Chapter 1 Losing Everything

Penelope’s POV "No fucking way! I’m not agreeing to this!" "Language, Vespera! Penelope is marrying Max Castillo, and you will not interfere." It was dinner time. My stepsister, Vespera, argued with my father in the dining room, while I sat in the corner, shaking, too afraid to make a sound. My name is Penelope, the illegitimate daughter of the Turner family. My mother was my father’s mistress, which meant Vivian Turner, my father’s wife, and her daughter despised us both. Vespera scoffed, “Father, have you ever looked at her? She’s like a fat cow. Max will never accept that bastard! The Castillo family will take this as an insult! I glanced down at my body, my gaze lingering on the curves I tried so hard to hide. I could feel the weight of Vespera’s judgment pressing down on me. I was a plus-size girl, and she never let me forget it. She made it her mission to point out every flaw, constantly comparing me to her slender figure. She was an actress, known for her beauty, while I felt like the complete opposite. My father’s patience was clearly wearing thin. “That’s enough. Penelope is my firstborn. You are second. She will be the one to marry young Castillo.” It was decided. My father had arranged a marriage contract between our families. He believed it was only right that his firstborn, me, marry before my stepsister. That’s why he had offered me to Max Castillo, the second son of the powerful Castillo family. The Castillos—led by Silvio Castillo—were a name that commanded respect, fear, and power across the globe. I hadn’t objected when it was first mentioned. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t dare. I had no place in this house, and certainly no right to protest. But in the deepest, most secret part of me, one I buried even from myself, Max had been my crush for years. Now, somehow, my impossible dream might actually come true. “I want you to make a good impression at the wedding, Penelope.” My father’s voice was laced with authority. “Remember our plan.” “Understood, Father,” I murmured. Vespera burst out laughing, the sound sharp and mocking. “That’s rich, Father. What does she even have to impress him with?” A rush of shame washed over me. I knew Vespera was right. I didn’t belong in this world, at least not in the way they expected me to. I wasn’t beautiful like Vespera. I didn’t have her talent, her looks, or her effortless grace. I wasn’t the type of woman someone like Max Castillo would want. And yet, somehow, my father had chosen me for this marriage. My father was the CEO of Titan Arms, one of the top weapons manufacturers in the world. And for reasons I couldn’t fully grasp, he saw marrying one of his daughters into the Castillo family as a brilliant business move. My mother had been a cook for the family, a woman of no great distinction, and now it seemed I was nothing more than a pawn in my father’s grand plan. Dinner ended in silence that day. I could see Vespera sulking, stabbing her steak with such force I feared the plate might crack. My mother and I hadn’t eaten much at all. Anxiety gnawed at both of us. A week passed, and before I knew it, it was the night before my wedding. My father had arranged everything, hired people to handle every detail. I had no say in it. No control. I just went along with it, like a puppet whose strings were already pulled tight. I had no friends to confide in, no one to help me celebrate or distract me from the impending reality. It was just my mother and me, quietly sitting at home, watching movies to pass the time. Then, without warning, a sharp knock echoed through the door, making me jump. “Stay here,” my mother said softly, her voice steady, but I could hear the knot of fear twisting in her throat. She wanted to answer the door herself. But before she could even reach the handle, the door was flung open and my mother was thrown against the wall. I froze, panic rushing through me. I reached for my phone, but before I could make a sound, I was grabbed by my hair, my stomach hit hard, and I crashed to the floor. "Please, just take whatever you want," I begged, "We have money… just don’t hurt us." As I looked up, I could see their faces clearly, three men, none of them bothering to hide their identities. This wasn’t a typical robbery. They were something far worse. One of the men laughed, mocking my words, "The bitch says she’s got some money for us." I caught a glimpse of my mother, lying on the floor, blood dripping from her scalp. "What is it that you want?" I managed. "Oh, it’s not us you need to worry about." Just then, I heard heels clicking as someone approached. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. Vespera stepped into the room, her silhouette standing in the doorway. "And you call this a home," she sneered, looking around with disgust. "What do you want?" She simply smiled at me, a wicked glint in her eyes. "Are you really that dumb, not to know why I’m here?" I froze, my throat tight. Yes. I knew exactly why she was here. “We’ll leave,” I shouted, my voice cracking. "Tonight! I’ll leave with my mother, and you’ll never see us again!" “Oh, dear sister," she said, her smile sickening. "Did you really think you could take what was mine?" "Look at you, fat and ugly, crying like a pig!" She spat the words. Each one was a slap in my face. "Father arranged this marriage, I have no place in it!" I pleaded, desperate to make her see reason. But she didn’t listen. Her hand shot out before I could say more. The slap came so fast. My face burned with pain as I crumpled to the floor. "How dare you, a bastard, think you could take my place?" she hissed. "I’m the one that's going to marrying Max Castillo. I’ll be part of the Castillo family. The glory is mine, not yours!” "My dress is ready," she added, "Tomorrow, I’ll replace you." "Take the wedding if you like!" my mother screamed, her voice shaking with fear. "Don’t hurt my daughter." Vespera barely looked at her. "Oh, I almost forgot you were here," she said, then pulled a gun from her bag. I couldn’t breathe. I knew what was coming. My heart slammed against my chest. "The clean-up team is here, miss," one of the men said. "NO, please!!!!" I yelled, but it was too late. Vespera didn’t hesitate. "My mother sends her regards," she said flatly, then raised the gun and fired. I screamed. The men rushed to hold me down, but I fought them, trying to get to my mother. "Now for the lesson." Vespera said, her voice gleeful, and I knew this wasn’t over. She pulled on gloves and a mask, holding a bottle in her hand. I didn’t understand, couldn’t make sense of what was happening, but I was too terrified to think. One of the men spoke up. "Must you do this? She’s going to die anyway." "Hold her," she ordered. The men tightened their grip, and I struggled, but it was useless. The liquid hit my skin, searing through me like fire. I screamed, the pain blinding. My skin bubbled, the smell of burning flesh filling the room. "Dear sister, this is your true face. The acid won’t kill you, but it’ll show you who you really are. And I have to say... I really enjoy this." Her laughter was the last thing I heard before everything went black.