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Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Love best-selling fiction?
  3. Also by McGarvey Black
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. Acknowledgements
  60. A note from the publisher
  61. Love best-selling fiction?
  62. You will also enjoy:

In her early teens she had gone to a movie with her best friend, Martá. The American film Enchanted, about a princess transported from a magical kingdom to the streets of New York City had been playing. Sitting in the darkened movie theater drinking in scenes of the Big Apple, Gabriela was struck by a thunderbolt. I’ll go to New York. One day I’ll live in a penthouse in Manhattan. As she and Martá left the theater, elaborate plans of her New York dream formed in her mind.

“Don’t you think Nueva York is the most amazing city in the world?” she said to Martá as they walked from the theater out to the street.

“There are lots of crazy people there,” said Martá. “I would be scared. My papa said they have so many guns in Nueva York. People walk around with machine guns and will shoot you dead if you look at them the wrong way.”

“You’re such a baby. I’m not afraid of guns. I’m going to live in Manhattan just like the princess in the movie. Maybe I’ll even get my own gun.”

Martá’s mouth dropped open.

“Close your mouth, Martá or the mosquitos will fly right in and go down your throat,” said Gabriela as she sped up her pace, walking ahead of her friend.

From that day forward, everything Gabriela did furthered her plan for a life in New York. Studying English at school became her priority and soon her teachers considered her to be the best English-language student in the school.

“I’ve never seen another student take to languages the way you have, Gabriela,” said her older male English teacher as his eyes took in every inch of her blossoming body. “You are so motivated. You’re not just a beautiful girl but you’re smart too.”

“It’s only because you are such a wonderful teacher, señor,” she replied with a smile.

She didn’t want to just visit New York, she wanted to live in New York and live large. Her perfect life included amazing homes—plural, expensive designer clothes, fine jewelry, European cars and trips all over the world. She wanted to go to the most exclusive restaurants, attend fashion shows and wear only $800 shoes—the ones with the red soles.