(((deepbluelosthope))),

It is not unusual for a death of a parent and settling an estate to bring out the worst in families.

Also, I understand how hard it is for you, but some parents that have issues of some kind can pick a child to abuse emotionally and blame. It is always hard for that child, and in my time here at PC, I have met many people who were victims of this parental abuse where they were targeted while their siblings were not. There are all kinds of reasons this happens too, it could be that a child represents themselves and they get jealous, it could be the child reminds them of a relative that hurt them in some way. Often they do not really say themselves, but some can be very abusive.

As far as your brother is concerned, in some ways he was a victim too because he is now also estranged from his only blood relative. Money doesn't matter when someone is all alone, money doesn't replace human caring.

If you have developed caring for others and the ability to have friends and relationships, you are the one that came out the winner in all of this. It is hard for someone to see this when this scenario happens where a parent tries to continue their abusive ways even when they are gone. And what the child doesn't realize that they pick as their favorite, but in a twisted way, is it is still abuse, it is just a different form of abuse. She picked your brother to influence, which means he has adapted to her twisted thinking. How awful is that?