Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Chapter 28:

Etta dreamed of the day when the Sandersons would call her their daughter, and she could shake off the label of “maid’s child” for good.

But just as everything seemed to be falling into place, Harlee returned. The moment Harlee stepped into the house, Lonnie and Skyla couldn’t look away from her.

Harlee, on her part, thought Etta’s boldness was downright amusing.

Etta lacked any self-awareness whatsoever.

“Get out,” Harlee said coolly. She had just returned and didn’t want to start any drama right away.

Etta, however, mistook Harlee’s dismissal for fear of trouble. With a sneer, she stomped on Harlee’s backpack several times, her laugh filled with spite.

Harlee’s face hardened in an instant.

“Pick it up and clean it,” she commanded, her gaze as sharp as ice, never leaving Etta.

Under Harlee’s cold stare, Etta felt a shiver shoot down her spine, as though she had been dropped from the blazing summer heat into an ancient icehouse. She gulped and instinctively stepped back.

Realizing her own reaction, Etta stiffened, forcing herself to stand tall. She shot back, “Who do you think you are, bossing me around? You just got here and already act like you’re royalty.

Go check yourself out in a mirror! You’re nothing but a bumpkin, showing no manners at all. Just look at your own outfit!”

Etta sneered, eyeing Harlee’s plain white dress with a curled lip.

“Not a single brand logo. You probably snatched it from some discount pile, right?”

Etta ran a hand down her own dress with a smug grin.

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“See this logo? I bet you don’t even know what it means. This is an international brand, straight from Y’s newest line! You’ve probably never even heard of it.”

Harlee nearly burst into laughter at Etta’s self-satisfaction.

Her custom-tailored dress from Janessa Studio had been mistaken for a thrift store find. While Janessa Studio’s designs avoided bold logos, they included a unique detail—a subtle cuff pattern noticeable only to the trained eye.

Anyone with even a little familiarity with luxury fashion could tell the quality by the dress’s fit and fabric alone. Those with a sharper eye would recognize it as a rare piece, one that didn’t show up in regular boutiques, hinting at Janessa Studio’s signature style and the pattern on the cuffs.

Etta, clearly, didn’t fall into that category. Raised as the maid’s daughter, Etta’s background limited her experience.

For all her confidence, she lacked the understanding that true heiresses had.

Harlee didn’t bother to explain and simply exposed Etta’s bluffing.

“Y’s latest collection doesn’t even have that style. Your dress? That one’s from last year. Judging by that wear, you probably bought it this year. Y is known for its cheap, trendy pieces that lose value fast. Last year’s model now sells for barely ten percent of the original cost.”

Harlee gave Etta a mocking smile.

“A cheap dress, and you think wearing it is some kind of achievement.”

“You…” Moments earlier, Etta had boasted, confident that Harlee knew nothing. To her surprise, Harlee had not only identified the brand but also recognized the difference between the new and outdated collections. Indeed, the dress had only cost Etta a tiny amount of money. No matter how much Lonnie and Skyla liked her, they wouldn’t give her an unlimited allowance. She wasn’t their real daughter, after all, and she didn’t have free rein to spend as she pleased.

“What are you trying to say?” Harlee sneered.

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