Time flew quickly. Yet Sarah was still not able to recover from the loss of Mia. This Christmas, she decided to return to her parents' house for a family holiday reunion, hoping the holiday would bring some comfort after everything she had been through. But as she watched the way her parents doted on Lara, her younger sister, it felt as though she was standing outside, looking in. Their affection for Lara was clear, while with Sarah, there was always a sense of distance, subtle but undeniable. She had never voiced it, but the feeling that she did not quite belong had always been there, like a quiet ache she carried through the years.
This Christmas, though, was different. Something in the air felt heavier, more tense. Sarah sat by the fireplace, feeling the warmth on her skin, but not in her heart. Her parents exchanged uneasy glances, and even Lara, who usually soaked up all the attention, was uncharacteristically quiet.
"Sarah," her father said suddenly, his voice breaking through the silence. "We need to talk."
The seriousness in his tone made her stomach knot. She shifted, setting down her cup of cocoa, and nodded slowly. The cozy atmosphere of Christmas—the lights, the decorations—suddenly felt oppressive, like they were hiding something darker.
Her mother cleared her throat, wringing her hands together in her lap. "There's something we should've told you a long time ago," she began, her voice trembling.
Sarah's pulse quickened. "What is it? You are scaring me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her father glanced at her mother, then back at Sarah, his eyes filled with regret. "You have felt it, haven't you? That distance between us."
Sarah's breath caught in her throat. She had felt it—always—but she never thought they had noticed. "I guess… yeah, I have," she admitted softly, her heart starting to race. "But why?"
Her mother's eyes welled up with tears. "Because Sarah… you're not… you're not our biological daughter."
The words hit her like a punch to the chest. Not their biological daughter? For a moment, everything around her blurred—her parents, the room, even the crackling fire. "What do you mean?" she managed to whisper, her mind struggling to process the words.
Her father sighed deeply. "When you were just a baby, your real parents… they could not keep you. We adopted you from a welfare agency. A year later, Lara was born, and we were struggling. We didn't know how to care for both of you, so we sent you to live with your grandmother."
Sarah felt like the ground had just disappeared from under her feet. Her whole life—everything she thought she knew—suddenly seemed like a lie. She stood up abruptly, pacing in front of the fire. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"We thought it was best not to say anything when you were younger," her father explained, his voice heavy with guilt. "But then, as you grew older, it became harder and harder to bring it up. And now… well, we could not hide from you any longer."
Sarah turned to face them, her eyes narrowed. "Why now? Why are you telling me now?"
Her mother wiped at her tears, her voice barely steady. "Because… your biological father… he found us."
Sarah froze. "What?"
Her father's face tightened. "His name is Mr. Davenport. He's a well-known businessperson, and recently, he tracked us down. He wants to reconnect with you."
Sarah's heart pounded in her chest. Mr. Davenport. She knew that name. He was a powerful corporate tycoon. And she had heard that name before—through Michael. It was Amelia's father.
"You're telling me," She said slowly, barely able to wrap her mind around it, "that Mr. Davenport—Amelia's father—is my biological father?"
Her mother nodded. "Yes, he's your father. We didn't know until recently. He brought your birth certificate."
Sarah sank back into her chair, her hands trembling. "And my biological mother?"
Her father shook his head. "We do not know much about her. We only know she passed away shortly after you were born."
Sarah felt a wave of disbelief. Her biological father had given her up, and now he wanted her back. "Why did he give me up in the first place?" she asked, her voice breaking.
Her mother reached out, her voice pleading. "There were complications. His life was… complicated. We do not know the full story, but please understand, we took you in because we loved you."
"But he's reaching out now?" Sarah pressed. "What does he want?"
Her father exchanged another glance with her mother before answering. "He wants you to inherit his business."
Sarah's mind spun. Inherit his business? "And Michael… does he know?"
Her mother shook her head. "No, but with how connected these circles are, we were afraid the truth might come out from someone else. We thought it was time you knew before someone else told you."
Sarah stood again, pacing as her mind raced. Mr. Davenport, the man who had abandoned her, was now trying to bring her back into his life. And Amelia, who had come between her and Michael, was her sister.
"This is insane," Sarah muttered under her breath, her voice shaking. "My whole life…"
"Sarah, we're sorry," her father said softly. "We didn't want to hurt you."
But Sarah felt nothing but hurt. Her entire identity felt shattered, her sense of self torn apart. She needed space, air—anything to escape the crushing weight of this truth.
"I need to go," she whispered, walking toward the door before her parents could stop her.
Outside, the chilly winter air hit her face like a slap, but it didn't clear her mind. Nothing could. She stared out at the snow, her breath coming in shaky puffs. Everything had changed in an instant. Mr. Davenport was her biological father, Amelia her sister, and she had no idea who she really was anymore.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. A message from David. "How are you? I haven't heard from you in a while."
Sarah stared at the message, her hands trembling. She wasn't ready to talk yet, not to anyone. But knowing David was there brought a small comfort.
She texted back, "I will see you soon."
For now, she needed to be alone, to make sense of the world that had just turned upside down.