my name is Rachel Thompson I serve as the Director of accounting at Prestige real estate a luxury real estate company in Boston our company's office is located on the 35th floor of the credential Tower in the Back Bay District through the large windows we have a panoramic view of the Charles River and Boston Harbor with visibility stretching far into the distance on clear days our office furnished with top-of-the-line pieces creates an atmosphere befitting the luxury properties we handle as you step off the elevator into our lobby soft chandelier light welcomes visitors and fresh flowers are
always arranged at the reception counter after graduating high school I began working as an accountant at my mother's company while studying at night school and teaching myself to earn certifications I now fondly remember those days when I would stay late into the night studying long after other staff had gone home those efforts paid off when I developed an accounting system from scratch that achieved annual cost Savings of $1 million significantly contributing to the company's growth my husband David serves as the sales director at the same company handling transactions with major corporations and achieving 70% of
total sales we live as a family of three with our gentle family oriented David and our 8-year-old son Oliver our son has a bright and honest personality and he's especially close to his grandmother my mother he looks forward to visiting her house on weekends every weekend morning Oliver wakes up early and packs his picture books and toys into his bag to take to his grandmother's house watching him do this fills my heart with complex emotions my mother Margaret is known in Boston Social Circles as the president of prestige real estate she also serves on the
board of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and lives in a large mansion in the Brooklyn District my sister Jenny after graduating from Harvard University works as the pr director while also being active as a social media influencer mother and Jenny are always conscious of their upper class status and sometimes overtly discriminate against me at company events because of my educational background when mother passes by my desk she swishes the Hem of her luxury brand suit while giving my modest attire an appraising look from head to toe just yesterday during an important client meeting mother ignored my
proposal and only took J J's opinions into consideration Jenny is the same way she wraps herself in the latest designer brands commutes in an environmentally conscious luxury car and posts about her lifestyle centered around organic ingredients on social media she occasionally makes my plane clothing and practical car the subject of her social media posts last week she made a post mocking my suit as a retro fashion inviting laughter from her followers strangely enough their affection for Oliver never changes both mother and Jenny show gentle Expressions around Oliver and by him expensive toys and clothes Oliver's
drawings are displayed in mother's office and he frequently appears on Jenny's social media as her beloved nephew on the surface our family appears to maintain harmonious relationships in the upscale Brooklyn neighborhood where Victorian Mansion stand in Meet Rose while Oliver Spends His weekends at Mother's house in one corner of this area I sometimes Ponder every morning as I commute past the old public high school building I've never once regretted the path I chose however I can't help but wonder what are true family bonds what does does success really mean and how long can our relationships
continue like this I've planned a family trip to Hawaii to strengthen our family bonds mother's sudden announcement was thrown out abruptly at the end of the company's monthly meeting outside the window Boston's summer sunlight was reflecting off the high-rise Windows casting a dazzling light it's the Four Seasons Resort Maui at at WEA the most luxurious Resort in Maui I've booked first class roundtrip flights and Ocean View sweet rooms mother operated her branded tablet while projecting photos onto the conference room screen a pure white Hotel facing an emerald green ocean well-maintained tropical gardens an endless Horizon
extending from the private pool I've planned all Instagram worthy activities private yacht Sunset Cruise helicopter Island Tour private dinner with a Top Chef Jenny nodded enthusiastically beside mother already seeming to be planning her social media posts her fingertips were constantly sliding across her smartphone screen I was secretly excited 8-year-old Oliver had never been on an airplane before just imagining my son's eyes sparkling made me smile naturally departure is 2 weeks from Saturday 7 a.m. flight however strangely mother didn't share the reservation details neither the airline nor flight number nor the hotel confirmation email was shared
although I felt something was off I decided to trust mother then came the day of departure the airport terminal was bustling with Travelers excited about their summer vacations despite the early morning hour Oliver's eyes were shining with excitement as he showed curiosity about everything in the airport hey are we going to ride that big airplane amazing my son ran to the window pointing at the aircraft lined up on the runway full of excitement David smiled gently while placing his hand on our son's shoulder mother and Jenny were busy taking photos while pulling their latest Louis
Vuitton trunks # luxury travel Jenny kept saying while taking selfies now let's head to the check en counter mother took the lead and our family followed the sound of luxury suitcases gliding across the floor formed a line as we walked however at the check encounter that uneasy feeling became reality and hit us I'm sorry but I can't seem to find your reservation the counter staff looked at the screen with a confused expression it seems they can't find our reservation I said to mother and at that moment her expression changed completely ah there were too many
people so we decided you and your family should sit this one out those words fell like ice pellets Jenny giggled and said well this is a trip for the real family after all I felt Oliver's small body begin to tremble mom I want to go too why just us my son's voice was shaking tears tears began to well up in his pure eyes the gazes of those around us gradually gathered on us I quietly held my son's hand his small Palm was cold and damp with anxiety David gripped our suitcase again with a dignified attitude
