Left out of her father’s will, Jay had taken off to parts unknown to lick his wounds and make his own fortune. The grief of burying two husbands sent their scientist mother back into the lab, where she felt more in control of her world. That left Charlotte to navigate the difficult coming of age years while on a very long, gilded leash. It wasn’t as if she was neglected physically. She had plenty of money and staff to see to her needs and her wants.
Except her most important one.
Love.
So, she’d traipsed around the world searching for the attention she wasn’t getting from her family. It didn’t take long for her to find it. Unfortunately, it took a few years longer for her to realize most people were more enamored with her trust fund than with her.
Thankfully, both Jay and their mother found their way back into her life before things got dire. And with Bridgett and the twins, they were a proper family. Finally. It was revitalizing to ditch the Princess Charlotte label, and all the ridiculousness that went with it.
Charlotte had spent the last six years quietly remaking herself as a successful businesswoman. She’d tapped into her mother’s renowned science brain to start a sustainable cosmetics company aimed at teenage girls. The purpose behind Truly You is to empower young women to love themselves as they are. To choose simple, healthy makeup, but only when needed.
Much to her surprise, the products took off among teens around the world. Young women embraced the idea of healthy skin and “less is more.” Charlotte unwittingly found herself as the voice of a new generation of women who wanted to feel free to be themselves—unfiltered—and not constantly aspiring to turn themselves into what they saw in magazines or on social media. They proudly sported the affirmation bracelets Charlotte wore on her own wrist, the simple bands selling out often.
The three simple silver bands served as Charlotte’s talisman, grounding her when days got rough. She never took them off. They were a gift from Jay more than a decade earlier. The inscriptions on them reminded her daily not to give up. That she would prevail. Every night, before she closed her eyes, she told herself the life she’d built was enough. That all she needed was her career and her family to fill up her well with love.
Mostly.
She fingered one of the beaded bracelets someone had donated. It looked to be handmade by an artisan just cutting their chops on jewelry design. A student here at Shepard, perhaps. Still, it was lovely. She’d give it to Vivian. “Give me your pen,” she demanded of Jay.
Her brother reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his silver Montblanc. He arched an eyebrow as he handed it over.
“What? Isn’t it the point of the evening to buy things?” She scribbled her name and a dollar amount on the form.
“Oh my gosh,” a female voice gushed behind her.
Charlotte turned around to find a woman clasping her cellphone to her chest.
“My daughter made that. She’s in the upper school,” the woman said. “She was hoping someone would bid on it. But she’ll absolutely freak out when I tell her you did. Both my girls are so inspired by you. They love your lip gloss. And the bracelets, of course.”
The woman pointed to the three slim silver bangles Charlotte never took off her wrist. They’d been the inspiration for the affirmation bracelets that were now so popular.
“That’s lovely to hear,” Charlotte replied. “Please tell your daughter she does beautiful work.”
The woman gestured with her cellphone. “Would it be okay if I got a picture of you standing beside it? My girls won’t believe me without photo evidence.”
Charlotte laughed. “I get it. It didn’t happen without the pictures to prove it.”
She picked up the beaded bracelet and wrapped it around her wrist before smiling for the camera. The woman snapped the photo, thanking Charlotte profusely.
“You’re a wonderful role model for our girls. Especially your message about paying attention in school so they will have the tools to pursue their passions. We moms appreciate them having someone like you for them to look up to.”
If only I’d followed my advice and took school more seriously. I wouldn’t be handing my company over to someone else to run.
Jay wrapped an arm around Charlotte’s waist as the woman made her way back to her table.
“Have I told you how proud I am of you?” her brother, who managed multiple enterprises, murmured.
“At least a million times.”
Neither mentioned the irony that a decade earlier, most mothers wouldn’t want Charlotte’s influence on any of their offspring. Her outrageous clothing—if the flesh-baring outfits she’d paraded around in could even be called that—and rash decisions were well documented by the paparazzi for everyone passing through grocery store checkout lines to see. It was a good thing her days of reckless behavior were behind her.
The lights dimmed, and a woman announced the close of the silent auction. Jay led them to two seats at a table near the back of the room.
“You should have at least put your name on something,” she chastised her brother. “Isn’t the point to fit in?”
“Relax,” he whispered. “The Blaze community relations staff is donating an experience to the live auction.”
“Welcome everyone,” the woman who had taken their tickets minutes earlier said from the stage. “We have five unique student opportunities tonight for you to bid on. Remember, this is for the children, so don’t be stingy.”