Back then, my parents thought I was making the dumbest mistake of my life. “You’ll never amount to anything without a degree,” my mom told me while stirring her coffee like she was auditioning for a soap opera. My dad just grunted in agreement, which was his usual way of dismissing anything I said. They didn’t know I had already started my first online venture—a niche e-commerce store that would eventually grow into a series of companies generating millions a year. But back then, all they saw was a reckless, naive kid who didn’t want to work hard.
### The Success Story vs. The Cautionary Tale
We were never a close family. My parents were the type who measured worth by appearances and status. My older sister, Lily, was their pride and joy—a corporate lawyer with a pristine LinkedIn profile, luxury handbags for every season, and the kind of cold, calculated confidence that could make a room go quiet. She was the success story they paraded in front of family friends. I was the cautionary tale.
Any time I came over for dinner, they’d manage to slip in jabs disguised as concern. “Still doing that little internet thing?” my dad would ask, chuckling as if it were a phase I’d outgrow, like collecting comic books. Lily would smile politely and say, “You know, it’s never too late to get a real job.”
