Chapter 1

The weather in March was not that good at that particular moment. A twenty-year-old girl was seen sitting by the window looking at rain flowing down. Her fifteen-meter room had a lit bulb that barely burned to illuminate the room. Her white pale hands, with calluses from doing home chores, were holding a needle and a dress, trying to mend her already worn-out dress. Her room was just barely managed with only a chair, a bed, and a single cupboard.

She was still mending her clothes when the door to her room banged open, and a brown-haired girl was standing at the door. The girl’s eyes were filled with disdain as she looked all over the room before her eyes landed on the girl sitting near the windows. She closed her nose as if the room was smelling badly. "Aren’t you ready yet, or do you want to make Mom and I wait?" Her voice was low but threatening, making the girl look up. The bright blue eyes made the girl standing at the door clench her fist.

"No sister, I was just mending the clothes I was going to wear." Her voice was eerily calm, as if the smoothest sea hides the fiercest torrent. "We are attending high society ceremonies where celebrities and businessmen attend. Do you intend on shaming us by wearing those shabby dresses of yours? Take this and wear." With that said, she threw the dress on the girl sitting on the chair and left.

The girl got up, picked up the gown from the floor, and wore it. The red dress reached her ankles enough to hide her shabby shoes. She picked up her phone to inform her best friend that she won’t be around for the rest of the night since she is accompanying her aunt and cousin for a ceremony. And with that done, she left the room. Her eyes squinted a bit from the sudden light from the hallway as she walked down the stairs.

She encountered her uncle which made her bow down her head until she trespassed him and hurried down the stairs. As she made her way to the door leading outside the house, she saw two women standing by—one old enough to be at least forty years old, wearing a dark green dress with a white shawl wrapped around her shoulders and a pair of two-inch high heels.

The other girl, slightly older than her by three years, wore a yellow fish-length dress that accentuated enough curves. Her hair was held in a high ponytail to expose her slender neck, and her 3-inch high heels were well hidden under the dress to make her appear regal. They were happily chatting until they spotted the girl in red dress standing at the stairway who destroyed their little happy moment.

They sized up the girl from head to toe—her wavy black hair held in a single braid hanging on her shoulder, and the red dress accentuating her white skin—but what drew them in were her bright blue eyes that were as calm as peaceful waves of the sea.

As they waited for someone to arrive, they headed straight for the car. Before boarding, the oldest turned toward Aurora with sharp black eyes. "Aurora, as you’re going with us for the first time, you better behave. I hope I’m very clear." Aurora nodded and mumbled "yes aunty." Seeing that the message was well passed through, she boarded the car with her daughter sitting near her while Aurora headed to sit near the driver.

Twenty minutes later

They arrived in front of the hotel where the ceremony would be held. As they exited the car, Aurora and her cousin Nana stood at the side of the car while their aunt was giving instructions to the driver. Nana leaned over to Aurora and whispered, "As you're here, make yourself scarce, okay? And don't get in my way." With that, she straightened her posture and clasped her hands in front of her, waiting for her mother obediently. After their aunt finished giving instructions and the driver left, she held onto her daughter's hand and entered first, leaving Aurora to follow closely behind.

The location of the ceremony itself was a mile away from the entrance, so it took them more than five minutes to reach their desired destination. Nana's makeup was smudged from sweating, so she decided to quickly fix it before entering. As expected, the ballroom was like a whole different dimension. It was large enough to accommodate at least a thousand people. The room was well-refreshed with air conditioning hanging on every corner to prevent heat, and the windows were also half open, providing a good view of the city and part of the garden.

The room was bustling with people chatting happily, other couples dancing to the music's rhythm, and servants maneuvering between guests while serving champagne. They took in their surroundings until the aunt turned towards Aurora and said, "You must follow my daughter's instructions, understood." With that, she patted her daughter's hand and left.