Oliver let's go on our own family trip somewhere else my voice was calmer than I expected perhaps the anger I felt unlike anything I'd experienced before had actually helped keep my heart calm David whispered in my ear actually I had made reservations at Disney World just in case the flight to Orlando is in an hour it's at a different terminal but we can still make it gratitude welled up inside me at my husband's words behind us as we left I could hear Mother and Jenny starting to pose for commemorative photos the sound of camera shutters
was absorbed into the hustle and bustle of the check encounter I could faintly hear Jenny's voice saying hey is this really okay it's fine that kind of trip isn't suitable for people of their class mother's answer echoed like a final farewell carried on the air conditioning Breeze still holding Oliver's hand we headed toward the terminal for the Orlando bound flight my son's tears hadn't completely dried yet but I could feel his small lips beginning to move slightly toward hope mom can we really go on a trip too yes of course let's enjoy our real family
vacation at that moment I felt Oliver's hand become a little warmer Under the Blue Sky of Maui mother and Jenny were absorbed in taking photos for Instagram tilt more to the right Margaret yes perfect # private beach # luxury life Jenny was giving instructions to a professional photographer on the Luxury Resorts private beach mother dressed in the latest Resort where was striking poses on the white sand next let's shoot a video of the luxury spa treatment my followers are waiting behind their glamorous social media posts mother and Jenny were watching each other's expressions in the
eyes of the two trying to Stage the perfect family vacation there was something Hollow meanwhile at Disney World in Florida Oliver's eyes were sparkling as he ran toward his favorite characters we were surrounded by our son's innocent Smiles feeling genuine happiness our camera captured Oliver's real-sized Joy without thinking about social media posts purely to preserve memories with our son in front of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom David while carrying Oliver on his shoulders asked hey Oliver are you having fun being here with Mom and Dad yes it's the most fun in the world it would
have been nice if Grandma and Aunt were here too but I'm happy just being with Mom and Dad my son's words brought tears to both David's and my eyes that night after Oliver had fallen asleep tired in the hotel room David Drew close to me Rachel you're truly a strong woman this experience has made our bond even stronger outside the window fireworks were coloring the night sky their light seemed to be blessing our family's new step forward then on the morning of the third day of our trip my cell phone started ringing while we were
enjoying breakfast it was an urgent call from Linda in the company's accounting department Rachel it's terrible we've received notice of an urgent tax audit also there's an urgent matter from Wilson corporation that needs immediate attention Linda's voice was trembling Wilson Corporation accounts for 40% of our company's sales calm down Linda what exactly happened the tax office is questioning the operation of the new accounting system and Wilson Corporation is requesting direct consultation with David regarding the contract for their new development project the company had fallen into a state of panic it seemed mother had been ignoring
the numerous calls coming to her cell phone when mother finally grasp the situation she called me hysterically this is terrible come back to the company right away right now we're enjoying a different vacation with our family right now my response was quiet but firm the company is in trouble it's the system you created isn't it you need to take responsibility you're the one who excluded us from the real family right now I have precious time with my family stop being stubborn at a time like this don't blame me if the company goes under mother's screams
echoed through the phone in the background I could hear Jenny panicking saying what should I do I'm losing followers I quietly hung up the phone David silently placed his hand on my shoulder and Oliver looked at us with a worried expression it's okay Oliver today let's all go to Animal Kingdom at those words my son's expression brightened but in my heart I could feel a storm brewing from Wilson Corporation came their final notice without David's presence we find it impossible to proceed with discussions on this matter we value transaction s based on trust relationships the
situation was deteriorating by the minute however at that time we had something more precious Oliver's smile time with family and an opportunity to consider what true success really means the prestige real estate office had lost its former glamour from the large windows on the 35th floor of the credential Tower the spectacular view of Boston Harbor still spreads out but now no one had the luxury to enjoy that view the fresh flowers at the entrance had withered and remained that way even the chandelier lights seemed dimmer than before the results of the tax audit were more
serious than expected the Auditors kept asking persistent questions about the details of the accounting system I had built this system is very Innovative however because of that we need detailed explanations about its consistency with conventional accounting standards in the conference room an elderly auditor frowned while reviewing documents next to him a young auditor kept throwing questions could you explain the specific calculation method for this cost reduction mechanism mother couldn't even understand the questions and just showed a panicked expression Jenny kept staring at her smartphone probably shocked by the rapidly decreasing number of social media followers
regarding this matter I believe only Rachel who built the system can explain I'm sorry Margaret but we must consider a complete review of our contract the executive from Wilson Corporation announced with a Stern expression our transactions were based on the trust relationship we built with David however this incident makes us question your company's management policies those words echoed coldly in the company Lobby there were figures of agitated employees the accounting staff was buried under mountains of unprocessed documents the sales department was receiving One customer complaint after another mother who had fallen into Panic finally came
barging into my home the doorbell rang persistently at our home where we had just returned from Disney World Rachel David please help us mother's makeup was smeared and her luxury brand suit was wrinkled behind her Jenny was sobbing the company will go bankrupt you have to come back I answered calmly please solve it with your real family this is no time for such stubbornness mother's voice was trembling this isn't stubbornness this is about our family dignity at that moment David appeared from the study with documents actually I've been preparing for a possible situation like this
