During the holidays, my boyfriend, Felix Zimmerman, insists on bringing his female best friend, Cassidy Crowther, home for dinner.

Everyone keeps fussing over Cassidy. Even Felix's mother, Helen Danes, takes Cassidy's hand and asks her about her life. Her eyes are already crinkling from how wide her smile has become.

But when Helen notices me being ignored by everyone else, she's quick to frown at me.

"Sienna, if you have nothing to do, you might as well help out in the kitchen."

At the dining table, Felix keeps placing food on Cassidy's plate.

When I mutter to Felix to help grab me a piece of crab due to how far the crabs are from me, he goes impatient immediately. Heck, he doesn't even bother glancing at me.

"Can't you see that I'm busy? You can go get it yourself!"

Left without a choice, I can only rise to my feet.

But Felix's dad, Andrew Zimmerman, quickly stops me when he spots me reaching for the plate of crabs.

"The act of peeling crabs is very unlady-like, Sienna. That's why you shouldn't have any."

I'm pissed, to say the least. So, I dig out my phone and upload a post on my social media feed.

"Does anyone want to invite me to their family dinner tonight?"

Numerous text messages blast up my phone the next moment. Countless scions from various wealthy and influential families in Hillsbury quickly leave comments on my post.

"Ms. Winslow, may I have the honor of inviting you to dinner with me?"

"My home works too! My parents keep telling me that they haven't seen you in such a long time!"

Notification chimes sounded from my phone.

Felix Zimmerman couldn't help shooting me a look, frowning as he chided, "Didn't I tell you my parents hate it when we're distracted at the dining table? Why are you still on your phone?"

I stood up to grab my bag and leave. "Your parents have nothing against anyone using their phones at the dining table—they just don't like it when I do it."

As I spoke, I pursed my lips at Cassidy Crowther, who perched beside him. "Her eyes have been glued to her phone screen since she sat down, but I don't see any of you coming for her. You even gave her helpings of the food!"

Felix followed my gaze. Cassidy's phone screen was still lit up. It was obvious she hadn't heard her name being mentioned, for she hadn't locked her phone screen.

Felix grimaced, rendered speechless by my accusation.

His father, Andrew Zimmerman, interjected in hopes of doing damage control, "You've got it all wrong. We've told Felix the same thing while he was growing up. It's nothing personal.

"We only want you to mind your manners because we see you as family. Cassidy's a guest, and we're in no position to criticize her."

I maintained my smile. "Oh, stop spewing nonsense, Andrew. Helen and Cassidy are women, yet you didn't stop them from eating crabs just because it requires unladylike gusto. Besides…"

I padded into the kitchen, grabbed a few ziplock bags, and filled them up with crabs and other food I'd made. "I bought these crabs and made the food. Don't you think it's a little weird that you're stopping me from eating them?"

I'd swallowed my pride and slaved away in the kitchen for three hours earlier. While cleaning the fish, one of the bones embedded itself under my nailbed.

Fresh blood beaded from the wound immediately, and I'd keeled over as the sharp pain seized me.

But Felix didn't do anything beyond handing me a Band-Aid. "You know I can't stand the smell of fish. Deal with it yourself."

He could have taken me to the hospital to get the wound checked out or forced me to take a break from the kitchen. But instead, he'd let me continue assisting him with kitchen prep work, be it cutting vegetables or carrying dishes.

He'd miraculously stopped minding the smell of fish once it had been served and the family sat down for dinner. He'd claimed he was busy earlier, but in truth, he was picking out fish bones for Cassidy.

"Oh, heavens! What are you doing?" Felix's mother, Helen Danes, shouted as she tried to snatch the plate I was tipping over a ziplock bag.

But she was too late. After I'd dumped the last plate of food into the ziplock bag, all that was left of the spread on the dining table were plain vegetables.

I replied coolly, "I'm just packing food for the dogs."

Then, grabbing my bag along with the pudding I'd brought for dessert, I headed out of the Zimmerman residence.

