My late mother’s voicemail proves my sister-in-law lied, but now she’s threatening custody of my daughter

At the reading of the will, Jenna stood up and announced to everyone that Mum had promised her an extra fifty grand on top of her share for all the caregiving she did in those final months. Aunt Carol nodded along like she was in on some secret, and half the family started murmuring. I was floored. The will was crystal clear—everything split equally between me and my brother, and Jenna got what was left to her as his widow. I said, look, the will is the will, and Jenna glared at me like I’d spat on Mum’s grave.

Then Aunt Carol started her little campaign. At the next family barbecue, I heard her whispering to my cousin that I was cutting Jenna out of everything, and that my husband, who was away on a work trip in Mackay, would be ashamed of me if he knew. Jenna and Aunt Carol both gave me the silent treatment for the rest of the afternoon. I sat there with my daughter on my lap, trying to ignore the looks, while Jenna made a point of hugging everyone else goodbye but me.

I went through Mum’s old phone a few days later, looking for photos for a memorial video, and found a voicemail from Jenna dated about three months before Mum passed. Jenna’s voice was sharp and angry, demanding the extra money, and then I heard Mum’s voice, frail but clear, saying, “No, Jenna, I never promised that. You helped me because you wanted to, and I’m grateful, but there was no such promise.” I must have played it five times. I had proof.

I told my husband over the phone, and he said to just show the family and be done with it. But before I could, Jenna caught wind that I had something. She turned up at my place with Aunt Carol in tow and said that if I didn’t drop the whole inheritance thing, she would seek custody of my daughter. She said I was an unfit mother because I was obsessed with money, and Aunt Carol had already started spreading that rumour at the school gate. My daughter is seven. I was shaking.

Aunt Carol must have realised that a custody fight would bring lawyers and courts and all kinds of scrutiny she didn’t want. She called me the next day, all sweet and apologetic, saying she’d had a chance to think and she remembered now that the promise was never really made, that she must have misheard. She said she’d talk to Jenna. And she did. Jenna backed down and agreed to accept the will as written, but she still won’t look me in the eye at family gatherings. The rift is there, and it’s not going anywhere. My daughter asked me why Aunt Jenna doesn’t smile at her anymore. I didn’t know what to say.

AITA for refusing to give Jenna money that was never promised to her, even though it tore my family apart?