[Chapter 1]
"Finish this meal and then scoot back to your real folks. Don't camp out at our place anymore."
Josefina had barely sat down when she heard her current foster mother, Lauren, telling her to beat it in an irritated tone.
About half a month ago, after a check-up, Lauren discovered that Josefina's blood type didn't match theirs, and a paternity test revealed that their daughter of eighteen years wasn't their biological child. Lauren and her husband, Billy, did some digging and hired a private eye to track down their real daughter, Ruby.
Lauren had always felt that Josefina didn't quite fit their family look and hadn't been particularly affectionate towards her over the years.
Now, with her real daughter Ruby back, Lauren couldn't be happier. As for Josefina, the Antonio family had tracked down her birth parents, who were coming to take her back today.
Josefina looked at the table loaded with delicacies, the most lavish meal she'd ever had in this home and her last.
Ruby sat there in her designer dress, smiling as she said, "Josefina, eat up while you can. It's also a small gesture from Mom and Dad. I heard your folks are dirt poor and living in a small town. It's a far cry from Westwood. Not sure how you'll manage to adjust."
Lauren gazed lovingly at Ruby and said, "Whether she adjusts or not, that's her home! You're just too kind, Ruby."
Josefina turned to Lauren, and surprisingly, she could see a mother's tenderness in her. The old Lauren used to look at her coldly, but now, she looked at Ruby like she wanted to hold her in the palm of her hand.
When Ruby arrived, Billy and Lauren had Josefina move out of her room and bought a bunch of new decor to make Ruby comfortable. They even got Ruby a piano and set up a dance studio for her when they heard she liked dancing. Josefina, on the other hand, got shoved into a tiny bedroom in the far north end of the house.
Josefina stood up, catching the schadenfreude on Ruby's face. The moment Ruby realized she's being watched, she switched to a demure and innocent facade.
Josefina watched Ruby with a detached coolness. "You should eat up instead. After all, you haven't had the chance to enjoy such good food before."
Ruby was left speechless, seething inside, but her face showed a hurt and sad look. With a tentative voice, she said, "I'm just worried you won't get such good food at your birth parents' place. I didn't mean anything else. If you don't want to leave, I can talk to Mom and Dad and see if you can stay, okay?"
Lauren was livid. "You're just too kind, Ruby! She might not even be grateful for your concern."
Billy interjected, "Enough, let's drop it."
Lauren snapped, "Why should I drop it? Ruby is our child, not Josefina! It's all her fault that Ruby grew up in an orphanage and suffered so much!"
Ruby, looking troubled, clung to Lauren's arm. "Mom, don't get angry. It's bad for your health."
Lauren held Ruby's hand, looking at her affectionately. "My Ruby really cares for me. A daughter's heart knows her mother's best."
Josefina's eyes frosted over as she stood up. She went upstairs, got her bag, swung it over her shoulder, and was ready to leave.
Just as Josefina was about to leave, Ruby thought of Josefina's engagement. She pretended to be understanding as she said, "Mom, let's have Josefina stay. She's got an engagement with Oliver. If she leaves, who's gonna marry Oliver?"
With Ruby's words, both Billy and Lauren remembered that issue.