Chapter 1

Caterina sat in front of her vanity, her hands moving expertly as she applied her makeup. She was excited and nervous for her first day at Wellington Academy, but the thought of her mother's constant reminders was weighing heavily on her mind.

Just as she finished applying her lipstick, her phone rang. She picked it up and saw her mother's name on the caller ID. She took a deep breath before answering.

"Good morning, Mother," Caterina said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Good morning, Caterina. How are you feeling?" her mother replied, her tone serious.

"I'm feeling excited and a bit nervous," Caterina admitted.

"That's good, but remember, Caterina, you are not just representing yourself in that academy, you are representing our family," her mother said sternly.

"I know, Mother. I'll make sure to behave appropriately," Caterina replied, rolling her eyes slightly.

"It's not just about behaving, Caterina. You need to make sure that you present yourself in the best possible way. Remember, your actions can reflect on our family's reputation," her mother said, her voice full of warning.

"I understand, Mother," Caterina said, trying to hide her irritation. "I'll be careful."

"Good. Remember, you are a Parma, and with that comes a great responsibility," her mother said before ending the call.

Caterina sighed and put down her phone. She knew that her mother meant well, but sometimes it felt like she was suffocating her. She shook her head and took one last look at herself in the mirror before grabbing her bag and heading out the door.

Thinking about her conversation with her mother always annoys the hell out of her, and the only way for her to get rid of such "foul emotion" as her mother would like to call it, she decided to hang out with her friends.

As Caterina walked through the hallway, she took out her phone and messaged her friends in their group chat.

Caterina: Hey guys! Let's meet at the cafeteria before class?

A few moments later, her phone vibrated with a notification.

Butterfly: Cat, my love, do you know what time it is?

Caterina: No?

Addison: Oooh someone's going to get in trouble. 🥳😉

Vivienne: You're late for your first class, Cat.

Caterina gasped, realizing that she had lost track of time while getting ready.

Caterina: Oh no! I totally forgot about the time. See you guys later!

She quickly made her way to her first class, hoping that she wouldn't be too late and make a bad impression on her new professors.

Being late for her first day of class is not a good sign. It will not just reflect on her records, the tip of the iceberg is that her parents will definitely know about it. And it will definitely be the cause of all her problems.

As she entered her first class, Caterina could feel the weight of everyone's gaze on her as she walked into the classroom. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she tried to make her way to an empty seat in the back row. She could feel the disapproving stare of her professor on her back as she fumbled with her bag and tried to get settled in.

Trying to appear confident and unfazed, Caterina raised her head and glanced around the room. The other students were all busy taking notes, and it was clear that they had been in class for some time already. She silently cursed herself for being so careless and promised to make sure she was never late again.