The Kiss that Sparked it All

“I mean, I get it, but have you seen that woman's kid? She is out there living on her own, actually holding down a steady gig at New Blossom Press. I'm not saying I expect Madeline to be some kind of rocket scientist, but she could at least try not to be outdone, right?”

It was only the second year since Imogen married into the Tanner family when Madeline Skinner took a new last name. Now, she was Madeline Tanner, and if one didn't know any better, one would think she was Francis and Imogen’s own flesh and blood.

Imogen caught a lot of flak in her circles when she changed the kid's surname and brought her into the Tanner fold. It's like she was wearing a neon sign that screamed “gold digger".

And poor, clueless Francis, still thinking she was head over heels for him. In the end, it's all about getting a slice of that Tanner estate pje, isn't it?

Speaking of the Tanner Mansion, you can't help but think of the real young miss of the Tanner family.

Back in the day, her mother's family was the talk of the town, high society and all. Francis marrying into that was like striking gold, but ever since Regina's mom passed away, her place at the Tanner table isn't quite what it used to be.

With a stepmom like Imogen, who had more tricks up her sleeve than a magician, poor Regina's future under the Tanner roof looked anything but bright.

Everyone would sigh when they talked about it, but let's face it, it was not their circus, not their monkeys. They couldn't just cut ties with the Tanners over a bit of family drama.

Regina went back to her place feeling blue, already dreading the dinner at home the next day. The thought of plastering on a fake smile for the guests and playing happy families with her stepmom was exhausting before it even began.Text content © NôvelDrama.Org.

She knew her dad married Imogen to look after her, but everything changed once that woman walked in. Her dad's world no longer revolved around her. He had a new wife and, to top it off, a new daughter!

Even the memory of her mom seemed to fade in his eyes.

At first, Imogen made a big show commemorating her mother's death anniversary, and Regina couldn't stand it. She refused to partake.

That refusal sparked the first real fight between Regina and Francis. On the subject of her mother, she wouldn't budge, no matter how much Imogen tried to curry favor with him.

Her mother's death had already hit Regina hard. All she wanted on the anniversary was to spend time alone with her memory, not to have it turned into a spectacle by Imogen. Who

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was that show for, anyway?

But that fight was a wake-up call for Francis. He realized that his so-called kindness was actually driving a wedge between him and his daughter.

Regina did care about her father, but she knew that as he built a new life with another woman, she, as his biological daughter, would naturally be sidelined

She harbored resentment, sure, but as time went by and she grew up, that bitterness faded. Everyone has their own life to live, right?

She didn't need to chain her dad to the past. As for her mom, Regina alone was enough to honor her memory. She would always be her mother's treasure.

While Regina had slowly come to terms with Imogen and Madeline's presence in their lives, the thought of being in the same room with them still made her skin crawl. Imogen’s fawning ways were enough to make anyone sick.

[Daphne, you coming to my family’s dinner tomorrow night?]

Regina tapped out the text to her best friend since childhood, hoping for a bit of moral support in the impending domestic theater.