During Sister's Promotion Party, They Called Me 'Unemployed'—The Forbes List Just Dropped

The rooftop bar was packed with marketing executives in expensive suits, all gathered to celebrate my sister Hannah's promotion to VP of Marketing at TechVision Media. String lights twinkled overhead, champagne flowed freely, and Hannah held court in the center of it all, radiant in her success.
I stood near the bar, nursing a club soda and trying to blend into the background. Mom had insisted I come. "Support your sister," she'd said. "Show some family solidarity."
Hannah clinked her glass, and the crowd quieted. "Thank you all for coming! This promotion means everything to me. Five years of grinding, networking, proving myself—it finally paid off. VP at thirty-four. Not bad, right?"
Applause and cheers erupted. Her boss, Martin Chen, raised his glass. "Hannah's the best thing that's happened to TechVision's marketing department. Her campaign strategies increased our client retention by forty-seven percent. She's the future of this company."
More applause. Hannah beamed, soaking it in.
"Now, some of you know my sister Alex is here," Hannah continued, gesturing vaguely in my direction. "Alex couldn't make it in corporate life. She just sits at home on her laptop all day. But hey, different strokes for different folks, right?"
Awkward laughter rippled through the crowd. Several people glanced at me with poorly concealed pity.
"What does your sister do?" one of Hannah's colleagues asked loudly.
"Honestly? We're not really sure," Hannah said with a laugh. "Something with tech. Freelance coding or website stuff. Mom worries about her constantly—no real job, no benefits, no career trajectory. But Alex seems content with her... lifestyle."
Lifestyle. As if my life was an extended vacation rather than the culmination of nine years of eighteen-hour days.
I checked my phone discreetly. My CFO had texted: Acquisition papers filed with SEC. Goes public tomorrow 9 AM EST. Media embargo lifts simultaneously. Congratulations, boss.
I texted back: Perfect.
Hannah's boss approached me, clearly fulfilling a social obligation. "Alex, right? Hannah mentioned you work in tech. What company?"
"I run a SaaS platform," I said simply. "B2B marketing automation and analytics."
"Oh, nice! Small startup? TechVision actually uses several marketing platforms. Always interesting to hear about new players in the space."
"Something like that," I said.
He nodded politely and drifted away. Hannah swooped in immediately, her smile tight.
"Alex, try to mingle," she hissed. "You're standing here like a wallflower. These are important people—executives, directors. You could learn something about real business."
"I'm fine observing," I said.
"That's your problem. You're always observing, never participating. This is why you can't hold down a real job." She softened slightly. "Look, Martin mentioned TechVision might have an opening in IT support. Entry-level, but it's something. Real salary, real benefits. Want me to put in a word?"
"I'm good, thanks."
"Alex, you're thirty-six. You can't freelance forever. At some point, you need stability." She glanced at her colleagues. "It's embarrassing, honestly. Everyone asks what you do, and I have to say you're... figuring things out."


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