Irrefutable fact: My boyfriend has brought in a new category of products to the Philippines. Before he brought it in, that product was non-existent.

On a grand gesture, he offered my brother to be his official distributor last January, but my brother refused. Maybe it was disinterest or maybe he thought it wouldn’t chose, but my brother ignored his proposal and didn’t get back to Boyfriend.

Since then, Boyfriend has found his own dealers and distributors. The product, after marketing it at this year’s Manila International Autoshow, TransSport Show, and the upcoming Manila Autosalon, was a big hit. It was even awarded the Best Innovative Product for TransSport Show 2012.

10 months later, I just discovered my brother has imported 50 cans of the same product under a different name, and offering different colors. By all sense and purposes, everything else is the same product — The application, the use, and the market.

My brother tried to sell it at a small car show in Taytay, and via Facebook. He has demo-ed to his people at least a week before of the product features, and wants them to sell to his dealers.

I knew that my brother didn’t like my Boyfriend but why did he do that? Of all the accessories he could have done, he tried to copy Boyfriend’s idea (when Boyfriend was the one who introduced the product to him), and when he saw the market is ripe, tried to compete with Boyfriend?

“I haven’t imported (a container) yet. That was just to try,” he said defensively.

“Yes, but those cans didn’t just fly to the tables like that,” I countered.

He has no defense. At 28, my brother has become a shrewd businessman who puts money above family. Even though Boyfriend has done nothing but help him, my brother has tried time and time again to create fights like this.

It’s a hard truth to take — that my adorable brother is no longer as adorable.

From a business setting, it’s scary.

It means that he’s the type of person who will be your friend and partner, and if he sees that your product is good and profitable, will import the same under his own name without any consideration to who you are. He is willing to say, “Fuck this relationship,” if it meant more business.

Who can trust that type of businessman? If you have no business ethics, then what else do you have?

From a family scenario, it’s doubly scary.

My brother did this despite knowing that he will create unnecessary fights with me. We are all doing good already, and yet, he has chosen to throw the first stone and intentionally imported a product to compete with an existing product. Of all of his products, this is his baby.

He has also spoken rudely to my mother saying, “Don’t pressure me. I haven’t imported (a container) yet. And if you push me, I will.”

He is also willing to sacrifice his relationship with his only sister by doing so. At present, how can I be friendly to him when he has intentionally tried to backstab me? Mostly because he sneakily imported the products to try and sell.

My brother has cried, and is confused. He feels bad about this, but refuses to admit that what he did.

That’s the scariest type of person.

The person who is closed minded and refuses to see reason, who doesn’t want to see other’s people’s view and admit he is wrong. The person who knows what he did is wrong and still continues to do so.

And has no qualms cutting ties with his sister.

I don’t know. Understandably, I am very upset. And may be not thinking clearly. But I think this is more due to the admittance that my brother has been a jerk, and while other people can be, knowing that my one and only little brother is one is a hard pill to swallow.