Boss Complex

31. Peas in a pod

Her brother was always golden. From the time they were younger, he was the one to tow the family name on, he was the one who would inherit the company, and he was the one who got the good graces. Really, she's a saint for putting up with his bullshit personality for all of these years and loving him regardless. He acts like he doesn't see how special he gets treated and it pisses her off to no end.

That's not to say she doesn't love the man. He's her twin, of course she loves him. But she has no time for pretending he's the special king of the castle every day. Their parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and business partners all did enough ego stroking for him to last a lifetime. And there she was at each family gathering, Byun Baekhee, every bit as tall and smart as he is, prettier than he is, overlooked with a compliment that she's growing up well and somebody will be lucky to marry her.

Bastards, all of them, overlooking her charm and all that she had to offer. She has business smarts and she's creative, she's smart and dammit, she may look like her brother but she's not just a girl by birth, she's feminine as well. But nobody takes note of it. Nobody but horndog boys at school trying to get laid and how something to brag about. All of them can choke on it for all she cared, and the one guy that never fawned over her, the one man that never looked at her like a piece of meat, was their good friend Do Kyungsoo and he's been hung up on her doofus brother since they were in like, middle school.
"You're not worthless, Byun Baekhee. You're just unnoticed, and someday you will be noticed." She says confidently, smoothing her hair into an elegant hairband. "You're going to be the wife of a CEO, Baekhee. People will notice you, they'll put you in magazines for your beauty and finally, it will be you that gets the spotlight. Nothing can stop this now."

She adjusts her pearl necklace and debutante tennis outfit, pastel pink polo, white knee-length skirt and white cardigan around her shoulders. She struts to the front door confidently, wondering if she should change her perfume now from Miss Dior to something more mature like Estee Lauder.

"Baekhee, are you leaving?"

She stops at the sound of her mother's voice and smiles.

"Oui, Maman. I'm off to the airport to pick up my finace!"

Her mother's expression is steep, nothing light to her expression.

"Be careful with yourself. Don't let your personal problems affect your brother at his work."

Her muscles clench, her teeth gritting together with a deep heave of her chest and she tosses her white Chanel shoulderbag over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to hurt the little prince." She growls, hand on the doorknob.

She stays rooted in the position, heart out the door, body grounded by resentment.

"You know, I thought that for once, you would be appreciative of me and what I'm doing for this household and family. I'm sacrificing my freedom for you."

Her mother strokes the seam of the couch's back cushion as she comes up on it and rolls her eyes.

"Oh, please. Baekhee. You may have given up being called Becky in favor of your born Korean name, but let's not pretend that you're doing any of this for us. If he had been old and fat, you'd still be off somewhere in France or India or Hawaii or wherever you decided to use your father's money for that week. I have been your mother for over two decades, and I know for a fact that you're not selfless enough to give up anything for your family."

She perches delicately on the arm of the couch and crosses her arms over her chest in her paired pants and matching blouse.

"And Baekhyun ever gave up anything for us? He got expelled! He was kicked out of his school in Japan for drinking on school property when he was barely in high school!"