again after years.
Ross joined me on the balcony one purple night.
“How about that dinner I promised?” he asked with a shy smile.
“You know?” “I guess I have time now.”
I knew the farm was more than my past or present as we got ready for the night. There was love and happiness in my future.
With his last $1,000, this man buys an empty farm and finds a bag of cash in the attic.
I bought a farm for $1000. It seemed like a miracle since my sister stole my fortune. After giving up my parents’ land because of her lies, I had nothing. What I could save from my kids’ college fund was enough to buy this house.
I should have known something was wrong when seller James rushed me through the sale. He told me I didn’t need to go to the farm. He smiled and said, “Trust me.” “Bonus.”
I gave them my last $1000 and signed the pieces of paper. After two days, Lena and I brought our two kids. When we got to the overgrown road, I felt sick.
The place was a mess. The house was in bad shape, with broken windows and paint that was peeling off. There were weeds in the fields. “This is where we’ll start over,” I told Lena, and right away I started to wonder if I was wrong.
She grabbed my arm and said, “We’ll fix it.” I always did better when she believed in me.
From the start, our sleeves were up. Lena and I worked to plant and care for food. We didn’t have much but hope.
Our neighbors quickly saw what we were doing. To see how we had changed the area, they bought eggs or vegetables. I had never worked so hard, but every dollar was worth it.
Two men showed up in the afternoon. Sebastian, who used to own the farm, owed money to it. One of them said, “You have to pay it now.”
Now I know that James and his brothers sold me this house to get away from their problems. I kept my anger in check. It wasn’t worth crying anymore. I agreed to pay back the loan and made a small payment to buy time.
When I cleaned out the attic the next day, I found an old black plastic bag in a cabinet. It tore when I took it out, and the cash fell to the floor.
My jaw dropped. “Lena!” The call was shaky. Inside was another bag with money and a letter in it. Writing.
The letter began, “If you’re reading this, my sons disobeyed my will.” It was from Sebastian, who used to own the farm.
He wrote about how much he loved the farm that had been in his family for hundreds of years. His boys didn’t want to work, even though he thought they would enjoy it.
The letter said, “I hope someone takes good care of my land and gets this money.” “Grow it on the farm with that money.” It’s important to me that it works, even if my boys don’t.
I cried while reading. It looked like Sebastian was speaking to me. That day, I wanted what he wanted.
Some of the money was used to pay off debts, and the rest went to the farm. Lena and I worked on it for months to make it beautiful and useful. There were lots of crops on our farm, healthy animals in the barn, and a beautiful house.
People from nearby towns and residents of the nearby towns visited the farm. People bought and sold fresh milk, eggs, and fruit. I gave this place the name “William and Sebastian’s Farm” to honor the people who loved it before me.
After the farm’s success made the news, James and his brothers came back with fake smiles and greedy plans.
“Business is great!” James told them. “Why don’t you split the gain with us?”
With a laugh. I bought the house and fixed it up day and night. You didn’t get anything done.
James looked away, feeling bad about what he did, but his eyes showed that he was desperate. They were too far in debt to pay.
I didn’t turn them down; I hired them. “You’ll get paid well if you’re willing to work hard,” I said. They agreed after thinking about it.
Seeing how hard they were working on the farm made their father mad. They had never liked hard work, but they were learning.
James gave me a $500 bill that he found in the attic. “That’s your reward for being honest,” he said with a smile. I really did plant it to test him.
The land was very important to the family. I taught my kids how to work and take care of animals, just like Sebastian wanted for his boys.
During college breaks, my kids came back to help. Sebastian thought about the farm’s future, but I never did. I was sure it was safe.
Sebastian’s letter did more than just give me money. His farm saved my family, and I carried on his work.
Poor Man Rebuilds Granny’s House and Finds Cellar Next to It
My brother Walter and I went to the lawyer after my grandmother died. Walter was excited because he thought he would get rich. But what about me? I rebuilt my grandfather’s house to give her her last wish.
Grandma begged as she lay dying. “This house is my whole world.” After your grandfather built it with love, I promised to keep it in the family for years. Please rebuild in his name.
I told her I would. When Walter nodded, I knew he was lying.
We were told she left the house at the lawyer’s office. That’s it. There was no money or gold, just an old house. Walter’s face turned red because he was mad.
That’s not right! What about her money? What are her valuables?” He asked for it.
The lawyer said that everything was sold or used. There was only the house left. Walter ran away in a rage.
“Do anything you want with it!” he yelled. “I’m not going to waste my time or money there.”
Not shocked but let down. Walter was always thinking about what he could get, but I was interested in what really counted.
I wanted to give Grandma what she wanted, but I couldn’t afford it. My family was having a hard time, and I owed money. I still couldn’t break my promise.
I took money from a close friend and spent all of my own money to fix up the house. It was hard work. Most of the time, I worked alone to hammer, paint, and fix things.
I was digging in the front yard to repair the sewage system when my shovel hit something big. I looked around and found a wooden hatch. There was a small staircase below it that led to a space below.
I went down with a flashlight. In the middle of the room was an old wooden box with a letter on top. It hurt my hands to open it.
The letter was written by grandfather.
Hi, Harry, my grandson.
Thank you for reading this because your grandma asked you to. I asked her to tell you about the house because I always believed you were honest and loved your family. I’m glad Walter changed his mind if he’s with you.
This chest holds things for the family. Get what you deserve by giving this letter to my lawyer. Your grandmother and I watch over you. You love your family and this house.
“Love, Grandpa.”
It brought tears. My grandfather was smart and saw the future, and he helped me after he died.
There were family albums, memories, and a small box of my grandparents’ jewelry in the chest. With the letter in hand, I went to see their lawyer.
When I gave this lawyer the letter, he smiled. He went on, “Your grandfather always said you would bring this to me.”
His description of what would happen next made me thankful. “The money your grandfather left you is $300,000.” The money went to charity unless you fixed up the house.
I had trouble breathing. $300,000. I had a lot more money than I thought.
I knew what to do. In honor of my grandparents, I gave $100,000 to an organization for seniors. I used the rest to settle my bills and rebuild the house.
Like Grandma and Grandpa had hoped, the house felt like a home again. After selling our old house, my wife and I moved in together. With the extra cash, we opened a small café and worked hard to make it a success.
We were finally able to pay our bills because our business did well. The house was where we lived and was always full of love and happiness, just like my grandparents’.
Walter? I don’t mind that he never came around. My family has loved and worked hard on this house for decades.
I remembered what Grandpa had told me: “Love your family.” I’ll do it so that our family can live in this house for a long time.