A friend's mother gave her a cache of jewellery for safe keeping just before she (the mother) died, with the instruction that she could do what she wanted with it. Some £25,000 worth. While she herself was moving from rental to rental she gave it to her sister, who is married with her own home, for safe keeping.
The sister is the twin of their brother, a narcissist, bully and habitual petty criminal who has terrorised the entire family for years. He has wheedled the jewellery cache from his twin sister, and begun to auction off the more valuable items. Worse, his twin knows this but denies what is happening and tells my friend (the older sister) not to be paranoid - 'are you accusing me of lying?' classic gaslighting.
My friend is of a trusting nature and also rather prone to give away secrets, and she has not learned to suspect the worst in people. She is entitled to a share of the jewellery proceeds but as the twins are selling it without her permission and denying it (though it is there on the auction catalogue in plain sight) she assumes that the will get none of the money.
Does anyone else have this kind of inheritance experience with their family? It sounds as though hers was always highly dysfunctional - the parents too were bullied by the aggressive and criminal brother.
There are other concerns - the brother has a son of whom my friend is very fond. That story is a separate thread. She has no children herself. She is being driven mad by the whole thing and has always been excitable and a little fearful and I think this is driving her towards a breakdown. My own reaction in this situation would be to move miles away, but she is just starting a new job and doesnt appear to want the disruption.
Any advice at all, without condemnation, would be appreciated.