AITA for forcing my parents to sell their $120K boat to pay for dad's surgery after they stole my inheritance to buy it?

I told my father to sell the boat if he wanted me to help pay for his surgery and he actually did it.

The boat cost $120,000. My inheritance from my grandmother cost $120,000. Funny how those numbers match up perfectly.

My grandmother died when I was 19. She left me everything because my parents had already "borrowed" money from her twice and never paid it back. She told me this two weeks before she passed, said the money was mine and mine alone, said don't let them touch it. The lawyer called me directly. My parents weren't even mentioned in the will.

I was in college. I put it in a high-yield savings account and didn't touch it except for tuition. My parents knew about it obviously. My mother cried at the funeral about how her own mother didn't trust her. My father said grandmother was always unfair to them.

Six months later they came to me with this whole speech about family and helping each other out. They needed to "borrow" some money. Just temporarily. Dad's business was going through a rough patch. They'd pay me back with interest in a year, maybe less.

I was 20 and stupid. I said okay.

They took $120,000. Every single dollar.

Three months later my mother posted photos on Facebook of their new boat. A 35-foot Sea Ray with a cabin and everything. The caption said "Finally living our best life!"

I called immediately. My mother said the boat was a business investment, that my father was going to start a charter fishing business. I asked why they didn't mention this when they asked for the money. She said I wouldn't understand business opportunities. She actually said that. Like I was a child.

The charter business never happened. They took the boat out on weekends. Posted photos constantly. My father's business "rough patch" magically resolved itself around the same time.

I asked about repayment every few months. Always the same answer. Next year. Soon. We're working on it. Stop pressuring us.

I stopped asking after a while. I was furious but what could I do? Sue my own parents?

Five years passed. I graduated, got a good job, moved three hours away. We barely talked. I went home for Christmas and Thanksgiving but that was it. They never mentioned the money. I never mentioned the boat.

Then last month my mother called crying. My father needed emergency surgery. Heart thing. Serious but not immediately life-threatening if he got the surgery within a few weeks. Insurance would cover most of it but they needed $30,000 for the deductible and out-of-pocket costs.

She asked if I could help.

I laughed. Actually laughed. She got quiet.

I said "You have $120,000 of my money. Figure it out."

She said that was years ago, that I needed to let it go, that this was my father's life we were talking about. I hung up.

My father called an hour later. Calmer. He said he knew they'd screwed up. He said he was sorry. He said they didn't have the money anymore, it was gone, tied up in stuff. He said the boat wasn't worth much now, maybe $60,000 if they were lucky. He said please.

I asked if he was serious. If he actually thought I'd just hand over $30,000 after what they did.

He said I was his daughter.

I took a screenshot of my mother's Facebook post from five years ago. The one with the boat. I sent it to both of them with one word: "Sell it."

My mother called me screaming. Said I was heartless. Said the boat was the only thing they had. Said I was killing my father.

I said "You stole my inheritance to buy a toy. Sell the toy or figure something else out."

They listed it two days later. Sold it within a week for $52,000. Even less than my father estimated. Apparently they hadn't maintained it well.

My father had the surgery last week. I didn't visit. I didn't call. My mother sent me a long text about how I'd destroyed their retirement plans, how they'd counted on that boat, how I was selfish and cruel.

I blocked her number.

My aunt called yesterday. She said my father's recovering fine but my parents are destroyed financially now. She said I should have just helped them, that family helps family. She said holding a grudge for five years is pathetic.

I told her they stole from me and spent it on a boat. She said "borrowed" not stole.

I hung up on her too.

But now I'm sitting here wondering if I went too far. My father could have died if he didn't get that surgery. They did sell the boat. They did come up with the money. Maybe I should have just helped and been the bigger person instead of forcing them to lose everything.

Am I wrong?

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