It's better to live your own destiny imperfectly then to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection.

PENELOPE

Her grey eyes darkened with anger, piercing through my soul. She narrowed her gaze at me, and I let out a dry chuckle to break the awkward silence.

"How dare you?" she yelled, storming into my room. I frowned, confused by her fury.

"Huh?" I mumbled, genuinely baffled.

"You came back from Paris and didn't even bother to inform me? Why?" she demanded. I chuckled again, trying to lighten the mood.

"I just wanted to surprise you," I replied.

She huffed angrily and sat down on the bed. "Don't lie," she said. "Fifteen years, Penny."

"We've been friends for fifteen years, so please, don't lie to me," she added.

I licked my dry lips and took a few deep breaths. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell her about my return, but then I met her lovely brother, and everything went downhill. Of course, I couldn't tell her that.

I sat beside her and placed my hand on her shoulder, which she quickly shrugged away. Such a drama queen. In the past two years, she hadn't changed a bit.

"Serena," I called her, but she ignored me, huffing in anger. "Okay, I'm sorry," I apologized, but she still ignored me. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.

She resisted at first, then melted into my embrace. "You’re such an idiot," she muttered, her voice softening.

"I know," I whispered. "But I’m your idiot."

She sighed, finally relenting. "Just don't do it again, Penny."

"I won't," I promised, holding her close.

"I am still a bit angry with you," she said.

"I know. So, tell me what I should do so that my one and only best friend forgives me," I replied. She giggled in response.

"Your punishment is to spend the entire day with me, and you can't complain about anything," she said.

"As you wish, your highness," I said with a small bow. She giggled again.

"Now let me get ready. You can wait for me in the living room," I said, and she stood up to leave. Just as she was about to exit the room, she added, "Don't take too long."

I hummed in response and stepped into the bathroom, shedding my clothes and tossing them into the laundry basket. I filled the bathtub with lukewarm water and added some essential oils. As I slipped into the bath, my body relaxed completely. After soaking for a while, I stepped out, wrapped myself in a robe, and walked into my closet.

After a few minutes of deliberation, I chose a black peplum top and blue ripped jeans. I paired the outfit with black ankle-length boots, which gave me a badass look. I tied my hair into a ponytail and put on diamond earrings.

As I descended the staircase, I found Serena waiting for me patiently.

"Let's go," I muttered. She nodded and walked out of the house with me right behind her. I gasped in shock when I saw the beauty in front of me.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked.

"Like? I love it! When did you get this car?" I said, my eyes roaming over the sleek lines of the red Ferrari. She chuckled.

"I thought in the past two years your craze for cars would have vanished, especially now that you're a supermodel."

"Well, old habits never die," I replied.

"By the way, Sean gifted me this car on my 21st birthday," she said happily.

Sean. Just hearing his name was enough to spoil my mood. But it wasn't the only reason. On my 21st birthday, I was alone in Paris. No one was there to celebrate with me, but I couldn't blame anyone. I had chosen that path.

The sound of a horn brought me back to reality. I found Serena already settled in the driver's seat, waiting for me. I quickly slipped into the passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

"First, let's grab a quick breakfast because I'm hungry. After that, I'll tell you the plan for today," she said. I hummed in response. Her grey eyes were twinkling with happiness. She shared the same eyes as her brother, but while hers were soft, his were hard. I still couldn't believe that Sean and Serena were blood-related. They were poles apart.

She drove the car out of the main gate, and my eyes fell on the rearview mirror as I watched my house grow smaller and smaller. I pulled out my phone and checked my Instagram account, where I found a series of comments on my recent post. I sighed. I was going to miss my life in Paris, but Paris was never my destiny. My destiny was here in California.

Modeling was never meant to be my career; it just happened by accident. It would never be my true calling. I was brought back to reality when Serena parked the car near a familiar-looking burger joint. My eyes widened in shock.

"Are you serious?" I muttered.

"Yes," she replied excitedly and stepped out of the car. I absentmindedly followed her toward the burger joint, still trying to process everything.

Old memories flashed before my eyes as I stepped inside the diner. Though it had been renovated, it still exuded a homey vibe. A lump formed in my throat as I remembered the many afternoons Serena and I had spent here after school, savoring their delicious burgers and talking aimlessly about our futures.

This was also the place where he took me on our first date. I found myself once again drowning in thoughts I didn't want to entertain, navigating a path fraught with pain and anguish.

"So, what do you want to have?" Serena asked, pulling me back to reality. I realized we were standing in line to order.

"Mmmm... the usual," I said. She smiled and ordered our food. After that, we settled into a seat near the window and patiently waited for our order to come.

"So, how's life?" I asked.

"It's the same boring life, unlike yours, which is filled with glamour," she replied, and I chuckled.

