Love in the Time of Vanity Fair

Chapter 1 : Forbes

Years of studying psychology taught me that human behavior is complex. No one individual is like any other and every single being has his own personal motivation to brave the cruelty of the world.

We are all born in a world where we have to fight to survive. It's a survival of the fittest, and there is no room for weakness otherwise, you will be left behind. One has to be headstrong and dauntless in his pursuit of climbing up the ladders of society. Much as I abhor this, there needs to be a ruling class in order for society to exist and evolve naturally because, in the absence of such, all that will be left is chaos. If you have enough fire, ambition, and the right connections, you may just have a chance at becoming a part of the Alta Sociedad —the world navigated by the rich and the famous.

Plastered with diamonds on platinum ring settings, luxury cars, third vacation homes, and private planes. A world overflowing in superfluous propensities.

Ostentatious and frivolous.

Corrupted and dangerous.

The human mind has always intrigued me. Nobody really knows how it works or why it works the way it does, but if there is something else that baffles me, it's the bourgeoisie. Growing up in a middle-class family taught me the value of things and the efforts put into acquiring them. My mother would always say that if you want something, then you have to work for it. But then there is this class of people who go against everything that has been instilled in my head.

Trustfund brats who got all of their whims without needing to lift a finger.

And they intrigued me. The world they lived in — so detached from the grim realities —fascinated me. I did not understand how ivory towers worked, or at least what I knew, I was certain, was just the tip of the iceberg. There was so much more that went on in the bubble only a few could penetrate. A place where eyes were obscured by rose-tinted glasses and towering walls purchased by the wealth those from below could only ever imagine. 

If I were a smart person, I never should have ventured into that world. There was always bound to be dark machinations behind the glimmer of golden plates. And I just had to understand that. I could have kept my peace away from everything that that world brought along with it. I could have... but I did not.

We all have choices, and I chose to be burned. 

...

I fixed the lapel of the suit that I was wearing and glanced at the mirror to check my appearance for the hundredth time. I was invited to speak at the International Conference of Marketing, Technology, and Society, with over 900 business tycoons from all over the world in attendance, and it was an event that would grace the covers of business magazines. It was a huge event, and it gathered the biggest names.

The business world is predominantly run by men, and among the fifteen speakers invited, I was the only woman. From the get-go, it was more than just a conference. If anything, it had evolved into a statement and it had fallen upon my shoulders, albeit inadvertently, to show the patriarchy that women are more than just the preconceived notions of society. Where the fight for equal footing was raging, there was no room for mediocrity.

One last glance at the mirror, a deep exhale, and a firm resolve. It was time. I grabbed my suitcase and trudged my way through the halls until an usher greeted me and led me backstage. I took a glance at the main seating area that was filled with expectant eyes. 

"Doctor Lopez?" 

"Yes?" I turned to see who it was and saw the program manager.

With a soft smile, he nodded at me. "It's your turn."