Estranged Abusive Parents Sent Me A Large Check As A “gift” And I’m Fearful Of How To Handle It

Location: Texas.

I’m an independent adult, and I’ve been no-contact with my abusive parents for several years. When I went NC, I explicitly told them I was cutting ties and did not want to hear from them

They’ve been mailing me cards on holidays, which I trash. This past Xmas, they sent a package, which I also trashed. Recently, I got a letter from them. It didn’t seem like a greeting card, so I opened it out of curiosity. Inside was a five-figure check, made out to me, with “gift” written on the note line. The letter said nothing more than “we wanted to give you this.”

I can think of a million reasons that this is a trap and an attempt to weasel their way back into my life. But they’ve also cost me a ton of money in therapy bills as a consequence of their abuse.

If I deposit the check, what am I opening myself up to, legally? I know they can’t compel me to speak to them. Part of me wants to get a lawyer to send them a C&D saying that the only context in which I’ll accept contact is when one or both are dead and here’s your inheritance check (if they haven’t written me out).

My gut is telling me to rip up the check but lots of my friends are urging me to take it and carry on being NC. I’m not sure what to do.