Chapter 1
My father suffered from severe prosopagnosia, or face blindness.
Forty years ago, he was drugged and spent a passionate night with my mother. But because he couldn't distinguish one face from another, he ended up marrying the mistress who stepped in and claimed my mother's place.
Over the years, my father and his mistress became known as the ultimate model couple in the Capital, the highest and most exclusive elite circle.
Meanwhile, my mother was subjected to relentless slut-shaming for her unwed pregnancy. She spent her entire life alone, never marrying.
Forty years have passed. Relying on my exceptional intellect and beauty, I married into the Delacroixs, the wealthiest family in the city, and have lived a life of deep mutual devotion with my husband.
On the day my son brought his girlfriend home to meet me, I sat in the high-backed chair at the head of the living room.
The girl sitting across from me was delicate, radiant, and clearly accustomed to being pampered and adored by everyone around her.
I knew exactly who she was: the granddaughter of my father and the mistress who stole my mother's life.
Looking at her face, which bore a thirty percent resemblance to my father's, I refused to accept the gift she offered.
'You want to marry into the Delacroix family? Not in your wildest f*****g dreams.'
"Mom, this is Sienna, my girlfriend. I brought her here to meet you," Augustus said.
I shifted my gaze to Sienna Montrose. She was indeed beautiful, exuding a spoiled air that only comes from a lifetime of wealth and pampering.
Holding the gift with both hands, she offered it to me with a sweet smile and a sugary voice. "Hello, Mrs. Delacroix. I brought this for you."
I didn't take it.
A heavy silence fell over the living room.
Augustus looked from me to her, then murmured, "Mom?"
Ignoring him, I said quietly, "Augustus, go upstairs first. I want to have a private word with Miss Montrose."
He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright."
Only Sienna and I remained in the room.
As soon as Augustus left, the sweet smile on Sienna's face vanished instantly. She tossed the gift onto the coffee table and eyed me up and down with blatant condescension.
"Mrs. Delacroix," she began. Her voice was still the same, but her tone was now dripping with a sense of superiority. "You sent your son away so that you could lecture me in private?"
I remained silent.
"Fine, let's lay our cards on the table," she continued. "I've heard about you. You're an outsider with no background. Marrying into the wealthy Delacroix family was nothing but a stroke of sheer luck for you. I know women like you, who have nothing to back them up, can't stand seeing someone of high birth like me. You're afraid that if I marry in, I'll steal your spotlight, aren't you? You know very well that the only thing you have going for you is your face. But unfortunately, faces age."
Sienna's gaze was critical and patronizing.
"But I am different," she declared. "My grandfather, Axel, is the patriarch of the Montrose family in the Capital. I grew up in a lakeside historic estate, with the city's most prestigious landmarks right outside my door. I attended the best international schools, and I run in the absolute highest social circles."
She paused, as if giving me time to digest this information.
"Mrs. Delacroix, I've looked into you," Sienna sneered. "Your family side is practically non-existent; your parents died long ago. A woman of your status only managed to marry into the Delacroix family because Mr. Delacroix was infatuated with you. But how long can a man's infatuation last? You must be forty this year, right? In a few more years, when your looks fade, how will you compete with those younger girls out there?"
She folded her arms, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "But I'm not like you. I have the Montrose family's backing. Even if things don't work out between Augustus and me in the future, I'll still be the Montrose heiress. No one would dare touch me," Sienna said, her tone smug and assured.
She leaned in, her voice dropping to a taunting whisper. "And you? If you leave the Delacroix family, what do you have left?" Sienna finished, her eyes glinting with malice.
She looked at me as if I were a pitiful creature. "Mrs. Delacroix, if you're smart, you'll realize that if I truly want to marry into this family, you can't stop me. Instead of ruining our relationship, why not do me a favor now? Once I marry in, I might still show you some respect."
