Their reunion, spurred by the seismic shift of a global pandemic, initially hinted at a thaw in relations. As the family returned to their homeland, their focus remained on their own perceived successes in the medical field, with his brother achieving a staggering salary and his sister following the prescribed path. In their eyes, he was merely a footnote, a cautionary tale languishing in obscurity.
However, beneath the surface of their perceived superiority, a different narrative was unfolding. Unbeknownst to his judgmental family, the ostracized son had been quietly building an empire, not of healing, but of finance. His journey, though devoid of accolades from his kin, was about to deliver a stunning revelation that would leave them speechless.
My (37m) family comes from and is a long line of doctors, being a doctor is the only acceptable profession in their eyes and anything aside from that is met with literal abandonment.
Which is what happened to me when I turned 17 and told my family I was NOT going to be a doctor but to build an acting career / social media career (youtube wasn’t huge then) and supplement my income with small business endeavours. When I told my family this they kicked me out and we subsequently lost contact for 17 years.
During time they moved to the UK and my sister became a doctor and my older brother got into a very competitive stream for surgery (neurosurgery specialising in spinal tumour diagnosis and removal), which he has now finished. We reconnected when COVID hit and they told me they were moving back to Sydney for lifestyle reasons and because my brother has found a $750k a year job.
During the last 2 years they never asked me how my acting career / social media stuff went, and basically assumed I was just slumming in it Sydney. To their credit they were correct in that I didn’t “make it big” in acting (maybe the world wasn’t ready for a main stream leading role Indian…), or make it at all.
I did however “make it big” as an investment banker and recently made partner at the bank I work.
This came to head on Friday when I met them for house shopping (I walked to meet them, and when they asked about my car, I just said I preferred to walk), and they realised the areas they wanted to live; despite being highly paid medical professionals, simply wasn’t going to be happening, as the houses cost north of $20m.
When we decided to call it a day and regroup they suggested going to my place before going out to dinner.
When we arrived at my house they thought I was renting a room and enquired how much rent was, I informed them that I wasn’t renting and that this was my house. They lost their shit, accusing me of lying to them for years and only meeting up to rub their face in my “probably illegally gained” wealth, and capped it off by informing me that they’ll be living with me now instead of with my oldest brother, since they can’t be seen living in a worse house then their son.
I laughed at them and reminded them that they bet on my brother and sister not me, and that they have a better chance of living with my neighbours than me. At that point they threatened to “cut me out of their will”, to which I reminded them of the fact that they can’t even afford to buy it my area, so their will and assets don’t really matter to me.
Now they aren’t talking to me, and my brother and sister are saying I should have been proactive in letting them know of my success (I have a public linkedin profile, so they literally never googled me).
Edit. Getting a lot of hate about including the terms social media influencer in my post. To clarify, this was 19 years ago, and I believe social media influencer is probably the updated term for socialite. I wanted to be famous, but I had no real skills or plan ad to how I was going to achieve that goal…
like most social media people.
Edit 2. A lot of people are critical that my family just kicked me out or that it’s unlikely a parent would do this. Obviously I wasn’t a great child in their eyes in general and this was the final straw so to speak. Also desi parents are a different level of parents…
from washing your fathers feet, to not speaking unless spoken to, not allowed to talk to opposite sex and viewing the head of house as an almost God figure, it’s a bit different. Desi parents are also incredibly strict, not like your room needs to be clean strict, but like clean the entire house, wash the cars, wash iron everyone’s clothes or you are getting beaten with a broom.
For the people talking about house prices, yeah Sydney is wack, House prices jump around a bit too of course, but generally speaking if you live in a house on the harbour it’s wasn’t cheap. Our former PM lived in a $70m to $90,? House at Point piper.
Conclusion
The fallout from this explosive confrontation was immediate and severe. The family, accustomed to a life of privilege and blinded by their own perceived superiority, found themselves utterly devoid of leverage. Their threats of disinheritance, once potent weapons, were reduced to hollow echoes against the backdrop of his undeniable financial triumph.
Their inability to even comprehend his level of success, culminating in the absurd assumption that he was merely renting a room, highlighted the profound disconnect that had festered for years. The irony was palpable: the profession they deemed worthless had not only provided him with security but had catapulted him to a level of wealth they themselves, despite their lucrative medical careers, could only dream of.
As the dust settles, the family’s silence speaks volumes. Their rigid adherence to tradition has left them isolated, their judgment a stark reminder of the irreversible consequences of their actions. He, on the other hand, stands vindicated, a testament to the fact that success can be forged in the fires of defiance, and that the most profound fortunes are often built on the ruins of expectation. The final chapter of this saga is clear: he forged his own path, and in doing so, proved them all wrong.
Here’s how people reacted:
They made their bed, now they can lie in it. Good for you.
Do any of your siblings work in the burn unit?
NTA.
But I am dying to know your expression when your estranged parents told you to give your house to your brother. That takes some chutzpah/cojones.
I have an entitled BIL who seems to think that because he is the oldest male, he deserves ALL of the family properties and that his more successful brothers need to give him a good portion of their salaries. If he had more than one child, he would be just like your parents.
Live your best life, maybe keep them at an immense distance, with cameras all around your property.
Dude.. you are trying to reconnect with your family. Why?
You even mention in the comments that you would let them visit again. Why?
These people kicked you out at 17.
They haven’t talked to you or looked for you in 17 years.
And now that they know you have wealth, they want to use you. Hell, the fact that they wanted you to give up your house for your brother shows you exactly who they are.
You have no family. They have shown you that. They will give you no joy. Only grief and pain. Just create your own family and live your life.
Good luck.
Social media influencer wasn’t a job people aspired to or did.
YTA for spinning a yarn
Ouch, but hey they cut you off for nearly 20 years.
Edit to add judgement, NTA. Your parents suck. They abandoned you because you dared to not be what they projected onto you when you were born. We need to get rid of this toxic culture. Good on you for being successful.