Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Lauren sneered as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "With the way she's been slacking off, she'd be lucky to get into community college!"

Billy's expression soured at the mention of Josefina. "She's as sharp as a sack of wet mice. Remember the last test? She barely scraped together a 300."

"Ugh, that means she must've bombed the finals for sure."

"Forget about her. She's bad juju. Ruby, let's go pick out a present for tonight's celebration dinner."

A smug grin spread across Ruby's face, feeling she had one-upped Josefina. "Mom, Dad, we should invite her to celebrate with us, too. Even though she's not your flesh and blood, she's been part of our household for a while. It'd be nice to include her in the festivities," Ruby suggested, her voice tinged with a forced sweetness.

"Why the heck should we invite her? Ruby, you're too kind to her. She doesn't deserve it, not one bit," Lauren retorted, her lips curled in distaste.

"Mom, if we invite her, you can make it clear to everyone that she's not really one of us. You know how she's been since she left home, bouncing from one guy to the next. If people start recognizing her, they'll think you've raised her wrong. What would we do then?"

Lauren nodded, considering

selling themselves short at the drop of a hat," Lauren scoffed. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet

opportunity to tell everyone we

doesn't answer my calls?" Ruby

Lauren said, her eyes glinting with malice. She had her ways

study, eager to sneak a peek at Josefina's

to snuff, we'll sort it out. Whatever school she wants to attend, we'll make it

have done well," Garrett

of it. Back in Milan,

hissed, "we don't want to be

and entered Josefina's registration number. Garrett, heart racing, covered the screen with a sheet of paper, slowly revealing the score

Garrett shifted the

All three were stunned.