From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea )

Anthea slid into the booth across from her new lab partner and extended her hand with a friendly grin. "Hey there, I'm Anthea Yeager. We're gonna be deskmates for a while. Let's make the best of it, okay?"

Her deskmate looked up, clearly taken aback by the gesture, but quickly recovered and shook her hand with a grip as delicate as a whisper. "I'm Tanya," she squeaked.

Meanwhile, across town in Capital City within a stately villa.

"Boss, the results from the DNA tests you ordered are in." The assistant handed out two envelopes to Jonah Lindsay.

Jonah trembled his hands as he tore open the envelopes, his eyes searching for answers amidst the typed letters. As he read, the light in his eyes dimmed rapidly, and the papers slipped from his grasp onto the floor.

Just then, footsteps approached from outside. Before Jonah could scramble to collect the fallen papers, the door swung open and in strolled Janet - Jonah's mom. She bent down and picked up the DNA test results. "You had tests done abroad? Do you think I would deceive you? In your heart, do you see me as a liar? If Rebecca is indeed your daughter, wouldn't I acknowledge her?"

Janet was beside herself with frustration.

Even now, Jonah still harbored illusions about Carole.

Janet had vehemently opposed Jonah's relationship with Carole from the beginning. The social chasm between them was, after all, immense.

When Carole gave birth, Janet knew nothing of the twins. She had taken the firstborn child and it wasn't until seventeen years later that she accidentally discovered Carole had been pregnant with

twins.

But upon seeing the other child, Janet thought the child looked nothing like Jonah, nor like his twin brother. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Seeking confirmation, she consulted a doctor.

The doctor had explained that fraternal twins could have different fathers, and to prevent any unforeseen consequences, Janet had secretly had a DNA test conducted. Her intuition had been correct. The results confirmed Rebecca was not Jonah's child.

It meant Carole had been unfaithful.

When Jonah first saw the results, he was in utter disbelief. Carole, in his memories, was a beautiful and kind soul.

So, three months ago, he went to Cloudcrest himself, and managed to get a sample of the child's hair to ensure no tampering from Janet back home. He had tests done in five different countries.

All five reports came back the same. The child shared no genetic ties with him.

Janet sighed deeply, "Jonah, listen to me, please. Carole was a charmer, not worth your agony. You loved her so deeply and gave her so much. What did you get in return? It's been years and it's time you lived for yourself!"

"Mom, enough," Jonah was unreadable. "I know what I'm doing."

Janet persisted, "Gerard needs a mother, and you need a wife. I think Edna would be a good match. She's been loyal to you for years."

"Mom, I don't have those kinds of feelings for Edna. If you don't want history to repeat itself, please stop bringing this up."

With that, Jonah turned and walked away. His gait was unusual. A keen observer would notice his right leg was a prosthetic.