Chapter 1 - The Public Humiliation
The hall was filled with whispers, discreet laughter, and the clinking of glasses.
My older sister, Camila, was the center of the most anticipated event of the year in our family.
My mother ran from one side of the room to the other making sure everything was absolutely impeccable.
My father limited himself to smiling with that arrogant air of pride he loved to show when people were watching.
I stayed quietly in a dark corner, desperately trying to go completely unnoticed by the wealthy guests.
From a very young age, I learned that if I did not want to listen to his cruel comments, the best survival tactic was to be invisible.
I was twenty-four years old, and although I had recently graduated with top academic honors from a prestigious university, I still did not have a stable job.
I was still living in my childhood bedroom, constantly helping out at home and endlessly searching for opportunities that never seemed to arrive.
In my father's judgmental eyes, my temporary unemployment made me an absolute, irredeemable failure.
That specific night, he made sure to remind me of my place in front of the most important people in the city.
The wealthy Henderson family had just arrived to formally celebrate the engagement between Camila and their eldest son, Julian.
My father eagerly rushed forward to greet the billionaire patriarch of the Henderson empire.
He proudly presented Camila as his golden child, praising her beauty and her successful career in fashion.
Then, his cold eyes slowly drifted over to the dark corner where I was hiding behind a large floral arrangement.
He forcefully grabbed my arm and pulled me into the bright center of the elegant ballroom.
He looked directly at the Hendersons and let out a loud, mocking laugh that echoed terribly through the silent room.
This is my other daughter, the lazy and fat one who still refuses to leave my house.
The ground beneath my feet instantly gave way as the entire room fell into a horrifying, suffocating silence.
I could feel dozens of pitying and disgusted eyes burning holes into my cheap, poorly fitting dress.
My mother looked away in deep shame, and Camila simply smirked while sipping her expensive champagne.
I pulled my arm out of his harsh grip and blindly ran out of the suffocating ballroom with tears streaming down my burning face.
I pushed through the heavy glass doors and collapsed onto a cold stone bench in the empty gardens.
I sobbed uncontrollably until a crisp white handkerchief suddenly appeared in my peripheral vision.
I looked up and saw Alexander, Julian's notoriously ruthless and highly successful younger brother, standing in the shadows.
He did not offer me pity, but instead handed me a sleek, matte black business card.
He quietly told me that a brilliant financial mind like mine was being completely wasted on a family that wanted me to fail.
May you like
I turned the expensive card over and gasped when I saw the name of the private investigation firm printed in silver ink.
He whispered that he needed my specific help to completely destroy his own brother and my father.