for the past few years the documents he presented detailed plans for establishing a new company Thompson family real estate Rachel system and my client Network and most importantly our family bond we're you're ready to take a new Step the color drained from mother and Jenny's faces you mean you're going independent to those words I nodded firmly rumors of the new company's establishment spread quickly throughout the industry then unexpected responses started pouring in if it's David and Rachel's new company we'd love to work with you sincere attitude and accurate accounting that's exactly what we've been looking
for maintaining the goodness of Family Management while having Innovative systems it's ideal we also received welcome news from Wilson Corporation we'll positively consider doing business with your new company David's sincere approach and Rachel's accurate accounting processing that's why we've trusted you meanwhile mother's company rapidly lost its centripetal force the maintenance costs of the luxury office became a huge burden and they had to give up several floors for cost reduction they were forced to move from the upper floors to more affordable middle floors on mother's desk contract termination notices kept piling up Jenny's social media account
showed no signs of recovering from the backlash her followers which once exceeded 1 million had now dropped to less than oneth how did it come to this mother stared out the window with vacant eyes her luxury brand suit looked slightly out of place Rachel what was our pride all about those words showed a weakness and uncertain never seen before as I watched mother's figure beginning to show her true face as her mask of Pride fell away I felt complex emotions meanwhile our new office was in a relatively modest building in Boston's Back Bay District however
there was definite warmth there good morning Rachel your son's photos are cute today too at the reception flowers with smiling faces are always displayed on weekends Oliver would stop by and chat happily with the employees the explanation session for the new system was very easy to understand thanks to David we secured a big contract the employees voices were filled with pride and joy at dusk I was looking down at the city from our new office window though not as high as the Prudential Tower I could see our family's new future in this view David embraced
me from behind Rachel our choice wasn't wrong I nodded deeply at those words though complex feelings toward mother remained we now had a tangible sense of accomplishment Christmas lights were beginning to illuminate the streets of Boston from the window of our new home illuminations that Oliver loves shine in the garden decorating the Christmas tree together has become our family tradition Thompson family real estate had established a solid position in the industry within a year of its founding our philosophy of sincerity and Innovation resonated with many clients and our reputation spread through Word of Mouth Rachel
thanks to the new system our work efficiency has improved dramatically the accounting staff reports with Bright Smiles David's sales department was also steadily building up achievements on weekends Oliver looks forward to visiting the company Jane at reception always prepares homemade cookies for Oliver hey Mom what kind of work are you doing today my son sits in my chair and looks at the computer screen with a serious expression the employees give him Gentle Smiles meanwhile mother and Jenny's lives had changed dramatically Prestige real estate was forced to downsize into a small real estate company mother decided
to move from her luxury apartment to a more affordable one Jenny's social media account was was barely being updated anymore however this change seemed to bring unexpected realizations one day a handwritten letter arrived at my desk it was from Mother Dear Rachel I've thought about many things over this past year I want to sincerely apologize for my arrogant attitude that day at the airport I was trapped in the illusion of upper class and lost sight of what truly matters caught up in the number of a likes on social media and superficial success I almost lost
the most precious thing family bonds watching Oliver grow from afar has made me realize as both a grandmother and a mother what was truly needed I'm not asking for forgiveness I just wonder if we could have another chance to face each other as family with love Mother tears welled up in my eyes as I finished reading the letter and then came Christmas Eve we decided to hold a modest party at our new home we invited our employees and their families entertaining them with homemade dishes when the doorbell rang and I opened the front door there
stood mother and Jenny they weren't wearing their usual flashy outfits in their hands was a homemade apple pie thank you for inviting us mother's voice carried a softness I'd never heard before Jenny also wore minimal makeup and showed an honest expression I really want to apologize for my arrogance back then we finally understand the importance of family the party fell silent at their words that's when Oliver came running up grandma Aunt Jenny the innocent child's smile began to thaw the Frozen atmosphere I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully it will take time
to forgive but for Oliver's sake too let's work on rebuilding our relationship little by little tears gleamed in mother 's eyes Jenny nodded modestly Grandma next time let's go on a real family trip with everyone Oliver's innocent suggestion made the room's atmosphere soften outside the window snow had begun to fall quietly the Christmas tree lights gently illuminated our family David opened a bottle of champagne and proposed a toast to new family bonds the sound of clinking glasses echoed through the room mother and Jenny's Expressions no longer showed their former arrogance replaced instead by humility and
warmth in this past year we lost many things and gained new ones each family member learned what true happiness is rather than superficial success Oliver's excited Voice rings out as he opens Pres under the Christmas tree watching mother gently Pat her grandson's head I could see the shape of our new family emerging outside the window the illuminations reflected off the accumulating snow shining like beacons of Hope what is true success what are family bonds the answer was surprisingly simple not pretense or ostentation but just hearts that care for each each other and the courage to
acknowledge mistakes and forgive each other I stand quietly by the window gazing at the snowy scene while thinking this is the path we chose and the path we will continue to walk the cityscape about to welcome the new year was filled with the Light Of Hope
