Chapter 2 I'm No Sister Of Yours!

"Hello, please, am I in the villa of Mr George?"

Seraphina asked a maid that walked past her. Dressed in a servant's uniform, they all seemed to be busy, each of them doing one thing or the other.

"Are my parents going to throw a welcome party for me? Maybe they were overwhelmed by my return and were really planning to throw a welcome party for me." Seraphina couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Two days ago, Rosamund, the woman she thought was her real mother, had dropped a life shattering truth with her dying breath. Giving her the address and phone number of her real family.

Now, she was here, but as she walked past the maids, they seemed to look at her like a piece of shit. It irked her, but not until she saw her reflection in the window.

She looked so dirty and unkempt. Her face is covered with soot. She looked exhausted and worn out.

Dried blood was stuck to her arms and her clothes were almost torn and dirty, one could mistake her for a beggar.

Since no one was talking to her, she decided it was best to ask them. The maid looked at her with nothing but disdain. But she ignored her. Maybe they really did think her to be a beggar.

"Yes, but look around you," she paused, pointing around the house. Her voice was dripping with contempt. "This house doesn't accommodate stray beggars. So just go back to wherever hole you just crawled out from."

"Eloise!" A feminine stern voice suddenly called out. The voice was deep but laced with a strong tone filled with command.

The girl jumped immediately, shoulders squared and stilled from fear.

Even the voice made Seraphina still, fear gripping her being.

The woman walked to them and offered her a duchenne smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm sorry about that."

She gave Seraphina a look that left an unsettling feeling sitting at the pit of her stomach.

Turning to the girl she now know as Eloise, who stiffened even more for a single glance from her, the woman's voice became even fiercer than when she spoke first. "Now apologize to young madame George."

Eloise's eyes widened as realization settled in. She bowed, apologizing immediately. "I'm sorry ma'am..I'm so sorry. It...it won't happen again."

"Welcome to New York, Miss. I'm Lyla, the head maid. This way, please," she gestured, leading the way.

She stopped when they got to the door, not going any further. "They're all inside, you can go in and meet them."

Seraphina frowned, not knowing why she was acting so strange.

Her hands trembled as it reached for the door. And so was heart, nervous and thumping with a mixture of emotions as she twisted the door knob. Slowly, she pushed it open and there they were, her parents.

They walked towards her and then walked her back, offering her a seat. There was no hug, or anything close to that. Seraphina noticed that their speeches were rehearsed and clipped, but she smiled regardless.

She is back to her father's house, something she has carved ever since she was a little girl. Whenever she sees children run into the arms of their father, a sense of wishfulness crashes over her.

Seraphina looked towards the door when it creaked open, looking at a girl about her age and her smile froze!

Why hadn't she thought about that? The possibility that they may have already had another child?

Seraphina kept staring, and when they followed her line of sight, Seraphina would have guessed that there was a subtle change in their demeanor.

They softly gestured to the girl and she walked towards them. Smiling, they began their introduction, holding the girl's arms in a very loving manner-different from the way they've just treated her.

She just returned, and they couldn't even give her a hug?

"Seraphina, meet Emmaline. She is your junior sister, so be sure to treat her well and look after her, okay?" It was her mother, Liliana, that spoke.

Seraphina subtly raised one beautiful brow. 'She just arrived and they're already asking her to take care of someone?'

But then, not reading any meaning to her mother's words, Seraphina nodded hysterically. "Of course. I will."

"Talking about taking care of her, it's your sister's 18th birthday party. Will you help her out?" Liliana asked Seraphina, looking at her with pleading eyes. "There is still so much to do, and there is not much time."

Even though she was a little disappointed that there was no welcome party for her, she still got to work.

She put in her all to decorate the place. After all, it was her sister's birthday party. When she was through, the decor came out so beautifully that it earned her the praise of the maids that had been working.

Meanwhile, Emmaline watched her from a distance as the maids showered Seraphina with praise, and a brewing sense of jealousy rose in her heart.

She wished she was the one showered with such praises. She thought that Seraphina was back and was going to take her place in her parents house.

But when she looked at how tartared and dirty Seraphina looked, a smile crept on her lips. What if the maids praised her for the work?

It didn't matter. After all, like a maid, she was working for her. So it made no difference if she was praised or not. Her smile broadened and with that thought, she turned around and walked into her room.

Seraphina, now exhausted, went into her room, but before she could even have a single ounce of rest, Lyla, the head maid, was in her room.

"Yes? is there something wrong?" Seraphina inquired, tired.

"Young madam Emmaline asked to see you."

"Alright." Even though Seraphina was exhausted from traveling and working, she still agreed immediately. "I'll be there in a minute."

She had missed out a lot on her family and she wanted to make up for all those lost times by spending as much time with them as possible.

Lyla nodded, and left.

"Emmaline..." Seraphina called when she got to her room. "What's up with you, sister?"

Emmaline gave her a sickly sweet smile that for some reason made Seraphina's skin crawl. "Look at the dress mom bought for me." She said, gesturing towards the bed.

Seraphina followed her hands and looked towards the bed. It was filled with beautiful clothes that even her foster mother couldn't afford for her.

"Yeah, they're all beautiful." she commented, admiration lacing her tone.

Emmaline smirked. In her mind, she thought that Seraphina must now be jealous that George and Liliana took the most care of her and not her, their own biological daughter.

But on the outside, she feigned confusion, saying, "it's so much that I don't even know which one to wear." she looked at her, her face now morphed into a plea. "Can you help me choose the one to wear?"

Seraphina, not knowing what Emmaline had in mind, nodded. "Okay."

She stalked towards the bed. "I would prefer for you to wear this pink since pink resonates with female gender."

Emmaline frowned, her demeanor instantly changing. "No, Seraphina. How can you even ask me to wear this pink? Do you want to turn me into a joke by suggesting I wear pink?" Her lips twisted into a sneer. "Or is it because you've not worn this kind of outfit for your whole, miserable life?!"

Seraphina was taken aback, watching Emmaline with a dumbfounded expression.

What was suddenly wrong with her?

"No, no... that's not what I meant." She tried to explain. "You asked me to help you-"

"Help me?" Emmaline cut her off with a scoff. "What could a girl like you from the country side probably help me with?"

Caught off guard, Seraphina didn't know what to say. Her heart was breaking from Emmaline's words, making her remember her foster mother.

"Look. Sis-"

"Now, hold it right there!" Emmaline cut her off once again, scrunching her face like being a sister to Seraphina was a curse. "Sister? Hmph! I'm no sister of yours!"

"W-What do you mean?"

Emmaline laughed like a little devil, her eyes glinting with malice. "Because I'm your foster sister."

"Emmaline, don't stir up trouble. Or else our parents will be mad at you."

"Mad at me?" Emmaline laughed, like Seraphina had said the funniest joke before her face suddenly morphed into something sinister again. "Between you and I," she paused, crossing her arms across her chest. "Who do you think they'll believe?"