Woman reveals how $445k inheritance 'ruined her life'
A woman who inherited a large sum of money from a pensioner at the age of six has claimed the cash ruined her life.
Katie Loveridge is living proof money doesn't buy happiness.
When she was four years old, Ms Loveridge befriended Wilfred Lamb, a retired engineer, and the two were inseparable until his death two years later in 2000, the Daily Mail UK reported.
Ms Loveridge, from Kidderminster in the UK, was six when the 72-year-old died and he left everything to her, around £250,000 or $A445,000, land and a cottage.
Mr Lamb, who left nothing for his own family, was a friend of Ms Loveridge's father.
Mr Lamb's daughter accused Ms Loveridge's parents of manipulating him into changing his will, though the High Court later ruled the will did reflect his best wishes.
"There is no doubt that Mr Lamb had an extremely close relationship with Katie Loveridge," Judge John Jarvis QC said, according to the Daily Star.
"The evidence is that he treated her as a granddaughter and regularly took her out. He clearly wanted her to go to a good school."
Ms Loveridge, who is now 27 and a mother of four, has spoken publicly for the first time and says the inheritance ruined her life.
"I was a little girl who never asked for any of this," Ms Loveridge said, according to The Sun.
"I honestly wish I never inherited anything because the grief hasn’t been worth it."
She explained the inheritance "tortured" her and she has been unable to lead a normal life.
People have approached her, asking for money and she's had partners steal from her purse.
Ms Loveridge has even had people approach her at restaurants and ask if she was sexually abused by Mr Lamb in order for her to get the inheritance.
"That makes me feel disgusting and worthless," she said.
Ms Loveridge said Mr Lamb was like a grandfather and a best friend to her, she even still visits his grave to this day.
She wasn't even aware of the will until she was 11, when she was bombarded by the press, asked what she was planning on doing with the money.
When she was 18, she sold Mr Lamb's estate as people were using it as a dumping ground. She also had to pay the Lamb family's court fees, which amounted to over $A174,000.
She used her fortune to travel extensively with her daughter and help out her family. She's never worked in her life, but is still financially comfortable, according to The Sun.
The mother decided to speak out after growing tired of strangers judging her.
“A decision somebody else made when I was six has affected the rest of my life and the money has tortured me," she said.
Ms Loveridge added she just wants to live a normal life and look after her family and she assures people money cannot buy you happiness.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play
