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Of course, she is. Because she’s just fucking perfect.
The doorbell rings, causing Pi and Omega to run into hiding, despite not having finished their food.
„You little chickenshits,” I say, before making my way to the front door.
I expect to find a delivery man with a package of books I ordered, but instead I find a tall, blond woman with unnaturally white teeth and lashes as fake as her nails on my doorstep.
„Mariah,” I produce. „What are you doing here?”
„Oh, little brother, you don’t look happy to see me! Why is that?” she asks innocently while sporting her nasty trademark grin.
„It’s not that,” I say. „I’m just surprised to see you.”
But she’s right, I’m not happy to see her. I wasn’t eager to speak to her after our last conversation on the phone, when she revealed to me that our father has decided to step down as the CEO of our family’s company and named her his successor. I don’t care about that part in particular, because I never had any interest in that position, but I don’t like the way my sister is taking it—and I’m not a fan of her plans.
„Aren’t you going to invite me in?” she asks now, her eyebrows arched. „It’s freezing out here, you know.”
„Yes, of course,” I say, and take a step back to let her in.
She stalks in on her ridiculously high boots, and hands me her coat, after taking it off in a dramatic fashion, as if she was embodying some kind of diva in a movie.
„A coffee would be great,” she says, before I get to offer anything.
I don’t deign her with an answer, but beckon her to follow me into the living area that’s adjacent to the open kitchen at the back of the house.
„Where’s your guy?” she wants to know as she slumps down on one of the sofas, while I walk into the kitchen. „What was his name again? Clark?”
„Greg, you mean,” I say, as I start making the coffee she asked for. „I let him go. It felt redundant to have someone wait on me 24/7. I can take care of myself.”
„But you don’t have to,” she says. „I could never live without my Suzie! Or Angela. They do everything for me.”
„You have always been lazy,” I say, rolling my eyes at her. „I prefer having the house to myself.”
„Well, I prefer to be able to focus on other things, instead of busying myself with managing everyday life”, she laments. „It’s such a hassle.”
My sister, sadly, takes after our mother, who wasn’t born rich but got used to the lifestyle a little too much. The older I grew, the more I understood that my mother has the unfortunate trait of being a gold digger. I’m surprised my father is still married to her, but he says he’s content with the way things are.
I think he’s just scared and complacent. Or maybe he’s just happy to have an allegedly loyal partner hang onto his arm, who isn’t asking for much, other than his credit card. I never understood the dynamic between them, but it was always clear that love wasn’t the driving factor behind their union.
And my sister has always been very responsive to the lavish luxury we grew up in. She not only takes it for granted, but always wants more.
She doesn’t even say thank you when I bring her the coffee she asked for.
„Why are you here?” I ask eventually, as I sink down in an armchair opposite her. „And why didn’t you tell me you were already in the country?”
My sister and my parents moved back to England around the time I started college. My father was born there, but moved to the States to attend Yale, where he founded a highly successful hedge fund firm with two friends before he even graduated.
The firm was so successful that he decided to stay for a while longer, and when he met my mother, the idea of ever moving back to England was put on hold for years. The headquarters of his company is still in NYC, so he has been traveling back and forth ever since they relocated. I knew he wasn’t interested in doing this for much longer. It was always the plan to hand over the reins to Mariah and that she would move back here, once she took over.
It may sound harsh, but I always dreaded that day to come. I have never felt close to my family because we’re all so vastly different, and it was a relief to not be subjected to my sister’s superficial attitude. Sadly, I can’t say that I missed her.
„I wanted to surprise you!” she says now, indignant. „I’ll be looking at apartments, or, well, houses, this month. Get things started, you know.”
She beams at me. „I can’t believe it’s finally happening! Just a few months ago, Dad was saying that he’s not ready to let go yet, and now this!”
„There’s no reason for his sudden change of heart?” I want to know. „He’s not ill or anything?”
„Oh, silly, no! He’s fine. He’s just ready to retire and let someone young take over,” she pipes. „I have a lot of great ideas, you know. I think he just wanted me to go ahead and finally be able to execute them.”
