It’s one thing to inherit grandma’s china or a dusty box of coins from a distant uncle. It’s another to suddenly find out a co-worker has left you nearly half a million dollars in their will. That’s the exact scenario one man laid out on Reddit’s advice subreddit, and his reaction wasn’t excitement — it was guilt.
The 27-year-old, who works in lower management, described himself as an “old soul.” While most of his colleagues his age bonded over happy hours and weekend plans, he connected more naturally with older co-workers. One of those connections was with a 67-year-old woman at work, a former police detective who had no children or family. Their friendship grew beyond the office — he even introduced her to his mother, and the three became so close they felt like family.
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Then came devastating news: his friend was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer. She fought to keep working, but within months her health declined, and she passed away. That’s when he learned just how much she valued their bond.
According to his post, she left him her fairly new SUV and an “investment” he hadn’t yet been told the value of. His mother was left $350,000 with the instruction to buy a home where they could live together, ensuring he had both stability and a place to raise a family in the future. Another younger colleague inherited the deed to her $400,000 house. In total, he estimated the inheritance at close to half a million dollars.
Instead of celebrating, he admitted he felt conflicted. “I feel dirty for being included in a co-worker’s will,” he wrote, explaining that most people at work had no idea how close the two were outside the office. He feared gossip, jealousy, and worst of all — speculation about the nature of their relationship. “I feel like it may be seen as highly inappropriate (rumors will swirl) by others if a 27-year-old man in a position of power at work inherits a hefty sum from a female co-worker who was much older and worked as my immediate subordinate,” he explained.
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Money wasn’t the only concern. He had always lived paycheck to paycheck, so suddenly showing up in a colleague’s old SUV — or buying a house — would be difficult to explain away. His mother’s advice was to keep everything secret, even from extended family, but he wasn’t sure that living under that kind of silence would be healthy.
That’s where the Reddit advice came in.
The majority of commenters reassured him that he hadn’t done anything wrong. Their friendship had clearly meant a great deal, and she had the right to leave her estate to whomever she wanted. Several people warned him, though, about oversharing. Sudden money, they said, brings out jealousy in unexpected places. “Say she sold you the car,” one suggested, while others advised crediting the new house to his mother’s finances if anyone pressed for details. A few were even more blunt: don’t tell anyone, period.
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The conversation highlighted the strange tension inheritances can create when they come from outside the family. They can transform a life financially, while at the same time complicating personal relationships and, in this case, workplace dynamics.
For the 27-year-old, the gift carried both freedom and weight. The SUV and the money were a practical blessing, but also a reminder of the friend he lost. And as Reddit reminded him, the only thing “dirty” about the situation would be letting other people’s opinions cloud the meaning behind the gift.
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