The Light of My Eyes

Episode 1

What would you think if I told you that my story begins with me waking up in a stranger's bed?

That's right, I'm not a promiscuous person or anything like that. On the contrary, I'm a woman who respects her body. To my genuine surprise, I have no idea how I ended up in that place.

My name is Gabriela Saenz. I'm 20 years old, just a normal girl from the Big Apple. I have big brown eyes, but I'm only 1.60 meters tall. Yeah, I know, I'm a bit short, but I have nice curves. I love art; it's something that my father considers a waste of time, but it's what makes me happy. For him, I should be locked away with numbers and accounts. My family is somewhat dysfunctional. There's my stepmother, Clara, who used to be my mom's best friend, and then there's my half-sister, Irina—an absolute headache. She's a superficial, spoiled, and truly foolish person. Clara says she fell in love with dad after my mother's death. I know it was hard for all of us to deal with, and Clara started coming over to our house every day. I don't know when she ended up living with us. Whenever I confront them about it, they always tell me it just happened. And as if that wasn't enough, they brought that tiny mistake named Irina into our lives. Even her name sounds irritating.

I don't know how it's possible for dad to be so aware of Clara when all she does is spend money as if she were the one working for it. She only finished her studies because Clara gave a large sum of money to the rector to pass her, and now that we're in the same university, it's going to be chaotic. It doesn't surprise me that the dean ends up earning extra money just so that girl doesn't fail a subject, but she doesn't know how tough her career is. She enrolled in administration just to please dad, hoping to become the CEO of Saenz companies. Hahaha.

On the other hand, there's Ethan, my boyfriend since childhood. We're great friends and have wonderful moments together. We go to the same university. Like Irina, he's studying administration because his father is an important businessman, and being the only child, he's the heir to all his fortune. The truth is, we've been engaged since childhood. It's kind of like our parents are friends and made the decision for us. The good thing is that we have chemistry, otherwise, this relationship would be a disaster. Ethan takes good care of me and ensures that I eat something. When I'm painting, I get so focused on my artwork that I tend to skip meals. Our relationship with Ethan is based on complete trust because, as the heir, he demands that I spend a lot of time with his father.

I have good friends. We go shopping, although not often. Mom left me a share of the company's stocks. I don't want to squander the money. I want to make her proud of me, even though she's no longer here. I won't deny it, I miss her a lot, but she lives on through each of my artworks. My passion for art started with mom and the memories of painting together in the garden, with paint stains and our overalls that were equally colorful. Those were beautiful days before she got sick, but I try to remember her always cheerful and beautiful.

My father is a different story. I love him with all my heart, but one thing I can't accept is that he married Clara. They share the same room as they did with mom, and I know that their sudden love story isn't true, but there's nothing I can do about it. We're a beautiful family, at least in the eyes of the cheap tabloids that have us pose every time we attend a gathering. Clara makes sure we're seen as the most beautiful family.