Chapter 9 Sofia's Schemes

Elena Romano's POV:

Vivian and Sofia exchanged cheek kisses, looking all affectionate, like Sofia was her own daughter.

Sofia grinned, "Looks like I'm late. Is your training almost done for today?"

"Sweetie, it's fine. I'm happy to stick around a bit longer for you." Vivian eyed the bandage on Sofia's ankle, checking it out closely, and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God, your ankle isn't swollen. I'd be freaking out about the Garcia family's banquet next week if it was."

"Vivian, my sister will be there, and she's the star of the show. She can handle everything."

"Don't say that. Not everyone can handle the social stuff at these banquets. Among the Garcia kids, you're the best, and Isabella thinks so too."

"Thanks for the reassurance, but Vivian, you know..." Sofia smiled. "I'm the Garcia family's adopted daughter. It's only because my parents hired you for me that I turned out so well."

Sofia then turned to me. "My sister's been working really hard. I hope you won't be too tough on her. She really wants to do well."

She was sticking up for me.

Sofia was showing her considerate side again. Did she notice how strict Vivian was with me?

But what really surprised me was finding out Sofia was the Garcia family's foster daughter.

When Isabella talked about Sofia, she never mentioned she was adopted. I always thought her hair was just some genetic thing.

Knowing Sofia's adopted status made me feel a bit uneasy, maybe even a bit panicked.

Before, I was proud to have such an amazing sister. Even if my parents loved her more, I thought it was only natural.

But now, knowing she was adopted like I used to be, I felt a bit of resentment and envy for our different lives.

Just like Vivian said, I seemed to feel a bit of jealousy towards Sofia.

Life gave us different paths at the same crossroads.

But I don't hold a grudge.

I still admire and want to be as great as Sofia.

"Alright, you're my best student and deserve special treatment from me." Vivian said, sounding polite.

"Sofia, I'm really sorry for causing you to get hurt today. I appreciate you taking me to the stables to relax. It was my fault everything went wrong." I apologized to Sofia, and after she said it was just an accident and hoped I wouldn't blame myself too much, I felt relieved.

Then I brought up the etiquette training. "But I think Vivian being stricter with me can help me perform better at the start of the banquet."

"Elena, I'm just worried that it might make you nervous and hinder your ability to learn the necessary etiquette quickly before the banquet." Sofia looked concerned. "I don't want anyone to say that your clumsiness brought shame to the Garcia family. That would be too cruel for you. Just like how you couldn't go to college, not getting a better education wasn't your fault, right?"

Vivian seemed pleased with Sofia's response. She thought Sofia had fully considered my self-esteem and informed me of the possible consequences.

But I felt a vague discomfort. When Sofia talked about education, she had the same smile she had at the stables, like she was mocking me.

Was I being too sensitive?

Because of my request, Vivian stayed strict with me.

At the end, I showed off all the etiquette I had learned.

When Vivian asked me to simulate a situation where a guest arrived, Sofia played the guest, and I needed to step forward and greet her.

I lifted my skirt and stepped forward, and Sofia wheeled herself closer to me. When we were three to six feet apart, I needed to curtsy.

I prepared to bend my knees, but unexpectedly, Sofia didn't stop, and I got hit by the wheelchair, falling to the ground.

"What are you doing? Sofia, you weren't supposed to keep moving forward." I shouted angrily.

Sofia, however, put on an innocent expression, looking all pitiful.

Vivian stood in front of me, clearly displeased with my performance. "That was terrible."

"I'm sorry, Vivian, but Sofia..."

Vivian cut me off. "Sofia did nothing wrong, Elena. In fact, she was helping you. This kind of thing happens at banquets. When greeting someone, they might move towards you. You need to be aware of your surroundings and focus on the person you're greeting."

I was left speechless. Vivian's words made sense, but it didn't change the fact that Sofia had switched things up midway.

I could only apologize to Sofia.

Sofia Garcia's POV:

I savored my sister's apology.

She was so clueless, completely blind to my act.

After the Garcia's biological daughter went missing, they picked me up from the orphanage.

I hated everything about that place, especially the poverty. That's why my parents dumped me there.

I craved wealth, to be a real princess, to have everything I wanted.

To get that, I demanded perfect etiquette from myself, built my own social circle, and became the perfect adopted daughter the Garcias would be proud of, so they'd forget about their real daughter.

Every girl dreams of being a princess, right?

I didn't see anything wrong with my thoughts.

But when my foster dad James told me they found my sister, I started to freak out.

I was scared the Garcias would kick me out. Even though they treated me well and loved me, I still wasn't satisfied.

I began to hope that the sister I'd never met would be a total disappointment, bad enough to make my foster parents regret finding her.

Luckily, my wish came true.

The moment I saw her, I knew there was a huge gap between us.

She was vulgar, had no manners, and dressed more provocatively than any prostitute I'd ever seen. Her table manners were like a duck's.

Oh my God, the Garcia family's long-lost daughter turned out to be like this.

Before she came back, I even considered her my enemy. I was the adopted daughter of the Garcia family.

She couldn't compare to me at all.

She was the real imposter.

My foster mom Isabella was a lady who cared deeply about manners and had excellent upbringing. Her elegance couldn't accept Elena, and my dad would be equally displeased.

Given that, why couldn't I drive her away?

When I suggested inviting her to the stables, this fool actually agreed.

Oh my God, did she really think she could ride a horse when she knew nothing about it?

As expected, she chose the red horse I had specifically arranged, known for its bad temper.

I watched her struggle on the horse's back, maliciously hoping she would fall and break her leg.

But that couldn't happen. If she got hurt, my foster parents would blame me for inviting her, and that wasn't what I wanted.

I wanted to play the victim, to gain others' sympathy, which fit the image of a gentle and kind person that others had of me.

I would make my foster parents believe it was all Elena's fault.

After she fell off the horse, I pretended to be scared and sprained my ankle.

My acting was so convincing that even the doctor believed it was really sprained, and I appeared to be genuinely frightened.

I successfully gained my foster parents' sympathy and their dissatisfaction with Elena. They believed it was her fault, and Elena thought so too.

During the etiquette training, I managed to pull off another little trick during the final practice.

Vivian had been teaching me etiquette since I was fourteen. She was very satisfied with me, thinking I was an innocent and kind child, so she believed whatever I did.

As expected, Vivian thought Elena's fall was due to her own lack of reaction and provided a reasonable explanation for me.

In the end, watching Elena leave sadly, I knew my plan to drive her away was going smoothly.

That fool Elena would be hated by everyone.

I would make her realize that her return home was not something the family looked forward to.