"So, what's your plan after graduation? Are you going to work at Anderson or some other company?" I asked.

"Well, my father wants me to work at Anderson since it's the family business, but I want to work somewhere else," she said sadly.

"Then what's the problem?" I asked.

She bit her lower lip nervously. "You know Sean. He won't let me work anywhere else, and if I work under him, I won't get any real experience because he'll treat me like his baby sister, not an employee. You know how protective he is."

I giggled. No one knew better than me just how protective Sean could be.

"Well, why don't you first apply to some companies, and if you get an offer letter, you can talk to Sean about it? He might agree. But first, you need to take a step towards your bright future," I said. She hummed in response.

A middle-aged woman walked towards us with our food, and a smile broke out on my face as I realized who she was.

"Mrs. Smith!" I exclaimed. She chuckled and placed the food in front of us. I gave the old woman a tight hug. I had missed her so much. She was the owner of this lovely diner and an amazing chef.

She returned the hug and then pulled my cheeks, as always.

"Oh, my sweet babies are back. I'm so happy to see you both here," she said.

"Don't worry, you'll see both of us more often now," Serena said with a wink.

"You guys enjoy your food. I have a business to run. See you soon," Mrs. Smith said and left. She was a very sweet woman, and since we were regular customers, we had built a good bond with her. I pulled out my phone and clicked a few photos of the food, then posted them on Instagram while tagging the place.

"What are you doing?" Serena asked while taking a sip of her Coke.

"Just making this place a bit more famous," I said. She chuckled in response and continued eating her food. Mrs. Smith was a sweet woman, but unfortunately, she had no children and her husband had passed away. She was a loner in this world, but she was incredibly brave. If I could help her, then why not?

I took a bite of the burger and closed my eyes in total pleasure. This burger was the best in the world. I had tried many types of burgers, but my taste buds always craved this one.

"Nothing has changed..." I muttered.

"True," Serena said, then looked at me intensely. "Except for you," she added.

"What?" I asked, but she just shook her head. I decided to drop the topic. My eyes fell on two teenage girls giggling while looking at me. I became self-conscious, thinking there might be something on my face. But when they realized I was looking at them, they instantly diverted their eyes.

Maybe they were looking at someone else, and I thought it was me. I shrugged and continued eating. After a few minutes, the girls walked towards us, confirming my suspicion that they had been gossiping about me.

I narrowed my eyes at them as they gave me the sweetest smile. "Ma'am, are you Ms. Penelope Davis?" one of them asked. I nodded. They giggled happily.

"Ma'am, can we please get your autograph and a photo with you?" they asked with puppy eyes. As much as I wanted to say no, I couldn't after seeing their hopeful expressions. I nodded.

"Thank you so much, ma'am," they said and happily walked out of the diner.

"I am jealous of you," Serena said with fake anger. "Look, you have become so famous, and look at me, I'm nothing," she said.

I chuckled. "Oh really? You are the princess of the Anderson family. Isn't that enough?" I said.

"True," she muttered.

"Let's go before the paparazzi come," I said, dabbing my mouth with a tissue and standing up to leave. I didn't want any unwanted attention right now.

"So, what's next?" I asked as we both settled in the car.

"Let's go shopping. Anyway, I don't have a proper gown for my lovely brother's engagement party," she said.

"Engagement party?" I was really confused.

"Yes, our family is hosting an engagement party next week and will announce the wedding date too," she said as she drove.

"Don't tell me your elder sister didn't inform you about it," she said when she saw me lost in thought.

"Probably she forgot and will inform me soon," I said. She hummed in response. They're getting engaged next week. I didn't know why the thought of their engagement sent a pang through my chest. I leaned back in the seat and closed my eyes for a few minutes.

We reached the mall, and I found myself being dragged by Serena from one store to another in search of the perfect gown. If there's one thing I know about Serena, it's that she's a perfectionist. She wants everything to be flawless and won't stop until it is. She's a bit stubborn like that.

I sighed in relief when, after entering the sixth store, Serena finally found her perfect gown. It was a beautiful purple gown with a slit.

"Why don't you buy yourself a gown too?" she suggested.

"No, it's fine. I already have plenty," I said.

"Well, why don't you look around the store while I go and try on this dress?" she suggested, and I hummed in response.

As she walked towards the changing room, I decided to browse around to pass the time. My eyes fell on a stunning shimmering gown. It was a full-sleeve gown with intricate stonework. It was breathtaking. My hand reached out to touch the beautiful fabric. Despite its beauty, I already had many clothes, and buying another one just to wear for one night didn't sit well with me.

I might belong to a rich and influential family, but wasting money was never my virtue. I took a step back from the mannequin, and my back hit something solid, causing me to lose my balance.

I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact of the fall that never came. Slowly, I opened my eyes and met a pair of familiar grey eyes looking at me intensely.