It has been said that money is the root of all evil, but these lifeless pieces of paper don’t change anyone; they change by themselves. In the following stories, people showed their true nature when faced with large amounts of money.
One of the three people in these stories tried to monopolize her husband’s life and money by kicking out his son, while another tried to bring together a feuding family using finances. A third person got a life insurance policy and pretended to be dead. Keep reading…
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1. My stepmother tried to kick me out, but she discovered something surprising in our house that changed everything.
After coming home from work, I was exhausted. Classes at the university during the day, shifts at the game store at night… it was endless. I never wanted this part-time job, especially since my dad’s income could cover my expenses.
But my stepmother, Karen, insisted, claiming it would “teach me responsibility.” When I walked in, my dad and stepmother were on top of me. Karen immediately attacked, asking, “Why are you late? You were supposed to clean today.”
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I tried to stay calm.
“I had a long day. I’ll clean tomorrow.”
My stepmother crossed her arms, her voice high-pitched as she asked, “Tomorrow? That’s not how responsibility works, Marcus.”
I couldn’t hold back. “You’re home all day. Is it really that hard to clean?”
She turned red. “How dare you talk to me like that!”
Just then, dad walked into the room. “What’s going on?”
“Marcus refuses to clean,” said Karen, crossing her arms.
“I’m not refusing. I said I’ll do it tomorrow. I’m tired,” I explained, swallowing my frustration.
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Dad sighed, looking at Karen. “He’ll do it tomorrow. Let’s leave it at that.”
Relieved, I turned toward my room, but dad stopped me. “Don’t go anywhere tonight, son. We have news to share.”
When dad came to get me later, I dragged myself to the table, where a cold plate of leftovers awaited me. As I nibbled, I felt Karen and dad’s eyes fixed on me.
“What’s this big news?” I asked, looking up.
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Dad exchanged a quick look with Karen. “We’re pregnant,” they announced together.
I froze. “Congratulations,” I managed to say, forcing a smile.
Dad seemed excited, but Karen’s expression remained cold.
She grew serious and started, “Son, I don’t know how to say this, but…”
“Actually, Marcus,” Karen cut in, interrupting dad, “YOU need to move out.”
“What? Dad, what is she talking about?” I stammered, looking at dad, shocked.
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Karen’s gaze didn’t waver. “My baby is on the way, and we need to prepare the house for him, maybe even renovate. You’ll just be a burden and in the way. We need space for our son.”
“Dad? Where will I go? I can’t afford rent… I work part-time and study! And… oh God, this is also my house! Dad, say something! Please!” I looked at him, feeling a wave of betrayal.
Dad shifted uncomfortably, glancing at me and then back at Karen, but stayed silent.
Realizing I was alone, I said, “You know what? You both can go to hell!” before storming off to my room and slamming the door.
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That night, I lay there, feeling lost and abandoned. They couldn’t just kick me out like that, I thought desperately. When their muffled voices came through the door, I pressed my ear against it.
Dad sounded hesitant when he said, “Maybe he should stay until he finishes school…”
Karen’s response was sharp. “Tom, we’ve already talked about this. He has to go.”
At that moment, I felt completely alone.
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Karen’s voice interrupted me: “You have three days to figure it out,” she insisted, entering my room without knocking.
I felt heat rise to my face. “I’m a student with a part-time job! I can’t afford a place, let alone in three days!”
But I was talking to Karen’s back as she walked away.
Then I thought of Grandma Rose. Maybe she would help me. I dialed her number, my hands trembling.
“Grandma Rose? It’s Marcus,” I choked out.
“Marcus? What’s wrong?” she asked, worried.
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I let it all out, barely holding back tears.
Rose listened quietly, then said, “Don’t do anything, sweetheart. I’m on my way.”
The next day, my late grandmother’s sister arrived at our door with wide eyes. She didn’t wait a second.
“Everyone to the living room. Now.”
Karen’s gaze met Rose’s, but my grandmother spoke first.
“How dare you kick a boy out of his own home?” she demanded, her voice as hard as steel.
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“Marcus isn’t a child,” Karen retorted.
“Until he finishes school, he is,” Rose replied. “But none of this matters. This is Marcus’s house. He’s not going anywhere.”
I blinked, surprised, while Karen mocked. The next words from Rose silenced her.
“My late sister left this house to Marcus before she died. It’s been his since he turned eighteen.”
A silence fell, and Karen’s face twisted with rage. But Rose wasn’t done.
“And by the way, Karen, how’s that wine you’ve been drinking? Strange for a pregnant woman.”
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Karen’s face turned pale. “What? How do you know?”
“I saw you this morning at the café with your friend when I was coming here,” Rose replied.
“There’s no baby!” Karen blurted out, horrified by her slip-up.
Dad looked at her, stunned. “Did you lie?” he whispered.
Karen tried to recover, but Rose’s calm voice interrupted her. “Pack your things and leave.”
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In a few minutes, Karen was gone. Dad looked at me, regretful.
“I’m sorry, son. I don’t know what happened to me.”
