I grew up dreaming of fabrics and fashion, but reality handed me chores and cruelty. My stepmother barked orders like I was her maid, and my stepsister Bella mocked my thrifted clothes while flaunting her designer wardrobe. I lived in a cramped room, wore cast-offs, and scrubbed floors while they lived like royalty. Every day began with insults and ended with exhaustion. I was invisible in my own home—until a rainy morning changed everything.
That’s when I met Jake. He wasn’t flashy, just kind. We bonded over coffee and construction sites, and for the first time, someone saw me—not as a servant, but as a person. He listened to my dreams, respected my silence, and eventually asked me to be his date to a formal event. I hesitated, but he offered a dress and a promise: “You deserve to feel amazing.” I didn’t know then that he was more than just a construction worker.
At the party, Bella and my stepmother sneered at Jake, calling him pathetic. But then the spotlight hit, and the emcee announced the host: Jake, the city’s most influential developer. Their smug faces collapsed. Jake walked to the stage, gave a short speech, and returned to me. “You’re him?” I whispered. He nodded. “Still just Jake.” My heart pounded—not because he was rich, but because he’d chosen me before I knew.
When Bella and my stepmother tried to cozy up, I shut the door they’d always slammed in my face. “You didn’t have space for me in your lives. Now I don’t have space for you in mine.” Jake held my hand as we walked away, leaving behind the people who never saw my worth. That night, I wasn’t just a guest—I was the woman who finally made them regret every cruel word.
