Chapter 18: The revelation

The party came to an end. Serena retired to her room feeling emotionally drained for the day. Changing into her nightgown, she took out her phone and sat at the edge of the bed.

Her fingers brushed through the photos that had been snapped of her with the guests of the party. Lingering longer on the photo she shared with Damian.

Saying goodbye to him had been harder than she had anticipated it would be. She yearned for more time with him but sadly the party came to an end.

While her hand lingered on his picture. She could make out some noises coming from downstairs. Serena grabbed a jacket, wore it, and went out of the room to see what the noises were all about.

Climbing down the stairs. The shouts were becoming more and more clear. "How could you think of doing this, Marcel?"

Serena furrowed her eyebrows. Her heart thumped furiously in her chest as wondered what their discussions were all about.

"Sofia must leave this house. I don't care what you say but I want her gone," Serena heard her mother mutter angrily.

"Sofia made a mistake, you can't punish her like this," Marcel spoke from the living room.

Serena halted in her steps. Listening to their conversation confused her, she wasn't able to tell what had brought on her father's change of heart on the matter. He didn't seem to support Sofia before.

"Mommy, dad is right. I made a mistake, forgive me," Sofia chirped in.

Serena found her way to the living room, she stood outside the door watching the scene inside. Her mother had Sofia's bags already packed ready to throw her out the door.

"I don't want to hear it, leave!" Ivy demanded from her.

Sofia inched closer to her and clung to her to avoid leaving the house. She wore a pitiful expression on her face. Tears ran down her eyes.

"I only spoke out in anger. Please don't punish me so severely," Sofia pleaded.

Ivy remained stern in her decision unmoving. Serena noticed her father frowning at her reaction. Her eyes moved from her mother to her father confused.

"Get away from me," Ivy lost her cool and pushed Sofia away from her. The girl stumbled back and fell to the ground.

Pap!

Before anyone could react to her fall, a loud echo of a slap resonated in the room. Serena's eyes widened with shock from seeing her mother holding her cheek.

Her blood ran cold seeing her father standing before her mother with his hand still raised. It was the first time that she had witnessed her father hitting her mother and it broke her heart more than the disappointment she felt earlier.

Serena raised her phone and hit the recording button and started taping everything in the room.

"How dare you hit her?" Marcel barked.

Ivy was shocked. She hadn't even raised her hand to hit Sofia, she simply pushed her back, and yet she was being accused of hitting her.

"I did..."

Pap!

Another harsh slap landed on her cheek as she tried to defend herself. Ivy stepped back putting distance between her and her husband.

"Do you think that you can do whatever you want in this house?" Marcel inquired from her.

Ivy glared at him, the change in his attitude had surprised her. He had never spoken to her in that tone of voice before.

Sofia got up from the floor and wiped her clothes. She stood behind Marcel and held his hand and glared at Ivy. "I think that mother doesn't love me any more father," Sofia uttered in a pained voice. "You should punish her for this," she added.

Marcel turned away from Sofia with bitterness in his eyes towards Ivy. "You aren't even the blood of this family, how dare you..."

"But that is where you are wrong," Sofia told breaking Ivy's midsentence. "I am a Delarosa by blood, as I am the daughter of Marcel Delarosa and Leah Agea," Sofia said dropping a heart-stopping bomb on Ivy and Serena.

"I found out today that she is my daughter and as such she will get the respect that she deserves in this house," Marcel uttered in a commanding tone to his wife.

Ivy was shocked beyond words. It was hard to process everything that she had just had. It wasn't the news that she was expecting to hear that night. As if she hadn't had enough heart attacks, she had to find out that the girl she raised was the child of her husband's ex.

Ivy staggered back unable to unhear the words the despicable child dared to say. "I think that it's only fair she gets half of everything Serena is getting," Marcel suggested.

Serena stopped the recording and kept her phone in her pocket. The truth that she learned that night shocked her to the core but she composed herself and walked into the room clapping her hands in a slow dramatic way to get their attention.

Marcel and Sofia turned towards her. Marcel was stunned to see her, it wasn't how he wanted Serena to find out about her sister. Sofia on the other hand wasn't shocked, she held her head high.

She now knew that she belonged there and had a right to everything that the Delarosa's owned. She wasn't backing down from facing Serena with the thought of getting everything she lost back.

"Well done Mr.Delarosa," Serena spoke to her father. Hearing Serena calls him by his surname instead of his name, he felt a pinch in his heart.

Serena walked to her mother and wiped her tears away. She flashed Ivy a bright smile and shook her head telling her not to cry. Ivy couldn't help but break down, she hugged Serena and let out her tears and the sobs she was holding in.

"You have made my mother cry, raised your hand to her, and insulted her today," Serena counted to her father. "You've said all you had but hear me out. By this time tomorrow if I don't return the pain double the amount you've served it to my mother, then I will change my name," she challenged her father.