For the first time in a long time, I felt safe. I hugged him, feeling the relief of finally being home.
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2. Hatred tore my family apart until my grandmother brought us together one last time with a big revelation
Scott and I drove to Grandma Eleanor’s house for her 80th birthday, the first time in years the whole family had gathered because we all hated each other. My husband parked, and as we stepped into the cold air, he grumbled, “I still don’t get why we’re here.”
“It’s Grandma’s birthday,” I reminded him. “She’s the only genuinely kind person in this family, and she wanted us all together.”
He sighed. “I could be working right now. You know we need the money.”
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“It’s one night,” I said, instinctively patting my stomach. “Do you think they’ll notice?”
Scott chuckled. “If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t notice. But what if you tell Grandma?”
“Maybe at the end of the night,” I whispered.
As we approached the door, my brother Michael and his wife, Stacy, yelled, “Hey! Wait!”
Stacy hobbled in her heels, complaining, “I can’t run in these!”
Scott and I exchanged a look, rolling our eyes. We all knew Stacy only stuck around for Michael’s money.
Scott nudged me to ring the doorbell. “Can we just get this over with?”
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At the door, Grandma Eleanor’s warm smile greeted us as she hugged each of us. Inside, the table was loaded with food.
“Why did you make so much, Grandma?” I asked, moved by the abundance.
“Oh, I love doing this,” she said, smiling.
As we settled in, Michael asked, “Has Mom not arrived yet?”
“She’s not sure if she can come,” Eleanor replied, a touch of sadness in her voice.
“Typical,” I muttered. “She never has time for us.”
Michael shot me a look. “Enough. She’s our mother.”
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“Yeah? And she hasn’t wished me a happy birthday in years,” I snapped.
Michael’s face hardened. “You act like you’re perfect, Camilla! She had to focus on her career as an actress.”
“And she always put it before us because it was the only thing that mattered to her!” I replied.
Scott put a hand on my shoulder. “Camilla, maybe just…”
I ignored him. “You only have those restaurants because your uncle gave them to you!”
Michael clenched his fists. “You’ve always been jealous of me, haven’t you?”
“Jealous of what? That you’re alone with a wife who’s only there for your money?”
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“And you think you’re doing well?” he mocked. “Your husband can barely keep a job, and how long have you been trying to have kids… five, ten years?”
“Go to hell!” I shouted, standing up.
“Enough!” Grandma Eleanor’s voice cut through the chaos as she stood up. “It’s my birthday. I brought you all here to celebrate… not to argue! And about the inheritance…”
I turned my head toward her. “Inheritance?”
Eleanor’s voice was stern. “Grandpa left something, and I also have plans for it, but I won’t leave a single penny to either of you until you prove you deserve it and that you’re worthy of my trust.”
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“What?” Michael demanded. “How do we prove that?”
“Prove you deserve it,” she said quietly, turning and walking away.
Needing air, I walked out, my hands on my stomach. Michael followed me.
“So, we could have an inheritance,” he said, looking at me.
“If you hadn’t messed things up like always,” I replied.
“Me?” He looked shocked. “You started it!”
“Michael, I need this inheritance. Scott and I…” I hesitated.
He raised an eyebrow. “Why should I step aside? I need it too. Stacy is going to leave me if I don’t fix things with the restaurants.”
“Maybe it would be good if she does,” I muttered, turning back toward the house. “I’m not giving this up.”
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Michael followed me back, muttering, “It’s not fair, Camilla.”
I found Grandma in her room. “Grandma, I’m sorry for ruining the night. Let me help with anything.”
“Is that how you think you’ll earn an inheritance?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Do you really need it, Camilla?”
I placed a hand on my stomach. “Because…”
Just then, Michael burst in, interrupting me. “Camilla is lying about me, Grandma!”
“We weren’t even talking about you,” she said dryly.
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Then, just as we were returning to the dining room, Mom arrived, rushing toward us with open arms. “My dear ones!”
“Oh, Camilla,” she said, eyeing me critically, “have you gained weight?”
I rolled my eyes and returned to the table. More arguments followed between my brother, me, and our mother as we tried to prove who deserved the inheritance more. Suddenly, Grandma’s face went pale. She pressed her chest, and we heard a loud thud as she collapsed.
“Grandma!” I screamed before clutching my stomach. “Call an ambulance!”
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My husband rushed to my side, holding my hand. “What’s happening?”
“It’s starting,” I exclaimed.
Scott’s eyes widened. “The baby?”
Michael screamed, “Were you pregnant?!”
Our mother commented, “Am I going to be a grandmother?!”
And I demanded that they call 911!
We had become so distant that I didn’t even want to tell them when I got pregnant. I didn’t want to bother them because Mom would ignore her grandchild just like she ignored me. The madness of our family is why Scott and I moved far away.
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The only person I really wanted was my Nana. She had always been there for me, the only light in this crazy family, and now she might be gone.
At the hospital, I refused to give birth until I knew about Eleanor. Scott begged me, “Camilla, focus on the baby!”
