I’ll never forget the day my sister vanished with my life savings. The $20,000 loan was supposed to save her boutique, but instead it destroyed our relationship. For eight months, I watched her live large while my electricity got shut off. The hardest part? Knowing I’d been played by someone who’d shared my childhood bedroom.
But desperation breeds creativity. I networked with other women entrepreneurs, learning the commercial real estate game between daycare pickups. When her landlord put the building up for sale, my investor group swooped in. Now her former boutique is “The Hive,” where women support women without empty promises.
She reached out after seeing our feature in the business section. The tears sounded real this time, but I’ve built something too valuable to risk again. My kids will inherit more than just money – they’ll inherit the wisdom that some family ties are better left severed.
