My sister Amelia and I have always had a bit of a rivalryshe insisted on being first at absolutely everything. She tied the knot before me, and our parents absolutely splurged on her wedding: there was enough glitter to blind a whole village, while I ended up making do with a humble little do at the community hall because money was suddenly too tight to mention. According to Mum and Dad, theyd blown their entire nest egg on Amelias big day and there simply wasnt a penny left for mine.
After her fairy tale wedding, Amelia settled comfortably into domestic life with her two children, spending most days lounging at home or popping out to the beauty salon, funded thoroughly by her ever-doting husband. Meanwhile, my husband and I had to move in with his gran to avoid drowning ourselves in mortgage debt. Instead, we rolled up our sleeves and threw ourselves into building up a shop from scratch, pouring our energy and sheer stubbornness into it.
Eventually, our hard work paid off. The business took off and things were looking up. Unfortunately, Amelias marriage came unglued and the pair split up. Mum, ever the peacekeeper, rang me and asked if I could give Amelia a job in our shop since she was suddenly a single mum. I knew, however, that the real reason behind Amelias divorce was her less-than-faithful approach to matrimony. When Amelia reached out, she tried to strike a deal about the job, expecting something cushy and well-paid to magically materialise.
She sweetly suggested that I hire her despite her complete lack of experience, and pay her a rather princely sum, with no real responsibilities to speak of. I gaped at the downright cheek of it and politely declined. The last thing I fancied was becoming the target of her endless demands and mood swings, rather like her ex-hubby. So I told her, quite firmly for once, that shed be better off looking elsewhere, because I had absolutely no intention of being anyones doormatespecially not hers.
