Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Chapter 173

Covered in dust and grime, Lena lay crumpled on the ground, her knee feeling as though it had shattered into a million pieces. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

With great effort, she lifted her head and caught sight of Josefina nestled in Oliver's embrace, both sharing the saddle of a single horse. The image of their affection was like a dagger to her heart, causing her to choke on her own blood. But the blood, she realized, was mostly due to the impact that had left her insides aching.

Alma, Nola, and Sylvie witnessed the scene and quickly dismounted to rush to Lena's side. As for the horse that had gone berserk, it had been sedated and was now calm.

Nola was about to scold Josefina when George arrived on horseback, asking with concern, "Mr. Oliver, Ms. Josefina, are you both alright?"

Of the three, only Sylvie had met Oliver before. She also knew that Oliver was the man Lena had quietly pined for, but how had he chosen Josefina over her?

Without so much as a glance at the disheveled Lena on the ground, Oliver addressed George, "Josie's been frightened. I need to take her to the hospital for a check-up. If anything's wrong, you'll all be held accountable!"

With Josefina in tow, Oliver rode away from the chaos. George glanced at Lena without a hint of sympathy. He had been at Oliver's side for years, and he knew the score. Well-trained horses didn't just lose their minds for no reason.

As George turned to leave, Nola blocked his path, asking with deference, "May I ask who exactly is Josefina? Is she Oliver's date?"

George replied irritably, "Date? She's Oliver's girlfriend! Ms. Josefina is the long-lost daughter of the Harrison family. She was recently found after years of separation!"

After dropping this bombshell, George left, leaving Nola standing there, feeling as if her world had been turned upside down.

She stared at Lena, who was now being helped up by Sylvie, and asked with a complicated gaze, "Lena, if you knew all along that Josefina was the true heiress of the Harrison family, why didn't you clarify her identity from the start? Why did you keep us in the dark, leading me to antagonize her?"

Alma chimed in with annoyance, "Yeah, Lena, what were you thinking? Where does that leave us? If the Harrison family seeks retribution, or if she whispers in Oliver's ear, do you want to drag our families down too?"

Lena frantically tried to explain, "No, it's not what you think. Nola, Alma, please let me explain." But it was too late. Nola and Alma had already left to deal with the aftermath as quickly as possible.

Sylvie stayed behind, helping the stable staff get Lena into the car, and drove her to the hospital. Struggling with her thoughts, Sylvie finally voiced her doubt, "Lena, that day at the mall, did you deliberately lead me to believe Josefina had stolen Oliver from you?"

Lena looked at her with pitiful eyes and shook her head. "No, it’s not like that. After all these years, don't you know that I've always liked Oliver? And then she comes back, and suddenly she's with him. Besides, she's the one who didn't want her identity revealed. I was just following her wishes. I didn't have any bad intentions."

Through her tears, Lena continued, "Sylvie, we've been friends for so long. Don't you trust me?"

Sylvie was torn. She looked at the injured Lena, with her face marred by scratches, and couldn't help but feel pity for her friend.