The story centers on Serena (29F), who has always felt that her younger brother, Landon (26M), was their mother’s favorite. While Serena has been financially independent since age 18, paying her own bills and never asking for help, her brother Landon is constantly “struggling,” frequently unemployed, and relying on their mother’s support.
The family conflict reached a breaking point when Serena bought a car. Shortly after, her mother informed her of her decision regarding the inheritance. The mother planned to leave everything—the house, the savings, all of it—to Landon.
Her reason for excluding Serena was that Serena was “too independent,” and Landon “needed help” more than she did. Serena felt devastated and betrayed by the justification, as she felt she was being penalized for her hard work and self-sufficiency.
Serena knew that Landon had been lying to and manipulating their mother for years. About a year prior, when Landon asked Serena for $2,000 for “bills” and she refused, a heated text argument ensued.
During the fight, Landon snapped and confessed his scheme in writing. He bragged that he had been pretending to struggle so their mother would feel sorry for him. He explicitly stated that he hadn’t even been applying for jobs because “why bother if she’s just gonna hand me money?” He also admitted that the story about needing a car for a rideshare job—which their mother helped him purchase—was a complete lie to get a free car.
Feeling that her mother was about to reward years of lies, Serena took out her phone and showed her mother the screenshots of Landon’s confession.
The mother was speechless for a minute, then began to cry and scream—first at Landon for his betrayal and then at Serena for hiding the truth from her for so long. She locked herself in her room, and the next day, she told both children that she “needs time to think” about the inheritance and that perhaps neither of them deserved anything.
Serena states that she did not expose her brother for the money, but because she could not allow him to continue manipulating their mother and be rewarded for it. However, she now feels like the villain, as Landon refuses to speak to her and her mother barely replies to her texts, fearing she has “blown up everything for nothing.” She concludes by asking if she went too far
