Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Ruby stood there, frozen in a dilemma, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

If she left, she'd basically be admitting to having bad breath. And if she stayed, she'd be a punching bag for Josefina and Alex. The frustration made Ruby itch to claw at Josefina's beautiful face. Lauren, clacking along in her high heels, approached with the kind of stomping stride that broadcasted her fury for the world to hear.

"You shameless thing, who are you calling stinky breath?" Lauren jabbed a finger at Josefina as she started hurling insults.

Alex, unable to bear the sight, erupted in anger. "Lady, can't we tell the truth? Your daughter's got a mouth like a dumpster. She should've dealt with it ages ago."

At that moment, a stern-looking event staffer approached Ruby. "If you're not competing, get out now."

Ruby wilted, tugging at Lauren's arm, "Mom, let's just drop it."

As Ruby opened her mouth, Lauren instinctively covered her nose. Not just her-event staff winced and covered their noses too. "Your breath really does reek. How can anyone stand it when you speak?" Ruby was taken aback. She exhaled into her hand and sniffed-yep, definitely not roses.

Josefina smiled. When Ruby approached, Josefina stood up and casually waved her hand, inadvertently sprinkling powder on Ruby's body. Most of it, however, landed in her open mouth. There was no mistaking it now-Ruby's breath was a force to be reckoned with. Panicked and mortified, Ruby couldn't bear to speak to anyone.

The staffer frowned and ordered, "Competition's starting. Get back to your places, now."

Ruby, face buried in her hands, fled, with Lauren-pinching her nose-chasing after her.

Alex was dumbstruck. He hadn't smelled anything off in the air at first. So had Josefina found a way to sabotage Ruby's breath? His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Josefina. Josefina just smiled, silent as the grave.

Alex took it as a confession.

After returning, Ruby didn't dare to speak at all. She took the mask from Erica, her eyes full of anger.

"What did you do to tick someone off this bad?" Erica inquired, her brow furrowed.

Even with the mask, Ruby's breath was a weapon of mass disruption.

"It's that bitch Josefina, she's definitely behind this. That witch, she's driving me insane!"

Lauren and Billy stood by, equally masked and equally speechless. Lauren, unable to contain her anger, reassured Ruby, "Don't worry, sweetie. After this competition, I'll get you to the best doctor." Ruby, tears mingling with gratitude, nodded, "Thanks, Mom."

Lauren seethed, "It's all because of that little snake Josefina! I should've killed her instead of kicking her out!"

"Enough talking," Erica muttered, wishing she could toss Ruby and her stink somewhere far, far away.

Ruby's halitosis cast an uncomfortable pall over the group.

Soon enough, the competition began in earnest. The host, a poised and seasoned lady, gripped the microphone, delivering the official spiel. When her gaze met Josefina's, her eyes seemed to twinkle with stars. Josefina, arms folded, gave a slight nod, sending a thrill through the host.

The host regained her composure. "The competition begins now. First up is the fashion runway, where each model showcases our designers' creations. By the end of this round, ten designers will be eliminated."

The lights dimmed as models donned the designers' garments and strutted down the catwalk, kicking off the first round of eliminations.

The wait was long. Ruby stood beside Erica, who wore a mask, rendering her unrecognizable. Ruby stood tall, her neck stretched out, displaying a confident attitude, as if she were the first-place winner.