“You think this?”
He gestured to the party, the guests, the view.
“You think any of this just happens? This takes real effort. Real grind. You wouldn’t last a week doing what I do.”
I didn’t flinch.
“You’re right,” I said. “I wouldn’t, because I’d never give up my freedom to climb someone else’s ladder.”
And just then, just then, my dad walked over, catching the tail end.
“What’s going on here?” he asked, brow raised.
Evan straightened.
“Nothing,” he said quickly. “Just talking.”
But his eyes were still locked on me, and the storm behind them was only just beginning.
I could feel it like a crack in the foundation of something that had been crumbling for years.
This wasn’t about a promotion.
This was about control, image, who got to be the favorite.
And I just shifted the weight.
After that exchange, something in Evan changed.
He didn’t storm off or raise his voice again, but he wore this tight-lipped smile for the rest of the night. The kind that barely hides a bruise to the ego, the kind of smile that says, “I’ll deal with you later.”
I wasn’t surprised.
Evan had always been the type to collect slights like they were debts.
But unlike me, he didn’t believe in letting things go quietly.
No, Evan believed in settling scores, and he didn’t like losing face, especially not in front of family.
The next morning, I woke up to a group text from my mom.
It was a long, meandering message about tone and how family events should be about support, not showmanship.
She didn’t mention Evan by name, but it was clear who she was defending.
I didn’t reply.
Ten minutes later, she texted me privately.
“You embarrassed your brother on a very important night. Was that necessary?”
I stared at the screen, thumb hovering over the keyboard.
Then I locked the phone and placed it face down on my desk.
Let her stew.
For the next week, I stayed quiet. Didn’t post anything, didn’t reach out, didn’t engage.
And that apparently drove them insane.
On Thursday, my cousin Jordan messaged me out of nowhere.
“Hey, random question. How do you actually make money?”
I chuckled.
I knew exactly where this was coming from.