A Porsche curved through the gates of the Whistler estate, its engine purring as it climbed the gravel path. Late spring sunlight filtered through maples, casting shifting shadows across the stones. From somewhere near the terrace, a faint pulse of Bollywood beats drifted through the air — tangled with the hush of pine trees and the sparkle of champagne chatter.
When the car stopped, a woman stepped out. Her heels clicked softly against the driveway. She wore tailored ivory trousers, a muted saffron silk blouse, and something more potent than perfume: confidence.
Se-Ri Singh had arrived.
Let me start with the basics.
I'm Se-Ri Singh. Thirty-two. Indian-Korean. Founder of Serenité Skincare — a Toronto-born, K-beauty-meets-Ayurveda brand that just got picked up by a luxury chain in Paris.
But today isn't about the brand. It's about Rhea. My cousin, my near-sister, my co-conspirator in childhood drama and adult damage control.
She's getting married.
I should tell you a bit more, shouldn't I?
I was born to a Korean mother and an Indian father — the golden couple of Vancouver's elite. They died in a car crash when I was twelve. Since then, I've been raised by a thickly layered family: my grandparents, my uncle and aunt (she's Canadian, white, chaotic), my 'Bua' — my father's unmarried sister — and my two cousin sisters: Rhea (the bride) and Amisha (the wildcard).
Family, for me, has always been... layered.
On paper, we're the classic immigrant success story. My grandfather, Amrit Singh, came to Canada from Punjab in the late '60s with two suitcases and a stubborn sense of direction. He opened a grocery store. Worked himself hollow. Built a chain. And now? We run one of the largest multinational retail corporations in the country.
Though I came from a legacy empire, I chose to build something of my own — Serenité Skincare — inspired by my mother, who had been an expert in Chinese medicine and believed that healing should be layered, like memory.