Wait till it gets really bad. Take out a loan. Make an anonymous bid to buy the business. Keep all your old employees, fire your family, make company great again. Mic Drop.

My heart goes out to her! Too bad she can't take their employees and start up her own business and show those bastàrds how it's done!!

I’d be tempted to reply, “I’m just a woman, what on earth would I be able to help you strong, capable men with? Surely you don’t need a mere woman’s help with a clear man’s area like business? My mind is fully focused on babies, after all”. The only people currently in that company I feel bad for are the employees. I genuinely cannot believe the men in that family - did they get stuck in the 1700’s? Bless, OP - I hope she starts a rival company and poaches all the employees.

Honestly, I question the veracity of the will. But, as it stands, let it burn to the ground. I wouldn't even consider coming back without a large portion of the company and majority control to guarantee they don't screw her over again... but, again, let it burn.

Wait until the company is collapsed and buy it.

Hey, not your circus, not your monkeys. Let them figure it out for themselves: you owe them nothing.

Glad to see no NTA's for a betraying move from an AH grandfather, as to the "NTA, BUT": No, no, no. Walk away and don't look back, OP. Misogynistic scumbags, all of them (including the G.Father).

What century are these total jacka$$es living in (including grandfather when he was alive, of course)? When you were working for the company I hope you were appropriately compensated for all the various responsibilities you handled , for your value to the company, for your rôle in its success. & Now the crybaby men are failing miserably & want your help thru this "rocky patch." You said they'd never give you any % & don't want to pay you. Even if they gave you the most generous compensation package you could dream up - including the 51% ownership some posts recommended, they'd continue to be trouble & thorns in your side. Same thing if you came to an agreement on how much you'd be paid as a consultant. Because they have no more respect for you than did your grandfather, which is paradoxical since they need you & you're in the power position. I expect they're even intimidated by you. But they want your expertise for free, as a favor, & of course pulled out the "family" card. In addition, they've called you foolish & childish - are they too stupid to understand insults would only push you further away from wanting to help them? Please don't even consider being involved with them or the company 8n any way. The skills, knowledge, & experience you have will qualify you for much better jobs. When you go to interviews, take a copy of the will in order to show you were, basically, forced out of the company by a bunch of misogynistic idiots - if you'd not left, your life would have been hell, working with these men. Tell them you aren't interested under any circumstances & cut off contact with them . You'll be happier with a new life including a job where you're respected - & paid.

Is this a recent story? Who still behaves that way? And can't she send the will into probate, especially since he put the blatant sexism in writing? She has proof she ran the company, how can men still do this nowadays? If you leave a single child out of the will, that child can contest it. I'd do it, and if I won, my family members wouldn't even be janitors.

I feel really badly for your circumstances and the betrayal from the family (all of them) but if you can look at the bright side, you started learning the business 12 years ago, full time for 10...that's a TON of first hand experience and it will carry over to any job. You're going to go places!

ok so op u said you have basically worked every aspect of the business from the floor up we dont know what that place is but given you know everything about it u have a huge wealth of knowledge from that is there any way at all you could set up your own business and hire all the staff you got on with as thwy are gonna lose their jobs thanks to your male idiots and you could prove that is women can do it better than men (sorry all men ) but in this instance lol its called for i think you could be highly successful unlike them dont get mad lovely get even ! they wont see it coming and they deserve it totally blessed be

Id 100% start my own business and take ALL the employees that wanted to come. Sink it and leave them NOTHING. And while you set up their end agree to "consult" for around 15k an hour. To be paid up front.

What century are they living in?

I don’t think I would help them. But I suppose if they wanted to give me in writing part of the business, I would consider coming back on.