Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess
Chapter 231

Josefina strolled into the bar, where Livia, Luke, and Percy were already waiting by the entrance. Livia was rocking a pair of denim cut-offs and a sleeveless tee, topped with a wild, poofy hairdo that had Josefina caught between laughter and disbelief.

"Livia, what's with the wild mop?" Josefina teased.

"I needed a disguise so my folks wouldn't spot me here. Even if someone sees me, they might not recognize me," Livia explained with a grin.

Luke chimed in with a chuckle, "Livia, I gotta hand it to you, that's pretty smart."

Livia raised an eyebrow and flashed a cheeky smile, "Luke, you've got quite the eye."

Luke let out a snicker and sidled up to Livia, "Livia, you still don't know me that well. I've always had an eye for the good stuff."

Livia looped her arm through Josefina's and headed inside, "Josie, let's make a pact - we don't go home until we can't see straight."

Percy followed closely, and Luke, eager not to miss out, hurried after them.

...

Ruby and Lauren sat at home, waiting for Billy to return for dinner. When Billy arrived, he brought with him a present for Ruby. "Ruby, this is a dress I picked out for you. Take a look, it's from Anya's collection. You're going to look stunning in it," Billy said, his voice revealing a rare warmth.

The sudden bout of fatherly affection was because Billy had seen the paternity test results. They confirmed without a doubt that he and Ruby were father and daughter, much to his relief.

Ruby felt a bit guilty accepting the gift, but she couldn't resist. The dress was gorgeous. "Thanks, Dad. You work too hard. Mom made you her special chicken noodle soup. Give it a try," Ruby said, dutifully pouring him a bowl and handing him a spoon.

Lauren breathed a sigh of relief as well. Luckily, she had tampered with the test results and had the doctor in her pocket.

As the three of them dined, each lost in their own thoughts, Billy spoke up, "There's a design competition coming up. Ruby, you've got a knack for this - you should enter. If you win first place, it could be a huge boost for the business. We could launch a new line and make a killing."

Ruby didn't know what to say. Her design skills were mediocre at best, and her standards hadn't improved despite the classes she took. With no real flair for design and lacking a unique vision, the thought of competing was enough to make her so anxious that her hair was about to fall out.

"Dad, I want to focus on my studies for now," Ruby finally said.

Lauren chimed in, "Billy, she's just a kid. You're pushing her too hard. Let her concentrate on her studies for now."

That comment struck a nerve, and Billy nearly flipped the table in anger. "Studies? She didn't even get into a community college. What's there to study? You think we can just buy her a spot? I can't afford that kind of embarrassment."

Ruby lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry. If I hadn't been switched at birth, and if I had a better learning environment, I wouldn't have failed like this."

Her words stung Lauren, who felt a mix of guilt and resentment. "Billy, what are you implying? Are you blaming Ruby for her poor grades? Is it her fault she was switched at birth? If she had grown up in the Antonio family with proper education, do you think she wouldn't have made it to college? She'd have been an Ivy graduate."

Billy scoffed with a sarcastic smile, "Lauren, do you actually believe the words you said? When Josefina was with us, did you enroll her in any tutoring classes? Did you attend parent-teacher conferences? She grew up in the countryside without any kind of quality education either."

Ruby and Lauren were left speechless, almost wondering if Billy was Josefina's biological father.

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