Chapter 2 Returning to the Davis Villa

Nancy glanced over at the guy snoozing on the bed and thought, 'So, he's not William. No wonder he's so strong and doesn't look sick at all.'

Remembering their wild night, Nancy felt a pang of guilt. She quickly got dressed, grabbed her bag, and planned to sneak out.

But then she hesitated. It felt wrong to just bail since she was the one who barged into the wrong room and ended up with the guy. So, she took off her necklace, pulled out the only five hundred bucks she had, placed them on the table, and scribbled a note: [Sorry, Mr. Smith. I didn't mean to offend you. This necklace is a token of my gratitude.]

Nancy thought, 'The necklace is pretty pricey, so he should be cool with it. Plus, he had a good time last night too, so it's not like he's losing out.'

With that, she slipped out.

Once outside, Nancy checked the room number. It was 2906, not 2806 like her foster dad had told her. She must've been too out of it from the aphrodisiac last night.

Back at the Davis Villa, Nancy took in the familiar surroundings where she'd spent over a decade. Her foster parents had brought her back from the orphanage, bought her new clothes and toys, and sent her to a new school. Back then, Nancy really wanted to see them as her real parents.

But over time, she realized they only saw her as a stand-in. She found out from the news that just a year before they adopted her, their daughter had gone missing.

Nancy didn't feel sad when she learned this. Instead, she was grateful for her existence because it meant her foster parents wouldn't always live in sorrow.

But a substitute was always just that. When the real daughter came back, the substitute became worthless. Nancy didn't want to return to the Davis Villa, but her grandmother said she missed her, so she decided to come back for a few days.

After their real daughter, Jennifer Davis, returned, her foster parents' attitudes changed completely. They treated her like a servant, but luckily, her grandmother always had her back. Nancy didn't want to upset her grandmother, so she came back.

Her phone rang. It was Howard Miller, and Nancy answered.

Howard asked, "Ms. Taylor, have you thought about what I mentioned before?"

Nancy replied, "Mr. Miller, you're so enthusiastic that I'm a bit flattered."

Howard said, "Ms. Taylor, Starglow Art School really needs talents like you. Ever since I heard you were coming back, I've been so excited. If you don't join Starglow Art School, I'll be really disappointed."

Nancy laughed. "Alright, I'll stay at Starglow Art School for a while."

Howard replied, "That's awesome! Actually, I have another favor to ask."

Nancy said, "Go ahead."

Howard asked, "Can you start this afternoon? There's a little girl who's a real handful. None of our teachers can handle her, but her parents are very influential, and we can't afford to upset them."

Nancy agreed, "I get it. I'll come over this afternoon."

Howard said excitedly, "Thank you so much. You're really saving me here. I'll be waiting for you at Starglow Art School this afternoon. Don't worry, we'll treat you well."

Nancy replied, "Thanks, Mr. Miller."

Just as she wrapped up the call, Jennifer's annoying voice piped up from behind, "Mom, why is she here?"

Nancy turned around and saw her adoptive mom, Lillian Perez, and Jennifer, lugging big bags. She gave them a slight nod.

"So rude," Jennifer sneered, rolling her eyes at Nancy.

Lillian chimed in, "Exactly, not even a proper greeting. We raised you all these years for nothing."

Just then, Nancy's grandmother, Penelope Wilson, came out. When she saw Lillian and Jennifer, her face immediately soured. She scolded, "What's all the noise about? Nancy grew up by my side. You only remember her when it's convenient for you. Now you say such things without feeling ashamed."

Lillian's face turned red and white, but she didn't dare to say anything to Penelope. So she turned her gaze to Nancy and asked, "Didn't you say you'd never come back? It's only been a few years. Has life been tough since you left the Davis Villa?"

Nancy ignored her, walked over to help Penelope sit down, poured her a glass of water, and then looked at Lillian, saying, "I've been doing quite well these past few years."

For some reason, Lillian got even angrier seeing Nancy's calm demeanor. They had adopted her to soothe their pain after losing their daughter. But since Nancy wasn't their biological daughter, they never got close to her. After finding their real daughter, they became even colder towards Nancy.

Lillian thought, 'Nancy has a big temper. She dared to talk about cutting ties just because we made her do some chores and marry the guy from the Brown family in place of Jennifer. Jennifer has suffered for so many years outside, while Nancy enjoyed life at the Davis Villa for so long. What's she dissatisfied with?'

Jennifer had already sized Nancy up from head to toe. In her imagination, Nancy should be living a miserable life. However, Nancy looked healthy, and her clothes didn't seem cheap. She looked elegant and refined. This made Jennifer feel a bit inferior.

Jennifer felt a bit indignant, but she didn't show it. Instead, she smiled sweetly and said gently, "Nancy, I'm relieved to see you're doing well."

"No need," Nancy said coldly, "Who are you pretending for? Disgusting."

Lillian always disliked Nancy. Now her words made her even angrier. She pointed at Nancy and started cursing, "How dare you talk like that? Jennifer is kindly concerned about you, and you not only don't appreciate it but also speak so harshly. Is this what you learned abroad?"

"Mom," Jennifer held Lillian's hand and said, "Don't be angry. It's all my fault. I took away you and Dad, and the happiness that should have belonged to her. I understand why she doesn't like me. Mom, don't blame her."

These words made Lillian feel even more sorry for her. Lillian thought, 'Jennifer has suffered so much because of my negligence. After she came back, she didn't blame us but always reminded us to treat Nancy well. But Nancy doesn't appreciate it at all. She's simply ungrateful.'

Lillian patted Jennifer's hand and said lovingly, "Jennifer, how can you think that way? These things were always yours. She just enjoyed them for a while because of her luck. You don't have to feel guilty about this. Understand?"

Their act made Nancy roll her eyes several times. Penelope took a slow sip of water and then said slowly, "No wonder you're mother and daughter. Your acting skills are equally terrible."

Nancy couldn't help but laugh. Lillian was angry but didn't dare to say anything in front of Penelope. She could only glare at Nancy fiercely.