ADOLFO MANSIONAnnabelle entered her father's private study, her emerald-green gown sweeping the floor behind her as she walked.She had just finished getting ready for the gala, and she could feel the usual excitement that came with attending these exclusive gatherings."Father," Annabelle called out, trying to get Mr. Adolfo's attention.Mr. Adolfo turned around and smiled at his daughter."You look beautiful as always, my princess. Absolutely stunning," Mr. Adolfo said, pride echoing in his voice as the smile stayed glued to his face."Of course, Father, I sure am. Everyone is going to be looking at me tonight. I'll be the center of attention, just like always," Annabelle said smugly, her words dripping with arrogance."You'll certainly turn heads tonight, and that's exactly what we want," Mr. Adolfo agreed."Is everything ready?" Mr. Adolfo asked as he pushed his chair back and stood, adjusting his perfectly tailored black tuxedo."Yes, Dad, everything is ready," Annabelle replied
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
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the annual charity auction!" the auctioneer began as he took his place at the podium."I hope you are all ready to open your hearts and, more importantly, your wallets. Tonight, we have some truly exquisite items for you, and all proceeds will go directly to charity," the auctioneer said with a wide smile.The guests began to applaud and cheer, excited for the auction to begin."Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we are starting this auction with this one-of-a-kind diamond necklace. Shall we open the bidding at $5,000?" the auctioneer said loudly into the microphone.Several hands shot up immediately, and the auctioneer nodded quickly."Five thousand! Do I hear six thousand?"A woman in a red dress raised her paddle. "Six thousand.""Six thousand to the lady in red," the auctioneer acknowledged her."Do I hear seven thousand?" the auctioneer continued, glancing at the guests.A man in a tailored suit on the other side of the room lifted
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
Miguel hurriedly paid the cab driver, eager to move away from the cab and walk into his house. He always tried to avoid coming home early to prove to his in-laws that he was capable of handling the job they gave him at their company.But today was different. He had forgotten his file, so he had to come back at 5:00 PM instead of the usual 8:00 PM. Turning the doorknob and walking into the house, Miguel was surprised at what he saw and froze at the doorstep. "What's going on here?" he asked aloud, seeing his in-laws gathered around with some highly honored guests in a circle and his wife taking a ring from a man dressed expensively in a suit. No one answered him, not even to explain why his wife was taking another man's ring.He repeated his question, more loudly this time, "What is going on here?"Shocked, he rushed towards the man on his knees, who was about to place a ring on Annabelle's finger, and pushed him to the floor. At that moment, Annabelle turned to him furiously and
"Why are you acting surprised, what did you think the ring was for?" she said, rolling her eyes at Miguel who was still standing there.At that moment, Miguel was pained deep in his heart. He never thought the woman who claimed to love him against all odds would be embarrassed by him to the point of wanting to get divorced and marry another man just for money. "You can't do this to me, to our marriage," he said sternly, trying to get her to reconsider.Leonard finally spoke as he stepped forward from where he stood behind Annabelle all the while. "Have some sense of shame and just leave, Miguel...” “Whatever your surname is, nobody knows anyway,” he said to Miguel.“Maybe if you had concentrated more on making money first, you would have been able to keep someone like Annabelle," he chuckled, then added, "Actually, you're not even deserving to be called a man. What kind of man does something as shameless as living with his in-laws?"At that point, Miguel fumed in rage and threw a
Miguel walked into his family estate after paying the cab driver. As he walked through the corridor, tense and drenched in humility, he reflected on his attempt to win Anabelle's true love and how he had failed."You should have been patient for just five more minutes for me to get that call, Annabelle," he thought to himself. "You would have been my queen." But then he considered, "You have proven to be a gold digger anyway and would never stay with me if I should become poor again."Just as he finished thinking, he walked into his father's chamber, pushing the door knob lightly. The moment he entered, the man in the brown suit with grey hair who sat behind a desk doing paperwork raised his head. They both froze. There was silence as Mr. Grayson slowly stood up from his desk, spotting a son he had not seen in a year.Mr. Grayson’s heart was bruised when he saw the clothes his son was in. Not that the clothes were torn or dirty. The clothes were neat and decent, but not up to 20%
Miguel sighed as he stared at the Adolfo Mansion.Today was the day he was supposed to be here to sign the divorce papers."Let's get this over and done with," Miguel breathed out.He was still pained about having to divorce Annabelle, but he knew it was her choice and he was grateful that he was lucky enough to see who she really was before he got back his wealth.Just as he walked into the sitting room, he saw Annabelle sitting on one of the couches with her new fiancé, Leonard."Look who is here," Annabelle said, as she looked at Miguel with disgust.Leonard turned towards the entrance as well. He huffed at the sight of Miguel.Miguel obviously looked like he was not in his best mood, so Leonard believed he was looking that way because he was sad about losing Annabelle to him.Before Miguel even had a chance to sit, Annabelle sneered, "So, you wore the same clothes you left here with last night?""I shouldn't be surprised, considering you're so poor that the only things you had wer