Who's The Imposter Now? Novel by WriterLola _ Novel




Who's The Imposter Now? Chapter 01

Celina's POV
Primrose Esmond, the long-lost daughter of the wealthiest family in town, was finally brought home. But somehow, she pegged me—the butler's daughter—as her biggest threat.
There was no imposter trying to steal her life, so she labelled me as one.
"How does a butler's daughter even qualify for an exclusive private school?" she mocked me in front of the whole class.
Yes, my dad was a butler. But he pulled in millions a year—my tuition was barely a drop in the bucket.
***
Primrose aimed all her hostility right at me from day one.
The moment she saw me, her eyes filled with tears. "Is this the girl who stayed with you all these years in my place?" she asked.
Leandro and Dayanara Esmond were too overjoyed by their missing daughter's return to catch the passive-aggressive edge in her voice.
Wiping her own tears away, Dayanara smiled, "This is Celina Delves. She's a very sensible girl. I'm sure you two are going to be great friends. If you need help adjusting, you can always ask her."
Primrose pouted. "Mom, now that I'm back, shouldn't the person who took my place leave? Are you going to favor this imposter over me? If that's the case, I'd rather not come back."
The tearful reunion came to a screeching halt.
Leandro blinked, totally lost. "Imposter? What do you mean?"
Dayanara gave her a puzzled look. "Prim, honey, what are you talking about? There's no imposter here."
Primrose pointed at me. "Isn't she the imposter? Don't tell me you started treating her like your own just because she's lived here for a few years."
I let out a helpless sigh. "Ms. Esmond, my biological father is right here."
I gestured toward my dad, Warren Delves, who was standing nearby in his formal tailcoat.
Primrose feigned surprise. "Oh, so you're the butler's daughter. Good. Since your dad is just staff, and I'm officially back, it's time to face facts. I am their biological child. It doesn't matter how long you've lived here. I'm home, and that makes me their only daughter."
"What does she mean? What about me? Dad, Mom, am I not your daughter anymore?" Mariela Esmond, Primrose's younger sister, stared at Leandro and Dayanara, completely bewildered.
Leandro's face darkened. "Prim, what are you talking about? Celina is Warren's daughter, not ours. And your sister is standing right here—how can you say you're the only daughter?"
Only then did Primrose seem to notice the eleven-year-old girl quietly standing to the side.
After scrutinizing her for a while, Primrose covered her mouth in shock. "Mom, Dad... did you have another kid as my replacement after I went missing?"
Mariela looked up at her parents, deeply hurt. "Did you really have me just to replace Prim?"
Dayanara and Leandro's expressions hardened.
Dayanara wrapped her arms around Mariela to comfort her. "Mari, you are no one's replacement. Don't think like that."
"Primrose, what on earth have you been learning out there?" Leandro finally snapped. "Mari was already three years old when you went missing. How could she possibly be a replacement for you?"
Primrose rubbed her nose, looking awkward. "I was little when I was trafficked. I forgot I even had a sister."
Leandro narrowed his eyes, his skepticism obvious. "Prim, you were nine when you went missing. You really don't remember having a younger sister?"
A flicker of panic flashed across Primrose's face. But she quickly clutched her head, faking severe pain. "Dad, I really don't remember! The traffickers who took me beat me and yelled at me all the time. Every time I try to recall my childhood, I get splitting headaches."
Seeing her distress, Dayanara quickly pulled her into a hug. "Shh, sweetie," she murmured. "If you can't remember, just forget it. All that matters is that you're home now. We're sorry for everything you've been through. I promise, we're going to do everything we can to make it up to you."
Mariela stepped closer. "Prim, we're just so glad you're back. Mom and Dad have been looking for you this whole time. They never gave up."
After a long while of comfort and reassurance, Primrose finally stopped crying.
She lifted her head from Dayanara's shoulder and glared at me, her eyes full of spite. "Mom, Dad... it just breaks my heart that while I was suffering in hell, your butler's daughter was living comfortably in our home."
My dad's face darkened, but he still kept his tone polite. "Ms. Primrose, although Celina lives here, I have personally covered all of her living expenses. Besides, she only stays here because Mr. and Mrs. Esmond wanted her to tutor Ms. Mariela."
The Esmonds nodded in agreement. "It's true, Prim," they said. "Celina is a good girl, and she's at the top of her class. We asked her to move in with us."
Primrose pouted again. "Mom, Dad, even with everything I went through, I always ranked in the top ten at my school. I can tutor Mari just fine.
"Please make her leave our house. I don't want to see her anymore."
Dayanara and Leandro exchanged a conflicted look.
Seeing their hesitation, Primrose stood up. "I survived years of suffering, and you gave a butler's daughter a perfect life right under your roof. Now I'm finally back, and you're still defending her. If you don't want me here, I'll just leave."
She turned and headed for the door.
Dayanara jumped up to stop her. "Don't be silly! Of course we want you here—we love you."
Watching the Esmonds struggle to handle the situation, I finally spoke up. "Mr. and Mrs. Esmond, since Ms. Primrose is home and can help Ms. Mariela with her studies, it makes sense for me to move out."
Leandro looked embarrassed by my offer. "Celina, Prim just got back, and she's feeling insecure. It's nothing personal, so please try not to take offense."
"Don't worry, Mr. Esmond," I said. "I'm totally fine."
I turned and walked to my room to pack my belongings.
My dad helped me gather my things. "Moving out really is for the best," he told me. "With you living here, we haven't been spending enough time with your mom anyway.
"Look, I know you were treated unfairly today, and it's because of my job. If you're truly upset, I can resign."
I immediately shook my head. "Dad, you've worked here for years. Don't quit over something so trivial.
"Plus, you're one of the best senior butlers in the country. Plenty of families would fight to hire you. Your job has never been a burden to me."
Moving out of the Esmond's residence barely disrupted my life.
Dad earned a substantial salary, and he had already bought a villa in the same neighborhood.
So, after leaving the estate, I just went straight to my own house. My mom was waiting there, and honestly, I felt so much more relaxed than I ever had living with the Esmonds.
However, I never expected that even after I left, Primrose still wouldn't let me go.

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