Mistaken Marriage to a billionaire

Chapter 1: A Life of Shadows

Sophie Reynolds had long resigned herself to a life lived in the shadows. Ever since her father, Richard Reynolds, remarried, bringing her stepmother Clarissa and stepsister Vanessa into their home, Sophie had been relegated to the role of the invisible daughter. While Vanessa was the golden child, showered with love and attention, Sophie became nothing more than a convenient scapegoat for all the ills of their household.

Her father, a kind man at heart, had been a successful businessman, often away on trips and consumed with work. He rarely saw the daily dynamics of his own home, leaving Sophie at the mercy of her stepmother and stepsister. Even if she tries telling him what she's going through in his absence, her stepmother will always counter her, making it look like Sophie doesn't want to accept her as her stepmother.

Clarissa was beautiful and cunning, a woman who could charm anyone with a smile; she's a very good actor; her words and actions always sounded convincing, but underneath that polished exterior lay a heart as cold as ice. She saw Sophie as nothing more than a reminder of her husband's first wife, his first love and the woman who still occupies his heart, a woman Clarissa had never met but resented all the same.

Vanessa, spoiled and vain, had inherited her mother's beauty and charm but none of her father's kindness. She took pleasure in making Sophie's life as difficult as possible, delighting in small cruelties that wore Sophie down day by day.

Where Vanessa was admired for her looks and wit, Sophie was criticized for her quiet demeanor and simple tastes.

Sophie's days were filled with menial tasks that Clarissa insisted were necessary to keep the household running smoothly.she isn't a maid, but she works like one; while Vanessa was free to spend her days shopping, attending parties, and flirting with eligible bachelors, Sophie was relegated to cleaning, cooking, and attending to her stepsister's whims.

Even the servants, sensing their mistresses' disdain, treated Sophie with indifference or, worse, pity.

But it wasn't just the chores that weighed heavily on Sophie's heart. It was the constant scheming, the cruel words whispered when they thought she couldn't hear.she wondered if all of this could someday come to an end.

Clarissa and Vanessa would often sit together, plotting how best to use Sophie for their gain or how to make her life just a little bit harder. They spoke of her as if she were a burden, a stain on their otherwise perfect lives.

"You could at least try to be more like Vanessa," Clarissa would say, her voice dripping with disdain as she looked at Sophie.

"Why must you always be so plain and unremarkable? "