I’m Childfree, I Left My Legacy to My Nephew, My Stepson Is Furious

I’m 65 and childless but raised my stepson from age eight. For years, I planned to leave my inheritance—a four-bedroom family home passed down for generations—to my nephew so it would stay in my blood family. When my stepson found out, it sparked a painful family conflict. In the heat of an inheritance dispute, I said something I regret, and he cut me off from his life and his young children, who feel like my grandchildren.

Days later, I learned my nephew plans to sell the house, destroying the family legacy I was trying to protect. Now my stepson won’t speak to me, my husband says I was unfair, and my estate planning has left me feeling like I’ve lost my family, my peace, and my future.