“That old witch has no femininity at all. What’s she doing trying to be a businesswoman? It’s disgusting!”

“If she wasn’t rich, I wouldn’t even bother sucking up to her!”

Hearing Joey and Lucinda bad-mouthing me behind my back didn’t surprise me.

People who could disregard the law and treat a stranger so brutally clearly had no morals.

I couldn’t help but regret the suffering I endured during the surgery in France.

After my husband passed away, I worked tirelessly, raising my child while building a business, leaving me no time for self-care.

By the time I reached my fifties, I looked much older than my peers.

I was well aware that the media criticized my aged appearance, often comparing me to a man with none of the soft qualities of a woman.

But like any woman, I cared about my appearance. Now that I was semi-retired, I finally had the time and money to fly to France regularly for treatments that made me look younger.

This last surgery was a significant investment. I wanted to look my best at my son’s wedding, to avoid being a source of embarrassment for him.

But now, my efforts had backfired and were the reason they didn’t believe me.