Friend grows envious of successful project

DEAR HARRIETTE: A friend of mine has always acted a little weird toward me. On one hand, she tries to be my close friend. On the other, she always needs to be in the spotlight. I'm a much quieter person, and she likes it when I'm in the background and she's out front. I recently started a new project that has given me a lot of shine, and she is livid. She told me that I had betrayed her because I didn't bring her into the fold from the beginning. I did tell her early on, but she wasn't interested. Now that it is growing into something significant, she is angry that she isn't in the mix. I'm done with her. This is my project. She didn't care at all when it seemed small, but now that's it's growing in prominence, she's interested. How do I handle her anger as I also work on my baby? — Tired of Her

DEAR TIRED OF HER: Envy can be blinding and hard to manage. Since you know that this "friend" has had the tendency to be jealous, now may be your moment to sever the connection. Her neediness does not match your focus on what sounds like an important project in your career. Not everyone gets to work on everything that you do. This is especially true with friends. Most of the time, friends are not the best business partners — unless they share your business ideas and acumen.

You do not need to do anything more with this person. Let her stew in her feelings. Be prepared to hear her gossiping about you and how you kicked her to the curb. Let her talk. Don't add to the discussion. Keep your nose to the grindstone and do your work. Surround yourself with people who are able and willing to support you in building out your project. Be cordial when you see this person, but stop reaching out to her.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a freelancer. During the past two years, I have gotten a lot of work, which has been wonderful. While many of my friends were suffering, I was able to get quite a few contracts. I even saved a little bit of money. When I started working with my accountant, I realized that my work has put me in a new tax bracket. I am going to have to pay a lot more in taxes than ever before. I am so mad! Just when I thought I had created a nest egg, it looks like it may all be going to Uncle Sam. This seems unfair. How can I get around this? — Too Taxed

DEAR TOO TAXED: You need a tax professional and perhaps a financial adviser to guide your steps on this one. I do know that when your tax bracket changes, the percentage of your income that you have to pay in taxes increases until you reach a sizable level of wealth, and then it reverses again. Talk to your financial adviser to find out if there are any investments you can make before the end of the year to protect your assets. Hopefully you can learn about some legal moves you can make right now that can help you. Moving forward, work together to make a plan for next year that will help you to manage your money more effectively.

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.