Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Right in front of the mansion was this beat-up electric pedicab parked, loaded with a bunch of cardboard boxes, looking like it belonged to some junk collector. The middle-aged dude in the driver's seat was all smeared with grime, the kind you'd think was engine oil or something.

When the pedicab's driver caught sight of Josefina standing at the gate, he was like a deer caught in the headlights, blurting out, "You must be Miss Josefina, right?"-

The girl in front of him had eyes twinkling like stars. They were so dewy and had this mix of innocence and a touch of frosty pride. She was just in some simple sportswear but oozed this effortless class. Josefina bore a striking resemblance to the lady of the house. She seemed to have the best features of both Mr. and Mrs. Harrison. That's how he instantly knew she was the Miss Josefina he was meant to pick up.

Miss Josefina?

Not only did Josefina freeze for a second, but even Lauren, who was marching out to settle some scores with her, was gobsmacked. Lauren never expected someone to call Josefina with such respect. Wasn't she from some small town?

Lauren snorted with laughter, "What an act, 'Miss Josefina,' my foot!"

The driver, Ryan, didn't catch Lauren's snide comment, only saw her strutting around like a hen that had just won a cockfight. He approached Josefina with utmost respect. "Miss Josefina, I'm the family driver, here to take you home. Really sorry I'm late. The car broke down nearby, and I've already called a mechanic. Had to borrow the pedicab from the repair shop owner. I'm scared I'd miss picking you up." Billy and Ruby, stepping out of the mansion, were all wide-eyed and snickering.

Josefina watched the man standing tall. He was clearly no stranger to a workout and was no ordinary driver.

Lauren burst into giggles at the sight of a man covered in filth and rolling up in a rickety pedicab pretending to be a driver. Ruby sidled up to her, linking arms. "Mom, is he my sister's dad?" Ryan's brows furrowed. "What did I do to deserve this? How could I possibly be Miss Josefina's dad? I'm just a driver for the Harrison family."

Ruby's lips curled into a mocking smile, letting go of Lauren and stepping closer to Josefina. With a look of disdain, she whispered, "Why don't you and your junk-collecting dad head on back? Some people are just low-born. They can't handle wealth and are doomed to a shabby life, right?"

Josefina turned her head, towering over the five-foot-three Ruby with her own five-foot-seven stature. She looked down at her with a slight smirk. "Ruby, glad you recognize your place. Your lowly life really can' handle the finer things."

Ruby was livid! She wanted to rip that mouth right off Josefina's face!

Josefina couldn't even be bothered to spare her another glance. She was all set to hop on the pedicab and see what her real folks were like. She wasn't sticking around if they were anything like the Antonio family.

Josefina walked up to Ryan, her voice cool as ice. "Let's go, Ryan."

"Please board the pedicab, my lady," said Ryan, a bit sheepish but making a welcoming gesture nonetheless.

He had no choice. He couldn't borrow a car and had to rock up on a pedicab.

With an awkward chuckle, Ryan tried to smooth things over. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss Josefina. It was a last-minute vehicle grab. All I could get was this pedicab. Once the car's fixed, things will be different, I promise."

The servants peeking out from the doorway were all gobsmacked.

"The Harrison family's really putting on a show, huh? Clearly, he's Josefina's real dad, and yet he's posing as a driver."

"Seriously! What a performance. Are they living in a dump or what?"

"If you're gonna fake it, go all the way, right? What's with showing up on that busted pedicab?"

"Talk about bad luck!"