DIGNITY IS A WOMAN'S GREATEST JEWEL

The first thing I did upon arriving in Paris? I gathered all my diamonds in a silk handkerchief and walked straight into Cartier.

I asked to speak with the manager and laid my treasures on the counter:

“Exchange all of this for something unique. A jewel no one else in the world has.”

They created a masterpiece for me — a serpent-shaped necklace of diamonds with emerald eyes.

And on the day I went to collect it, destiny had another surprise: I met King Farouk.

One glance was enough — he was intrigued. He started a conversation, and before I knew it, he invited me to dinner at Maxim’s. A month later, I received an invitation to his extravagant birthday celebration in Cairo — with a plane ticket included.

The party was breathtaking. The next day, he took me to the temple of Ramses in Abu Simbel. At the entrance, he pointed to a statue of Nefertari — the Nubian princess and wife of the pharaoh.

“She was just like you,” he said, and summoned a servant.

The man approached with a silk cushion, carrying a dazzling diadem encrusted with gems.

“Take it,” Farouk said. “It’s the diadem of Nefertari. A humble gift for the Queen of Mexico.”

“And in exchange for what?” I asked.

“For one night of love,” he replied.

With a heavy heart, I returned the crown to its cushion.

“That,” I said, “you cannot buy. Not with jewels, nor with your entire kingdom.

I give myself freely to the man I desire. But you are not that man.

In fact, I find your servant more appealing than you,” I added, pointing at him.

This isn’t just a tale of luxury and temptation.

It’s a reminder that dignity is a woman’s greatest jewel.