Chapter 4

“But what about her? You have indeed taken care of her for fifteen years and it would be a lie if you claim that you have no feelings for her,” Anabelle said as she looked at Leilani who was glaring at her with deep hatred.

“No,”

“Yes, you are right. We have brought her up for so many years and we love her as our daughter but what her family did is despicable,” Antonio said in a serious tone causing Anabelle to nod her head.

“Does that mean that she is going with us? But if she does, who will great-grandma be left with?” Anabelle asked in a worried tone.

Amanda and Antonio felt uncomfortable when the latter called the old woman grandma. They wished that they could hear their daughter calling them mom and dad and regard them as her family.

“She isn’t your family thus there is no need to call her great-grandma,” Amanda said in a displeased tone.

“Why can’t I? Isn’t she calling you mom because you brought her up? She is the one who brought me up. Although I didn’t have the same life she had in the city and slept in hunger most of the time, I have been living under her roof,” Anabelle said stubbornly causing Amanda to sigh helplessly.

“If that’s the case, Leilani, we aren’t your parents thus you shouldn’t call us mom and dad, call us by our official names, Mr. Rodriguez and Mrs. Rodriguez,” Antonio said coldly as he couldn’t risk making their daughter whom they had just found the angry cause of an imposter.

The old woman, couldn’t say anything as she was afraid of them especially when she saw the looks on their faces.

“But….” She wanted to defend and complain but when she saw the cold eyes she had been given by the family, she shut her mouth.

Leilani was so angry and looked at Anabelle with a warning gaze but the latter just smiled innocently.

“Dad, why is she giving me that look?” Anabelle said as she shivered but halted when she realized what she had just said.

‘Dad?’ that word seemed weird to her but coming out of her mouth, she didn’t struggle at all.

Antonio and the rest were frozen when they heard her and the latter started tearing up. Seeing this, Anabelle sighed at what she had done.

“I am sorry, I didn’t realize when…” she said in an apologetic tone when she saw the tears and thought that she had hurt him.

“No, no baby. I am just so happy. You called me dad!” Antonio said while forcing a smile and wiping away her tears.

“Ah yes. What was my baby saying?” he asked after calming himself down. “Yes, I have remembered.”

With that, he turned his attention to Leilani who was filled with hatred, and didn’t notice when the latter turned around.

“Leilani! Can you stop looking at her in that manner? You shouldn’t blame her for everything when you have lived a life that belonged to her. Now it is high time you give it back to her,” Antonio said coldly and at the same time afraid when he saw the look on the girl he had always known as his daughter.

“But ... dad,” she said then paused when she saw the glare at the man’s face.

She bit her lower lip and lowered her head. “How is this my fault? I am just an innocent child who was caught up in this mess. You should blame that woman and her mother. Why should I be the one to be punished? Why should I be the one suffering? I am still your daughter. You have watched me grow,” Leilani said as she cried that even Anabelle felt the urge to clap her heads for the latter at her good acting.

As expected, cause of her words, the family was moved and had to admit that she was indeed telling the truth. They were just blaming her for her family’s mistakes but she was just a little baby when everything happened. She had no say. With this, they started having an internal conflict as they didn’t know which decision would be the best for both girls.

When Anabelle saw the conflicted expressions in their eyes, she remained silent as she fell in deep thought.

“Sister, if you say that then what can I say? Although they knew that I was not their daughter and that their daughter was living in riches, they never treated me well as thanks for stealing my life. It is like they were opposing me so that I can be inferior to you when my biological family finds out. If they did, they would choose you because you are a beautiful, talented, and clever child while I, on the other hand, never baths, never gone to school, never had food to eat so that I can have a good figure like you. If you want to say you are suffering, don’t you think that I am the most innocent person who has suffered the most?” Anabelle said with an innocent look but her eyes were full of stubbornness.

Upon hearing the latter’s words, the conflict they had vanished into thin air.

Yes, why should they feel guilty for blaming Leilani for snatching Anabelle’s life when they had always given her everything while the latter was always suffering in the village? Why couldn’t the Lopez family take good care of their daughter when their daughter had been provided with everything?

Leilani clenched her hands into a fist as she had to admit that Anabelle, the countryside pumpkin was indeed wiser than she had expected.

Anabelle hated the Lopez family, she had not done anything to revenge herself as she always thought that they were her family but now she knew the truth, she didn’t see the need to pretend that she had the best life while she was under their care.

If Leilani wasn’t pretentious, she could live with the latter happily and in peace but since the latter seemed to have a lot of things under her sleeves, Anabelle could only try reasoning with her new family as she watched what other things could the latter do.

“But what she is saying is true, we were both babies who were swapped. It wasn’t her decision and she can’t be blamed for everything. Also, she has been your daughter for fifteen years. Do you think that when you let her go, you won’t be in pain or feeling uncomfortable? After all, you had always spoiled her rotten and loved her. I am quite jealous of everything,” Anabelle said the last words in sadness.

Everyone present was already shocked that she could defend Leilani.

“But she took your life,” Amanda said as she felt uncomfortable with her daughter’s words.

“In return, I took her life. The only difference is that I was more miserable while she didn’t suffer in anything,” Anabelle replied.

“Then what do you want to do?” Adrian asked as he knew that his little niece seemed to have her plans.

“What do I want to do? Nothing. If I was hateful enough, I would have said that she should live here and have the same life I had but that will be a lie. I am sure that if she is left behind, Grandma will come take her and go with her to the city. After all, she is their own flesh and blood,” Anabelle said causing the others to remain silent as they could see the difference in how she was been treated.

Now telling them that they should also favor Leilani and not favor their own child fully, they saw it as a joke.

“She can go back with us.”