Besides our grit, my brother and I don\u2019t have the same personality and traits. We came from a family of white-collar workers and ended up having successful careers. I married an electrician with an incredibly victorious business, but my brother can\u2019t shake the fact that he is an electrician. One day, my brother\u2019s snide remarks got the best of me. Karma got to him before I did.\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve always been blessed to have the most hardworking parents, who raised me comfortably. We had more than we needed growing up, but my parents made sure to teach their kids how to work hard and have a business mindset.\n\n\n\n
My dad, Tom, runs his own business, and my mom, Linda, is a brain surgeon. My older brother, Jack, is a lawyer who loves flaunting his wealth. He had been wanting to start his own law firm but was too lazy to do the dirty work.\n\n\n\n
He preferred maintaining his lavish lifestyle, buying expensive suits, shoes, and belts. He also drives a Porsche that he talks about non-stop. To top it off, he\u2019s engaged to his third fianc\u00e9e.\n\n\n\n
In contrast, I\u2019m much more introverted and usually happy to stay in the background. I run my own business, which does quite well. However, my husband, Mark, is the real breadwinner.\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s a master electrician with a highly successful business that brings in more than four times what I make. Despite our income, we live a modest lifestyle and prefer to keep our earnings private. Jack doesn\u2019t know that Mark didn\u2019t just become an electrician; he also went to business school, which helped him turn his skills into a thriving enterprise.\n\n\n\n
Mark\u2019s humility is one of his most admirable traits. Instead of splurging on luxuries, he channels a significant portion of his income into charitable donations and investing in startups.\n\n\n\n
My parents are aware of this generosity, especially after we surprised them with an all-expense-paid cruise for their 30th wedding anniversary. As a frequent traveler, my dad knew the hefty price that came with the ticket and was taken aback by the gesture.\n\n\n\n
On Mother\u2019s Day, both Jack and I brought gifts for our mom. Jack gave her an extravagant watch, while I got her certificates for several spa treatments near her hospital. As always, my mom thanked us both warmly during our celebration.\n\n\n\n
But then Jack couldn\u2019t resist bragging about the cost of the watch. He glanced at Mark and made a snide comment about how an electrician could never afford something so lavish.\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe watch is actually a limited edition, Mom. The sales associate knew I was a big-time lawyer so she immediately offered it to me knowing I would get it. Would have been a different story if an electrician walked in\u201d Jack sneered. \u201cNo offense,\u201d he added, looking at Mark.\n\n\n\n
Mark just smiled and shrugged it off, but I could see the tension in his eyes. Jack kept going, making more belittling jokes about Mark\u2019s job. \u201cI mean, fixing wires and outlets? How hard can it be?\u201d Jack chuckled.\n\n\n\n
At one point, I had enough of him insulting my partner, who worked harder than my brother to get where he was. In fact, Jack probably didn\u2019t know that my husband made five times what he does and could probably buy his law firm. My husband and I kept silent.\n\n\n\n
Jack\u2019s arrogance had always been a thorn in my side, and his latest display was the last straw. I decided then and there that he needed a lesson in humility, but little did I know, karma had already set the stage.\n\n\n\n
A few weeks later, our family gathered at my parents\u2019 house for a barbecue. Jack arrived late, as usual, making a grand entrance in his Porsche. He parked it conspicuously out the front, where everyone could see it.\n\n\n\n
He walked in with his fianc\u00e9e, Emily, on his arm, flaunting her like another one of his trophies. He made his rounds, boasting about his latest courtroom victory and the lavish honeymoon he was planning for his third marriage.\n\n\n\n
As the afternoon wore on, I took a deep breath, ready to bring my plan to teach Jack a lesson into action. I discovered that the handbag he bought for Emily was a fake. I owned the same bag, a genuine one gifted by Mark.\n\n\n\n
I planned to expose this by comparing the two in front of everyone. Just as I was about to gather everyone for the reveal, we heard a commotion from the front of the house.\n\n\n\n
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We rushed outside to find a tow truck hooking up Jack\u2019s beloved Porsche. Jack, visibly panicked, was arguing with the tow truck driver.\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a mistake,\u201d he stammered. \u201cI\u2019ll sort this out.\u201d\n\n\n\n
The driver shook his head. \u201cIt\u2019s being repossessed. You missed several payments.\u201d\n\n\n\n
Jack\u2019s face went pale. He looked around at the gathered family members, his confidence crumbling. Emily, clearly mortified, slipped away into the house. Jack was left standing alone, a far cry from the boastful man who had walked in earlier.\n\n\n\n
He finally confessed: \u201cI lost my job. The car had been leased under my firm\u2019s name, and with no job, I couldn\u2019t keep up the payments.\u201d\n\n\n\n
We all gasped. \u201cWhat? How come none of us knew?\u201d my dad asked, clearly shocked.\n\n\n\n
Jack sighed, looking defeated. \u201cI\u2019ve been trying to keep it under wraps. I led a high-profile case that went terribly wrong. My negligence led to a significant financial loss for the client, and they sued the firm. No one wants to hire me now.\u201d\n\n\n\n
As I watched him, I felt a mix of satisfaction and pity. He had needed to be humbled, but the reality was harsher than I had intended. The fake bag also made sense now. He tried to keep that image, but he eventually failed. I approached him quietly.\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey,\u201d I said softly. \u201cMaybe this is a sign to rethink things.\u201d\n\n\n\n
He looked at me, his eyes filled with a vulnerability I had never seen before. \u201cI guess I had this coming, huh?\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe a little,\u201d I admitted. \u201cBut you\u2019re still my brother. We can get through this.\u201d\n\n\n\n
Mark stepped forward then, placing a hand on Jack\u2019s shoulder. \u201cI could use an extra pair of hands at my business. It\u2019s not glamorous, but it\u2019s honest work, and it pays well.\u201d\n\n\n\n
Jack looked shocked. \u201cYou\u2019d really hire me? After everything I said?\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cEveryone deserves a second chance,\u201d Mark replied with a kind smile. \u201cI\u2019ll teach you everything you need to know.\u201d\n\n\n\n
As the sun set on that eventful day, Jack accepted Mark\u2019s offer. It wasn\u2019t easy for him to start over, but he worked hard, learning the trade from the ground up. Over time, he developed a newfound respect for the value of honest, hard work. His arrogance faded, replaced by humility and gratitude.\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, life has a way of teaching lessons more effectively than we ever could. Jack had been brought down a peg, and though the journey ahead was tough, our family supported him. And perhaps, just perhaps, he emerged from this ordeal a better man.\n\n\n\n
Similarly, another narcissistic person was taught a lesson by a family member when she least expected it.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"