I spent 35 years running our family bakery. It was my whole life, but at 58 I was finally ready to sell it and retire. My brother Michael, who’s a single dad, didn’t take the news well.

He begged me not to sell, saying, “I need that money for my boys!” I told him no. It’s an outrageous request, considering he only helped me with the work during the early years until he lost interest. It may be a family business, but I’m the one who put my blood and sweat into it.

The next day, I got a call from my nephew, sobbing, “Come quick! Dad is really upset right now. We don’t know what to do. Please, auntie.”

My heart sank. I know my brother, and he loves to create drama when he doesn’t get his way. But hearing his son so scared made me furious. That’s when it hit me.

If Michael thinks he can use his kids against me, he’s wrong. He’ll have to deal with the fact that I’m not playing his game. I never thought retirement would start like this, but I don’t want to let two kids suffer just because their father wants the money he doesn’t deserve.

Now I’m stuck with a decision I never thought I’d face. Do I sell the place and share the money with Michael, even if he has done nothing to earn it? Or just move on with my initial plan and risk the kids’ future? I know for a fact that he won’t use the money for his boys, but I still wonder.

So what should I do?