Annabelle couldn't believe what she had just heard."What?!" Annabelle exclaimed as her eyes snapped to look at Mr. Davis."What are you talking about? Have you all gone crazy?! Don't you think you're taking this whole pretending thing too far? How can you people allow someone like Miguel to step foot into this company in the first place, let alone put him in charge of making decisions?" Annabelle yelled as she glared angrily at everyone at the table, having finally lost control of her temper.Everyone present exchanged shocked and confused looks before turning back to Annabelle."Young lady, have you no manners? How could you address the CEO of ACE Technologies in such a disrespectful manner?" Mr. Davis asked, staring at Annabelle in shock. But Annabelle merely glared at him before folding her arms with a loud snort."Yeah, right. You all must think I'm stupid, don't you? You must think I'm foolish enough to believe that this wretched pauper, who can't even afford a bottle of water f

THE GALAAnnabelle stepped out of the limousine, smoothing her evening gown. Her eyes scanned the entrance of the gala as she waited for her father, Mr. Adolfo, and her mother, Mrs. Adolfo, to exit the car."Shall we?" Mr. Adolfo asked as he linked both his arms with Annabelle and his wife.As the Adolfos made their way inside, Annabelle's lips curled in arrogant satisfaction."This is my world—the world of the elite, where I belong," Annabelle thought to herself with a smirk on her face.The luxury that greeted her was no surprise; in fact, she felt entirely at home. This is exactly where she belongs."Look at you, my darling," Mr. Adolfo beamed at Annabelle, his chest swelling with pride."You'll be the star of the evening, as always. Make daddy proud, my girl," Mr. Adolfo said, gazing at Annabelle."Of course, she will. Our Annabelle never disappoints," Mrs. Adolfo said, praising her daughter as she gently adjusted the neckline of Annabelle's gown."Remember our goal tonight, darl

For a split second, the world seemed to stop.Annabelle's ears rang as she stared at the podium, the name hitting her like a punch to the gut.Her vision blurred as she saw Miguel, her ex-husband whom she had belittled and humiliated, rise from the back of the room.The crowd erupted in applause again, this time louder and more enthusiastic than before, as Miguel walked confidently to the stage.As Miguel finally reached the podium, the applause began to die down as he smiled warmly at the audience, waiting for the room to quiet before he spoke."Thank you. I'm truly honored to be here tonight, and even more honored to contribute to a cause that was dear to my mother's heart," Miguel said into the microphone.There was a moment of silence as everyone in the room stayed quiet, intrigued by Miguel's story."My mother believed deeply in giving back to the community. She was a woman of strength, and she always said that true wealth wasn't measured by what you have, but by what you give. T

"What does he think of himself, the son of a wretch! A nobody! Absolute piece of trash!" Annabelle continued to mutter to herself in anger and rage as she paced around the large space of the room, seeking out her ex-husband, Miguel.Miguel had bitten off more than he could chew this time by daring to mess with her family, and Annabelle was determined to make him pay."That man. I always knew he was bad news. Nothing good ever comes out of men like him!" Annabelle continued to mutter, making sure to keep her voice low enough so that no one else could hear what she was saying. The Adolfo name was already suffering tonight at this gala because of Miguel's stunts, and Annabelle wouldn't want to say or do anything that might worsen the situation. That was the last thing she wanted."I'll never understand what possessed me to marry such a pathetic failure in the first place. What was I thinking?! What on Earth is wrong with me?! Out of all the men in this world I could have chosen to settle