After an agonizing hour, our little girl was born, and when I woke up, Michael entered, looking grim. It was then I learned that Grandma had passed away while I was in labor.
“We found a note for the family among your grandmother’s belongings,” a nurse who entered told me.
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The note revealed that Nana had known I was pregnant, and she had left her entire inheritance to Scott and my son. She urged Michael to divorce his wife, who had decided to stay in the house. And lastly, she begged our mother to be better, for us and for her grandchild.
Michael confessed regretfully, “I’m sorry for what I said, Camilla.”
Our mother seemed guilty and whispered, “Could… could I really be a grandmother?”
“Maybe,” I said, hugging my newborn and feeling our family turn a new page as I announced, “Her name is Eleanor.”
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3. I thought my father was dead, but I uncovered a sinister truth when we tried to bury him
I got out of the car, standing in front of the church, feeling the weight of losing Dad fall on me. “We couldn’t even give him a proper funeral,” I thought. Suddenly, Bella’s bark interrupted me. She was my dog, and normally she stayed quiet in the car, but not today.
“Bella!” I turned, seeing her agitated at the window.
I motioned with my hand to calm her, and she lay down, though her eyes were still fixed on me.
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“Stay still, Bella,” I whispered, patting her head through the window.
I let her whimper and went inside. Dad’s coffin lay at the front, cordoned off since he had died from an infection. I sat next to my mother, knowing that I would never have a true farewell.
When the final hymn began, Bella’s barks echoed through the church. She had managed to get out of the car and jumped on the coffin—flowers fell to the floor as she barked and scratched the lid!
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Sensing that something was wrong, I jumped up. “Open the coffin!” I shouted.
There were murmurs, but I didn’t care; I opened it.
Everyone gasped, but I barely heard them. I turned to the funeral director and asked, “Where is he?”
My mother’s knees buckled, and I caught her just as she fainted. I rushed her to the hospital, my mind racing. “How could Dad’s body disappear?” I whispered.
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That night, I called the police. Detective Bradshaw came.
“The coroner has confirmed your father’s death and handed the body over to the funeral home,” he said. “Could your father have had any enemies, Mr. Hayes?”
Dad had been a businessman, running his own dog training and rehabilitation center. I doubted he’d ever been in a situation that could threaten our family. Still, with no leads, Detective Bradshaw left. But I wouldn’t wait. I left Bella at home and went to the morgue for answers.
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At the counter, a nurse informed me, “The coroner resigned, and no replacement has been assigned.”
When I asked for Dad’s file, she refused until I slid a few dollars over the counter. She turned a blind eye as I entered the coroner’s office, but Dad’s file was gone.
Frustrated, I returned to Dad’s office and opened his email, only to find all the messages deleted! Just then, Dad’s lawyer, Mr. Stevens, walked in.
“Ryan,” he greeted me, in a serious tone. “You’re the new CEO of the company.”
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“What happened to Dad’s things?” I asked, noticing that some dancer figurines were missing.
Mr. Stevens shook his head.
“Your father was supposed to take them home, though I think he never found the third one. The collector wants half a million for it.”
I knew they weren’t at home; I had thoroughly searched my parents’ house while packing up Dad’s things.
But Stevens continued to reveal something else: we were deeply in debt, and investors had been pulling out since Dad had missed several meetings.
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Then he added, “And there’s something you should know. I think Arnold was having an affair with his new secretary.”
Trying to ignore my anger, I spent the day soothing the investors. Later, I located Dad’s secretary, Miss Pearson. That night, I followed her to her house, and when she left, I snuck into her closed garage and entered her home.
In her bedroom, I found a framed photo of her kissing Dad.
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Then I looked at the bedside table and discovered a manila envelope. Inside was Dad’s life insurance policy for $7 million, with Miss Pearson as the sole beneficiary! I went straight to the police with the evidence.
Hours later, I was confirmed that she had booked a flight to Morocco, a country with no extradition treaty. Detective Bradshaw gathered her team at the airport and searched the crowd. But Miss Pearson had disappeared.
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I refused to give up. My last lead was the other dancer. I located her collector and paid the outrageous sum of $750,000. I arranged an auction, hoping Dad would find out.
At the auction house, I watched from the shadows. Then, at a million dollars, a familiar voice called me. Dad. I blocked his path while Detective Bradshaw handcuffed him.
He glared at me. “Ryan? You set a trap for me.”
“You faked your death to run away with your mistress, leaving us to mourn an empty coffin!” I spat, horrified.
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Dad’s face fell as he confessed. He had faked his death to start a new life. I looked at him coldly.
“You taught me that a man should do what is right, not follow his own selfish interests. I hope you remember that.”
Bradshaw assured me that Miss Pearson wouldn’t get far. As they took Dad away, I knew he would finally face the consequences.
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If you liked those stories, you’ll love this one about two siblings in which the sister demanded to inherit everything after their grandmother’s death. The brother only took an old blanket his grandmother had had all her life, only to discover it had enormous significance.
