First Meeting (1)

Roxana stared at the stranger standing at the wide doorstep with complicated emotions and a conflicted conscience.

She wasn't faring too bad, considering how her life got turned upside down. After learning the truth she had begun to question her existence. And now seeing this girl she felt bitter yet strangely relieved.

It was hard to describe the plethora of feelings blooming inside her. She was confused as to how she should feel and what she actually felt. Towards the roller-coaster ride her life was becoming.

For the most part, she has always been welcoming to changes, but one to this grave extent scared her. It made her soul shake with fear for the distant, unknown future which started seeming so bleak and desolate for some reason.

She could still distinctly remember that instant. The memory from about a year ago, which should have become hazy by now, was still clear as if of just yesterday.

The then fifteen year old had ran away from the servants who insisted on feeding her those bitter medicines that she detested. While searching for her doting father to complain to, she stumbled upon his office from which two voices escaped through the open gap of the ajar door.

"- Checked properly?" she heard her grandma's incredulous voice ask. She appeared to be incredibly aghast from how her voice quivered, something which she had never witnessed before.

Roxana soundlessly came closer to the door, forgetting all proper manners that warned against eavesdropping and continued to listen intently. She wanted to learn the reason of her family's woes and help to the best of her ability.

"I have, " her father's voice dipped with grief and he sounded so exhausted, so defeated. "The DNA test clearly states that Roxana is not mine and Julia's daughter."

Roxana staggered back as if an earthquake had cracked the concrete ground beneath her, leaving her to tumble and sink. Those words were like thunder clapping near her ears, drowning out all other sounds.

Her wobbling steps led her to bump into an expensive vase nearby making the expensive item fall and crash into several thousand valueless pieces on the marble floor.

The loud noise from the crashing alerted the mother-son duo inside and they rushed out to check upon the sudden situation.

Their countenance became ghastly pale on coming upon the sight of a horror struck Roxana who did not even register the feeling of pain when a few pieces of glass pierced through the delicate skin of her feet.

"Roxana dear, listen to me, ok?" Julian had tried to reach out and bring her to his side to stop her from hurting herself anymore. But Roxana ignored his pleas, too lost in the turmoil raging inside her head.

Seeing her precious granddaughter like this, Helen couldn't help but shed another couple of tears. With great difficulty that day had Roxana been soothed and the next day she was revealed the truth in it's entirety as known by them.

"The doctor told me that you needed a blood transfusion since you had lost too much blood. But when I stepped forward he told me I was not compatible since our blood groups didn't match. It turned out that you have the rare AB- blood type. Luckily, they found the needed amount in stock and you were soon operated upon."

Roxana keenly hung on every word Julian uttered, listening intently.

"But some doubts grew in my mind with this new knowledge. So, I had a DNA test done. The results were shocking, still not too entirely surprising, somehow. And this is what I was sharing with mother when you heard us. "

Roxana felt like she was going to get sick, the more she heard.

Helen then took over from her son, " However, my darling," she took the paling girl in her arms and held her close to her chest, "this does not change your relation with us. You're still my very dear granddaughter and your father's beloved angel. " Julian nodded in agreement.

"That's right angel. You have nothing to worry about. Your place in our hearts can never be replaced. Don't you have faith in your father? "

Roxana couldn't control her over-flowing emotions and from her grandmother's warm embrace she switched to her father's tight one, her shoulder's shaking due to the sobs wrecking through her dainty figure.

After that, she always knew that her father and grandmother are trying to search for the real daughter, the one whose place she had 'stolen', but she chose to turn a blind eye towards it. Her rational and kind self blocked any dark thoughts from usurping her mind.

She chose to believe her heart, which, from showers of love and care by both the elders, told her that even when the true heiress of the Beaufort family is found and brought back home, her position in their hearts cannot and will not change.

Her mind was too simple to conjure any complex thoughts, without which she began to rather sympathize with the missing heiress. In her heart she began to feel guilty for stealing the love and affection which should have belonged to someone else. However, she was also selfish enough to not be able to sacrifice and lose all that completely.

'Which is why I should request her to share. After all sharing is caring. And I might even get a friend or better yet a sister in her.' The young girl's mind immediately focused on the positive aspects of the situation which was the specialty of her optimistic nature, something for which she was greatly adored by many.

So when, with great delicacy when her father shared the news of having found his real daughter, she ecstatically congratulated him and expressed her eagerness to quickly meet the girl.

Helen and Julian were immensely relieved with Roxana's euphonious attitude.

But even so, Roxana is only a young teen, and however hard she tried it became impossible for her to not have any sort of feeling of jealousy and fear. Insecurity knocked on the fragile doors of her sense of self.

It was a hard feat that she accomplished by not letting those negative feelings overpower over her rationality and goodness.

And here she is meeting the original flesh and blood of the Beaufort family. She hadn't expected to see what she did. Growing up she had many times heard people pointing out the similarities between her and Julian. From the striking platinum blond hair to the shape of her eyes and mouth.

But now that she looked at the other girl, she couldn't help but admire the long locks of flaming red hair that framed her small face. She remembered seeing and admiring similar features in her mother's portraits.

'I mean, she looks exactly like Mo- Mrs. Beaufort' she corrected her thoughts, a tinge of sadness making her blue with gloom. She never got to meet the woman who would have acted like her mother all these years. Tales of whom she grew up listening from young. The lady of affection and virtue that she wanted to be like.

Or maybe, she would never have become a part of this family, had Eloise Beaufort still been alive.

Again the confusion, and helplessness threatening to drown her in despair and self-pity baffled her. Yet, she kept pushing those negative feelings away before they could corrode her. She couldn't let them win. She wouldn't.

A dazzling smile on her face and attractive grace in every movement, she stepped forward to introduce herself to the new stranger who in the near future would be becoming a close familiar to her.

But, that's still in the future for now.

"Hello, I am Roxana," since the time she had learnt the truth, it had become increasingly difficult for her to take her full name. Now that she thought about it, the name Roxana was also not hers since it was given by Mr. Julian to his daughter, which is not her. It was recorded on the birth certificate that was not hers either.

It seemed as if life had played a cruel joke by giving her everything, and then snatching it all away in an instant. But, observing the girl before her, who had suddenly rose from nothing to receiving everything; she noticed the uncertainty and distrust in those beautiful cerulean blue eyes.

'Just like dad's.' Roxana awed. Her weaknesses included devastating beauty, and this girl was on a whole other level.

Though there was a careless, relaxed, indifferent expression on her face. A hard to miss air of maturity breezed about her. Roxana could even say she almost felt scared of the intense aura oozing from the girl.

Snapping out of her daydream Roxana noticed the girl continuing to ogle her weirdly. Clearing her throat, she blinked and continued, " Nice to meet you. Your name is?"

The girl finally showed a reaction; her hands pulled out from the pockets of her washed off jeans and with her arms crossed she stood in an extremely chic pose.

'Whoa! So cool!' Roxana's mind just randomly started praising and fantasizing.

"I doubt you don't already know my name Miss Roxana. But, if you insist on playing this strange stranger card- then sure. My name is Valeria." The girl mused with a mocking voice.

Well, it's true. Roxana knew her name since her father had updated her about almost everything that is there to know about her. But, she felt it would be impolite and scary for the other party if she just straight up disclosed all that she knows about her.

Who knew Valeria would be so instinctive and upfront.

An awkward silence fell between the girls.

The grandmother and father spectating from the sidelines couldn't help but worry about the present and the future already.