Mr. Adolfo and his daughter, Anabelle, were seated in the living room of the Adolfo mansion discussing the company."The company is losing more and more investors every day," Mr. Adolfo sighed as he looked at the papers in front of him."No one is investing in the company anymore, and the few investors we have are pulling out," he said, running his hand through his hair in frustration.Turning to Anabelle, Mr. Adolfo continued his complaints."If this goes on, the company is going to go bankrupt.""We can't let that happen, Father," Anabelle said in fear as she looked at him. "The company is the only thing we have. If we lose it, we are going to become poor.""We need new partnerships and investors, or else the company will crumble," Mr. Adolfo said as he took the glass of wine on the table and emptied it into his mouth."What are we going to do now, Dad?" Anabelle continued to complain, her mind racing with thoughts.Ring, ring, ring.Her train of thought was interrupted by the ringi
ACE TechnologiesAnnabelle walked into the grand structure of ACE Technologies with her head held high as she headed directly to the topmost floor where the meeting room was situated.Annabelle felt confident and excited about finally getting the chance to present her pitch before the prestigious corporation."Alright, Annabelle. It's showtime. Go show them what you've got."Annabelle muttered to herself as she pushed open the double doors of the meeting room and walked in. She was met by both men and women alike, all dressed in expensive designer suits and seated around the table, waiting patiently for her arrival."Ms. Adolfo, thank you for coming. We've been looking forward to hearing your proposal," one of the men spoke politely as he stood up from his seat and held out a hand toward Annabelle.Annabelle quickly took the man's hand and shook it softly."Thank you, Mr...." Annabelle hesitated, trying to get the gentleman's name."Davis, Mr. Davis," the man spoke, and Annabelle smil
Annabelle smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was still confused and shocked how Miguel, the ex-husband she belittled and humiliated was there seated and posing as the CEO of ACE Technologies. Annabelle, refused to believe what she was seeing. Annabelle internally convinced herself that Miguel had just found a way to get the others to help him pose as the owner of the company to get her to come back to him. "Heaven knows what he's done or said to them to get them to play along, but it doesn't matter, as I already know the truth and will not be deceived into believing any lies," Annabelle thought to herself as she went ahead with the meeting, pitching her new business ideas to the men and women. She walked to the front of the room as she took her place at the front of the table once more. With confidence Annabelle clicked a button on the remote and the first slide of her presentation appeared on the screen behind her. "Thank you all for your time today. I'm here
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
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