Before I left, Felix tugged on my wrist and demanded, "All I did was bring Cassidy home for a meal. Must you be so melodramatic?"

To him, bringing Cassidy home for dinner was like an ordinary part of daily life. But he'd forgotten that when he invited me over for dinner, he'd told me it was a family affair.

I shook off his grip. "So, Cassidy's family to you too?"

Felix understood what I meant right away.

"I've told you a hundred times that Cassidy and I grew up together. She's like a sister to me and a son—well, a daughter—to my parents!" Felix argued.

It was the same old tune again. In the past, whenever we got into a fight because of Cassidy, Felix would insist that I try to understand his relationship with her or to put up with it and not make a fuss.

I tolerated their relationship until now, but instead of showing remorse, he took his dynamics with Cassidy to new heights. If I were to marry Felix and be part of his family, I could very well be forced to swallow even more bitter pills in the future.

The scions of the Johnson, Ludwig, and Rathbone families kept sending me texts, as eager as they were polite. I weighed my options and suddenly realized there was no reason for me to limit the marriage pool to Felix.

I lifted my chin, my gaze boring into his. "Let's break up, Felix."

"What?" Felix's eyes widened.

Before he could wrap his head around my words, Helen interjected with a sneer, "Well, who do you think you are, a princess? How dare you break up with my son?

"How popular do you think you are? Let me teach you a bit of history. Back in the day, women weren't even allowed to dine at the table unless they were family!

"We've been more than gracious to you!"

I shook my head at her words. It was one thing for Felix's family to be close-minded and ignorant, but another for Helen to keep running her mouth.

"Even if you were to break up, I'll make it clear that it was Felix who dumped you! Break up, for all I care!" With that, Helen spat in my face. "Who do you think you are anyway?"

Andrew was verbally telling Helen to stop, but he didn't physically stop Helen.

Cassidy rose to her feet and rubbed soothing circles on Helen's back to calm her. "Now, now, Helen, let's not be angry. This isn't worth raging over.

"How about I buy the two of you a nice meal at a restaurant later?"

I'd made the same suggestion when I arrived at the Zimmerman residence that afternoon, not wanting Andrew and Helen to slave away in the kitchen to host dinner.

But when I suggested eating out and that it'd be my treat, Andrew had turned me down. "Eating out is a waste of money. We'll just whip something up in the kitchen."

Helen had been nothing short of sarcastic. "I think so, too. You have no concept of money because you're not a breadwinner. In the end, you're just blowing through my son's hard-earned money."

I was so embarrassed. All I could do was twist the hem of my shirt and mutter my agreement.

But now, neither Andrew nor Helen objected to Cassidy's suggestion. The former even said approvingly, "I knew I could count on you to be thoughtful and considerate, Cassidy. You truly are the daughter we never had."

Felix stayed silent through all this, just as he had when his parents pointedly asked me to help in the kitchen earlier today. He never defended me, his silence enabling their behavior.

I was his girlfriend, yet I didn't feel half as protected or loved as I should be.

Paying no mind to their sickening hypocrisy, I left the Zimmerman residence.

Cassidy hurried after me, playing the peacemaker. "Sienna, don't leave! Helen's always been direct. Don't take it personally."

It wasn't until we were three floors down and fully out of Felix's and his parents' views that Cassidy quickened her pace. She grabbed me by my hair, pulling it tight so my scalp hurt.

I tried to break free, but her grip tightened even more. She leaned close to my ear and whispered menacingly, "You saw what happened, didn't you? Felix's parents don't like you, and you'll only suffer if you marry him.

"I suggest you remember every word his mother said today and stay the hell away from him. If not, I promise I'll make life a living hell for you!"

I tiptoed to alleviate the pain radiating from my scalp. "Do you think Felix knows how much of a shrew you are right now?"

Angered by my taunt, Cassidy raised her hand. "Talking back, are we? I'll teach you to shut up for your own good!"

