I have 3 other siblings and we are 2 sets of non identical twins. I come from quite a well to do family (I’m being modest tbh) and dad is an extremely good businessman.
Courtesy of dad’s upbringing, my 3 other siblings are also typical high flyers, climb corporate ladder damn fast kinda people. Both dominating in their respective fields. As a result, their earnings are easily the top 1% of our population.
We each have a fully paid condo unit under each of our names, which we are all staying in, courtesy of daddy again.
I chose a different route and entered the public sector as a brand new doctor with no intentions to enter private healthcare (due to many personal and professional reasons), and I think I can be a very good doctor, serving the public, in the long run.
As a closely knitted family, we go for holidays together all the time. When we were young, daddy paid for us, now we all pay for him.
The issue is now…. I don’t earn as much as them and cannot afford to travel they way they do. I can’t afford to fly first class, >3x a year to stay in a 5 star resort for a week on my doctor’s salary! I don’t even have enough leave days.
For the first few trips, my siblings paid for me, but after a while they sorta hinted that I should pay for myself when it’s very clear that I cannot.
Dad gave the “be nice” speech and suggested that I plan the next holiday, so we can all go together. I did just that and throughout the whole trip, my siblings were complaining.
Complaining that economy class seats are so small and packed, that the 4 star hotel’s shower is lousy, service staff is meh. 2 siblings even upgraded their seats halfway the flight because “why should we sit economy? We worked hard and deserve to be pampered.”
During said trip, dad had to, multiple times, put his foot down and gave the “be nice” speech. Once the speech is given, all siblings behaved. But it’s very obvious that they were not enjoying the trip but tolerating it.
Back in SG, we also have dinners regularly, and due to my work schedule and the fact that I don’t drive, I usually turn up late. Dad will insist to wait for me, much to the displeasure of my other siblings. I dont blame them, sometimes I can be 2 hrs late.
Once my sibling just said to me, ” just buy a ******* car, buy a cheap jap one so you can be on time or at least earlier.” I just broke down and shouted “I cant afford it!”
That siblings was stunned that I can’t even afford a Jap car, as if that is extremely foreign to them. I saw my twin muttered (I can lip read and they know) “Just how much are they paying you?” My heart broke as I know my twin was not being malicious, but it shows how we now are in 2 different worlds.
They were genuinely confused and trying to find out. If I had opened my mouth to ask, they would have bought the car for me, but dad didnt raise us this way.
Dad came to talk to me alone after this, and gave a long speech on how I chose this career path despite knowing what’s our family’s background. Hence now I have to learn how to handle the siblings or forever not be a part of them.
This is the consequence of my actions and he can’t be there covering me all the time. Now, I have to deal with my siblings, next time it can be another rich idiot, or another idiot higher rank than me. That’s dad’s upbringing style. My siblings thrived and become “fighters”. I have always been the more passive one. haiz……|
Recently, my 3 siblings went overseas without me and I felt a pang of sadness. As if I have been “kicked out”. For a twin, this is a damn big deal.
Talked to dad about it and all he had to say was everyone can make their own decisions, how are we going to react to it is up to us. We are all adults with our own careers, how he also isnt invited. He then turn it around and asked me how I intend to handle this?
Haiz….. I honestly don’t know. So to my juniors in med school, dont become a doctor for money. There are a lot of easier ways to earn money without sacrificing ur time, mental health, family and personal relationships.