At the family dinner celebrating my younger brother's new apartment, he suddenly spoke up.
"Sis, honestly, you've really brought shame to our family."
I was busy handing out plates and silverware when his words froze me in place.
Leaning lazily against the grand armchair, he smirked, his tone dripping with scorn.
"You have no house, no car, and no man who wants you. You've been working for ten years, yet you've achieved nothing. How did you manage to mess up your life this badly?"
His condescending gaze pierced me like a knife straight to the heart.
My parents sat in silence, allowing me to be humiliated in front of everyone.
I didn't argue.
That very night, I packed my things and left for abroad.
But after I was gone—my brother's car loan went unpaid.
The mortgage fell behind. Even his chance at a promotion slipped away because he no longer had the money to grease the right palms.
It was only then that he seemed to realize—maybe the one who had achieved nothing over the past ten years wasn't me.
——
Two years ago, Brian, my younger brother, bought himself a hundred fifty thousand dollar SUV in full. This year, he purchased a downtown apartment. All this less than three years after graduating college.
My parents, their faces beaming with pride, booked the largest private dining room in the city to celebrate with relatives and friends.
But the laughter and clinking glasses turned to ice when Brian opened his mouth.
My mother tried to signal him with her eyes to stop, but he pretended not to notice.
"Sis, you're already an old leftover woman. Your only option now is marriage. Face reality—give it a few more years and no one will even want you. Don't come crying to me then."
I never expected respect from him—he had been spoiled rotten since childhood. But I thought at the very least he wouldn't openly disgrace me like this.
Seeing my face darken, my mother gave him a token slap on the arm.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
But Brian bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, raising his voice.
"Nonsense? Where's the nonsense?" He looked me up and down with contempt. "I'm only twenty-six and I already own a house and a car. And her? She's thirty, with no skills, no achievements, not even a boyfriend. Do you know how people laugh at our family because of her?"
Around the table, our relatives joined in the spectacle.
"Florence, you’ve been living at home ever since graduation, but you’ve contributed nothing to the family. It’s been ten years, and you don’t even own a decent set of clothes. You waste your days idling around. If I were your brother, I'd be worried too."
"Exactly. He may sound harsh, but good medicine tastes bitter. He's just looking out for you."
With their support, Brian grew bolder.
"You think I want to say this? If it weren't for Mom and Dad worrying, I wouldn't bother. They can support you now, but in a few years? What happens then? Don't think about latching onto me—I won't waste my life supporting a useless leech."
His words were sharp, merciless, and laced with mockery. Around me, laughter and sidelong glances cut deeper than any blade.
I looked instinctively toward my parents.
My father drank his wine as though nothing was wrong while my mother stayed silent.
The humiliation and bitterness swelled in my chest until I could barely breathe.
Brian was their precious late-born son, and they indulged his every whim, so they demanded I do the same.
When I was in college and he had just entered high school, he wanted a pair of sneakers worth five thousand dollars—and insisted that I buy them.
That very day, my scholarship money of exactly five thousand dollars had just been deposited. For the first time, I told him no.
But that night, my mother called me dozens of times, crying.
"The doctor said I can't get upset. But when your brother throws a tantrum, my body can't take it. Do you really want to see your mother suffer?"
Panicked and guilty, I transferred the money back to her.