The air shifted as she brought her palm down in an arc, ready to slap me hard across the face. But before she could make contact, hurried footsteps rang out in the stairwell.

Cassidy quickly drew her hands back.

Gritting her teeth, she flew down the last few steps and deliberately fell on her backside on the landing. A loud groan escaped her.

Cassidy looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Sienna, I know you're furious, and I don't blame you. You can hit me again to feel better, but please don't do anything rash. You really are the only person Felix loves."

Tears streamed down her cheeks as if on cue. Anyone who saw us might feel sorry for her at first sight.

Felix happened to be the one who stumbled upon this scene. He immediately dashed to Cassidy's side and appraised her anxiously. "Are you hurt?"

He then glared at me, his eyes full of rage. "Sienna! Don't you know when to stop?"

Cassidy tugged on Felix's shirt, looking as if she were putting on a brave front despite the grievous hurt she'd been subjected to. "Forget it, Felix. Sienna's upset enough as it is. She doesn't need a lecture from you."

Felix grew even angrier upon hearing this. "Just because she's upset doesn't mean she can go on a rampage and hurt people! Who does she think she is?"

I shook my head out of exasperation. I knew exactly who I was—Felix was the clueless one.

All this time, I'd kept my identity a secret from Felix to shield his ego. I'd never told him I was the heiress of the most prestigious family in Hillsbury—the Winslows.

I was not just Felix's secretary or work partner. I was his boss. I was the person he answered to, the one who'd negotiated and made deals with his project collaborators in advance so that he only had to talk to them for formality's sake.

If I hadn't done that, I doubted even small-time plants and workshops would work with him based on his proposals alone.

Somehow, my silence gave Felix even more confidence in his righteousness. "Apologize to Cassidy right now, and I'll forgive you! I came down here because I was worried about you and wanted to comfort you, but I never thought you'd pull a stunt like this!

"How could you be so petty as to lash out at others?"

My gaze drifted to the jacket draped over his arm. It was Cassidy's.

The reason he'd come down here was clear.

For a while, I said nothing. I only stared at him icily.

After a long pause, Cassidy finally broke the silence. "Felix, let it go. We should bring Sienna back to the apartment. It's a little chilly here in the stairwell, and we wouldn't want anyone catching a cold."

Felix looked away from me, lowering his head as he asked Cassidy, "Can you walk?"

She acted as if to brace the pain and stand up, but after a few strained attempts, she bit her lip and shook her head.

Felix scooped her up into his arms, brushing past me as he headed upstairs. There was no telling if the chill was from the air shifting around him or the draft coming from the stairwell window, but my heart froze anyway.

After all, Felix and I had been dating for two years. We were planning to get engaged after the New Year festivities, so naturally, I still had some feelings for him.

But I was sensible enough to understand that I'd made the right call today, especially if I wanted to avoid a lifetime of misery and bullying from his family.

Deliberately choosing a spot Felix and his family could see from their windows, I put the ziplock bags down and opened them, offering the food to any strays scavenging in the area.

Then, I took a cab home.

After washing up, I began to choose who I'd like to dine with that evening. Dining with elders usually meant an evening of propriety, and all the other prestigious families were hoping to curry favors with mine.

I didn't want anyone using me as a stepping stone, lest I wake up tomorrow morning to rumors that I was secretly engaged to some scion.

Having weighed my options, I created a group chat and added a few contacts. "Forget about family dinners. Let's eat out this evening."

Everyone in the group chat was sporting enough to go along with my suggestion.

I arrived at the restaurant and was waiting for my dates to show up when I ran into Felix and his family, including Cassidy. They were raising their glasses, chatting and laughing away as they dined.

I wasn't planning on causing a scene, but Helen met my stare across the room and immediately pursed her lips. Whatever she muttered to her companions at the table after that prompted Andrew and Felix to look my way.

But when Felix noticed the two six-foot-tall, handsome men flanking me, he scowled and stormed up to me. "You did this on purpose, didn't you, Sienna? Who are these men? What's your relationship with them?"