“No, I mustn’t give up again.”

Rosemary whispered to herself as she stared into the remaining mirror in the small workspace of her damaged boutique. Her eyes were swollen from a night of crying, but behind that look there was a spark that was beginning to flare again.

Her assistant, Lila, came in wearing a worried expression, holding the latest newspaper. “Sis Rose… the media is still writing badly about you. They say you’re jealous of Cassandra and staged drama to attract public attention.”

Rosemary grabbed the paper and skimmed it. Her face tightened, but this time she did not cry. She exhaled slowly. “If I stay silent, they’ll trample...