The narrator, Olive, recounts her life experiences from being adopted by foster parents in India to moving to LA to live with her biological mother, a famous actress named Sandy. Olive faces difficulties adjusting to her new life, including her mother's lack of attention and authenticity. She finds solace in cooking and befriends a boy named Elon, but things take a turn when she discovers her mother is dating Elon and plans to adopt him. Feeling betrayed and unloved, Olive leaves her mother's house and finds a shelter home. She eventually finds success by winning Master Chef USA and opening her own restaurant, reuniting with her loving foster father in the process.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Olive was adopted by her foster parents when she was four years old.
2. She lived with them in India until her foster mother died of an illness when Olive was five years old.
3. Two years later, Olive's foster father married another woman who had a daughter named Ria.
4. Olive's stepmother and stepsister did not treat her well.
5. On Olive's 10th birthday, her stepmother was planning a party for Ria, not her.
6. Olive's foster father intervened and threw her a birthday party.
7. When Olive was in the seventh grade, a boy gave her a rose, but Ria snatched it and crushed it under her feet.
8. Olive's stepsister and stepmother accused her of flirting with boys and told her she couldn't go to school anymore.
9. Olive's foster father stood up for her and took her away from the situation.
10. He told Olive that he would find her real mother and she could go see her.
11. Olive did not want to leave her foster father, but he went abroad on a business trip and left her with her stepmother and stepsister.
12. Olive's stepmother and stepsister treated her poorly and tried to marry her off to a man when she was only 16.
13. Olive escaped and contacted her foster father, who gave her the address of her real mother in Los Angeles.
14. Olive's real mother was an actress named Sandy who lived in Los Angeles.
15. Sandy was a famous and busy actress who barely had time for Olive.
16. Olive started taking cooking lessons and made a shrimp salad for her mother, but she didn't appreciate it.
17. Olive met a boy named Elon at school who was different from the other boys and became close to her.
18. Olive took Elon home to meet her mother, but Sandy acted strangely and later revealed that she was dating Elon.
19. Olive was shocked and upset, and Elon told her that he was going to be adopted by Sandy, making him Olive's brother.
20. Olive slapped Elon and went back to class, but the kids at school were all talking about her mother's latest movie premiere.
21. Olive couldn't handle the attention and went home, where she packed her bags and left.
22. Olive found a shelter home and emailed her foster father, who replied and said he was coming to see her soon.
23. Olive registered for Master Chef USA and won the competition with her signature dish, Beef Wellington.
24. She used the prize money to open her own restaurant in LA, and her foster father was her first customer.