My Parents Banned Me From Christmas For Years And Only Loved My Brother. At…

The Golden Child and the Outsider

My parents banned me from Christmas for years and only loved my brother. At his job interview, HR revealed I was the CEO and his face went pale.

My name is Seline Drayton and I am 32 years old. I am the CEO of Techishian Solutions, a technology startup that has developed into a mid-sized firm with over 200 people.

But my route to achievement was not paved with family blessings. Quite the reverse.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I was always the odd one out. My parents, Edmund and Isolda, made it quite apparent that my younger brother, Allaric, was the golden child.

Allaric, three years my junior, had it all. The newest toys, the best opportunities, and most importantly, their undivided attention and adoration.

From a young age, I learned to be self-sufficient. My parents attended all of Allaric’s little league games and school productions, but they were rarely present for my academic competitions or piano recitals.

“We’re busy with Allaric’s event,” was the most prevalent sentence I heard.

The Divide in Education

When it came time for college, the difference was much more pronounced.

“We’ve been saving for Allaric’s education since he was born,” my father told me when I inquired about financial assistance.

“He plans to be a doctor or a lawyer eventually.”

“Seline, you’ve always been independent.”

I finished with honors in computer science and business administration, having worked three part-time jobs and taken a full academic load at state university. Meanwhile, Allaric drank his way through freshman year at a costly private institution, soon dropped out, and then persuaded our parents to pay for his gap year.

This gap year suddenly turned into three years of finding himself while traveling through Europe and Asia on their dime. After college, I landed an entry-level position at a small tech firm.

The pay was minimal, but the experience was invaluable. I lived in a tiny studio, worked 60-hour weeks, and poured every spare minute into developing my skills and building side projects.

While Allaric posted exotic vacation photos, I was coding until 3:00 a.m., determined to create something meaningful.

The Birth of Techishian Solutions

My breakthrough came five years ago. I developed a revolutionary AI-powered customer relationship management system and pitched it to countless investors.

I faced rejection after rejection, but eventually secured enough funding to launch Techishian Solutions. The first two years were brutal.

I worked around the clock and poured everything I had into making the company succeed. By year three, our software had gained traction.

Major companies began adopting our platform, revenue flowed in, and we expanded. We moved into a proper office, and I finally started paying myself a reasonable salary.

There were times when I thought we wouldn’t make it because funding was low and the product wasn’t quite there, but I persisted. This year, Techishian Solutions became a major player in the tech industry, valued at over $200 million.

Throughout this journey, my communication with my family dwindled to occasional holiday phone calls. My parents never asked about my company, and when I tried to share my successes, they’d quickly change the subject to Allaric’s latest venture.

Allaric’s ventures inevitably failed by the time they told me about them. Allaric eventually returned to the United States and, with our parents’ connections, landed a job at a marketing firm.

He did the bare minimum but somehow always received praise from our parents.

“Allaric is really finding his way in the corporate world,” my mother would say, completely ignoring the fact that I was running my own wildly successful business.

An Unexpected Invitation

In December, three weeks before Christmas, everything came to a head. I was sitting in my corner office overlooking the Seattle skyline, reviewing year-end reports, when my phone rang.

It was my mother, an unusual occurrence on a Tuesday afternoon.

“Seline dear,” she said in that overly sweet voice she only used when she wanted something.

“I’m calling about Christmas this year.”

In recent years, I’d received a text message invitation at most, usually just days before, but a phone call three weeks in advance was unprecedented.

“We’re having everyone over on Christmas Eve,” she continued.

“It would be lovely if you could join us.”

A warmth spread through my chest. Despite everything, I still craved my family’s acceptance.

Perhaps things were changing.

“That sounds nice, Mom,” I said, trying to keep optimism out of my voice.

“I think I can make it.”

“Wonderful!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, and Allaric is bringing his new girlfriend, Maragold Vance. She works at Hard Grove and Partners, a famous consulting business. Her father is a partner there.”

And there it was—the real reason for the call.

“She’s really fantastic,” my mother continued, oblivious to my silence.

“Harvard Business School. Fast-tracked to junior partner. Allaric met her at a charity gala.”

“Everyone is so impressed by her. Your father informs everyone that his son is dating a Harvard graduate. Can you imagine the Drayton family ascending in the world?”

I took a deep breath.

“Mom, did I mention that Techishian was featured in Forbes last month? We plan to extend into Europe next year.”

“Oh, that’s nice, dear,” she said.

“Anyway, Maragold comes from a very good family. Her mother serves on the board of the Symphony Orchestra, and they have a summer house in the Hamptons.”

“Allaric suggests they travel there for New Year’s. Isn’t this exciting?”

I bit my tongue.

“Very thrilling. Listen, Mom, I need to return to work. I have a meeting in five minutes.”

“Of course, dear. We will see you at Christmas. Wear something pleasant, will you? None of those business suits. Maragold is incredibly fashion-forward.”

After we hung up, I gazed at my phone. My mother’s behavior shouldn’t have surprised me, but it still hurt.

I shook it off and went back to work, trying not to think about the forthcoming holiday.