Rachel’s ex-husband left her everything. But there was a shocking twist: he left his widow and their newborn child with nothing. Why would he do that? What would you do in Rachel’s place—keep it all or hand it over?
Imagine the man who shattered your heart left you his entire estate—his house, stocks, and even his prized car—while leaving his new wife and baby with NOTHING.
When the solicitor called to inform me I’d inherited my ex-husband Todd’s estate, I laughed. Not a joyful one—more of a “has hell frozen over?” kind of laugh.
Todd, the man who once claimed he couldn’t afford child support, had left me his house, investments, and his precious vintage car that no one was allowed to touch.
“Is this some kind of mistake?” I whispered, my hands trembling. “Todd wouldn’t…”
“I assure you, ma’am, there’s no mistake. Your ex-husband was very clear in his wishes.”
I was stunned. For 15 years, Todd and I had built a life together—three kids, a house with a porch swing, and what I thought was a strong marriage. Then, out of nowhere, he said he was “tired of everything,” which translated to him having an affair with Angela, his 25-year-old secretary, who he was “helping rebuild her credit.”
I remember that conversation like it was yesterday.
“I just need some space, Rachel,” he’d said, avoiding my eyes. “Everything feels so… heavy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing!” But his words felt off.
One day, a joint credit card statement addressed to “Todd and Angela” arrived. That’s how I found out. I confronted him, my hands shaking as I held the envelope.
“She’s just a friend,” he stammered. “She needed help with her credit—”
“Stop lying!” tears streaming down my face. “For once in your life, Todd, tell me the truth!”
“Fine. I… I can’t do this anymore. I want a break from everything,” he said, his words cutting deeper than any knife.
I filed for divorce within a week. It wasn’t easy, but we stayed civil for the kids. He married Angela a year later, and we kept our distance. I didn’t know much about their life, nor did I care. Angela had the man who broke me, and I wanted nothing to do with them.
Which is why the solicitor’s call shocked me.
“Miss Rachel, you are the sole beneficiary of your late husband’s estate.”
I stared at the wall, unsure if I misheard. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, ma’am. Everything is in your name. I know this is a lot to process,” he said. “Would you like some time?”
I hung up, my mind racing. Todd, the man who devastated me, had left me everything, leaving Angela and their baby with nothing. How? And why?
I was haunted by these questions, but I wasn’t prepared for what came next.
Angela showed up on my doorstep with her baby, not in a courtroom as I expected.
“You manipulative witch! You think you can steal everything from us?” she hissed.
“Lower your voice,” I warned. “My children are inside.”
“What about my child? What about his future? Todd wouldn’t have done this unless you tricked him! Give me what’s ours, or I’ll take this to court!”
“Angela, I didn’t know Todd left me anything until this morning. I didn’t even know he had a will.”
“Oh, please. You expect me to believe this wasn’t planned? I’m his wife. You think it’s fair for you to take everything? You’re cheating my baby out of his inheritance!”
I couldn’t respond. Deep down, I felt guilty. The baby was so small and innocent. How could Todd leave his child with nothing?
“I don’t have anything to say to you,” I said finally. “If you have a problem, take it to court.”
“Oh, I will,” she spat, turning away. “And trust me, Rachel—you won’t win. Everyone will know what kind of person you really are!”
The next morning, I called Todd’s attorney.
“Miss Rachel,” he began, calm and professional, “Todd left you the estate for a reason. He left a letter explaining everything.”
“A letter? When… when did he write it?”
“Three days before he passed. He came to my office to change his will and leave this letter.”
“He knew he was dying?”
“The doctors gave him a week. He wanted to make things right. Would you like me to read the letter?”
“Yes, please.”
After a pause, he began:
“Rachel,
If you’re reading this, I’m gone. I know this is probably a shock, but I want you to understand why I’ve done this. Angela and I had our problems. If the baby she’s carrying is even mine, I doubt it’ll change anything. I don’t trust her, and I don’t want my hard-earned money going to someone who never earned it.
You, on the other hand, gave me 15 years of your life. You raised our kids. You supported me when I didn’t deserve it. This is my way of making it right. I know I can’t fix the past, but I hope this helps you and the kids.
Angela can’t con her way into this one. Everything is legally sound. I’m sorry for everything I put you through.
—Todd”
“Did he…” I struggled for words. “Did he say anything else?”
“He asked me to tell you something. He said, ‘Tell Rachel I should have never let her go. Tell her she was the best thing that ever happened to me.'”
I wasn’t fine. Todd had been a terrible husband, but in the end, he tried to make things right. However, I had a huge problem to deal with… ANGELA.
In court, Angela played her part perfectly, tears streaming down her face, the baby in her arms.
As I prepared for court, I noticed something. The baby didn’t look like Todd or our kids. His curly red hair stood out—Todd and our kids had poker-straight dark hair. Angela also had dark hair.
During a recess, she cornered me in the bathroom.
“You think you’re so clever. Playing the wronged ex-wife.”
“At least I’m not pretending with someone else’s baby.”
Her face went pale. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
I submitted Todd’s letter to the court, and the judge ordered a DNA test. Angela was furious but had no choice.
A few weeks later, the results came in. The baby wasn’t Todd’s.
The courtroom was silent as the judge read the results. Angela’s face went pale, and for the first time, she had nothing to say.
Todd must have known. Maybe that’s why he left everything to me.
In the end, I kept the estate. I sold Todd’s car, putting the money into college funds for the kids, and divided the rest among them, ensuring their future.
As for Angela? She moved on to her next “project.” Todd wasn’t perfect, but he got the last word, giving me and the kids a better future.
Sometimes, karma has a funny way of working things out, right?
