Chapter 12: Which Girl Is Mine?
I stood frozen in the darkness.
Two little girls.
Two identical faces.
Two pairs of brown eyes staring at me.
One was Emma.
The child I had raised for five years.
The child whose first word had been “Mommy.”
The child who had climbed into my bed after nightmares.
The child whose birthday cake I had made that morning.
The other was Lily.
The child I had never held.
The child I had never known existed.
My biological daughter.
The heir everyone had spent decades hiding.
I looked from one girl to the other.
My heart couldn't decide which way to break.
“Bring them to me.”
Rachel slowly stepped forward.
She held Emma's hand.
Lily stood behind her.
Neither child seemed afraid anymore.
I moved toward them.
“Emma.”
She ran to me.
I dropped to my knees and pulled her into my arms.
“Mommy!”
I held her so tightly she squeaked.
“I thought I'd lost you.”
“You found me.”
I kissed her forehead.
Then I looked at Lily.
She was staring at us.
Her expression was strangely calm.
I slowly extended my hand.
“Lily?”
She hesitated.
Then she took it.
The moment our fingers touched, something inside me cracked.
I couldn't explain it.
I didn't remember her.
How could I?
But my body seemed to recognize something my mind didn't.
She stared into my eyes.
“Are you my mommy?”
I couldn't answer.
Tears filled my eyes.
“I think I am.”
She nodded.
“Okay.”
That simple acceptance nearly destroyed me.
Rachel looked away.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Sarah…”
I turned toward him.
“Don't.”
He stopped.
“You knew.”
“I knew there was another child.”
“You knew it was Lily.”
“I suspected.”
“You knew she was our daughter.”
“I didn't know.”
“You always say that.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I was trying to find her.”
“You could have told me.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing you.”
I stared at him.
“You already lost me.”
His face collapsed.
Rachel stepped between us.
“Enough.”
I looked at her.
“Why did you bring Emma here?”
“Because I needed you to see both girls together.”
“Why?”
“To prove something.”
“What?”
Rachel looked at Michael.
“Tell her.”
Michael took a breath.
“The DNA tests were manipulated.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“The test saying Daniel wasn't Emma's father was real.”
“I know.”
“But the genetic database Richard used was altered.”
“Why?”
“To make everyone believe the wrong children belonged to the wrong families.”
I stared at him.
“So the paternity test was accurate.”
“Yes.”
“But the family records weren't.”
“Yes.”
“Then who is Emma's biological father?”
Michael looked at Daniel.
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“I don't know.”
I felt my stomach drop.
“What do you mean you don't know?”
“Because the sample Richard gave the laboratory wasn't mine.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Someone substituted my DNA.”
I looked at Rachel.
“Who?”
“Richard.”
I felt dizzy.
“So the test saying Daniel wasn't Emma's father…”
“Was based on a fake sample.”
I looked at Emma.
Then Lily.
“Then Emma could actually be Daniel's daughter.”
“Yes.”
My knees weakened.
“But you said Lily was my biological daughter.”
“She is.”
“And Emma?”
Michael hesitated.
“She may be yours too.”
I stared at him.
“Both girls?”
Rachel nodded.
“That is why Richard was terrified.”
“Why?”
“Because he believed you had twins.”
I looked at the two girls.
“Did I?”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
My heart stopped.
“Then how can there be two children?”
“Because one was born to you.”
I looked at Lily.
“And the other?”
Rachel looked at Emma.
“She was born to someone else.”
My mind raced.
“Who?”
No one answered.
Then my mother spoke.
“Your sister.”
I turned.
“My sister?”
Rachel nodded.
“My daughter.”
I looked at Emma.
“Emma is Rachel's daughter?”
“Yes.”
The room seemed to spin.
I stared at Rachel.
“You're her mother?”
Rachel nodded.
“I gave birth to her.”
I couldn't speak.
“You gave her to me?”
“No.”
“Then how did she become mine?”
Rachel's eyes filled with tears.
“Because Richard switched the babies.”
I looked at Lily.
“My daughter.”
Then at Emma.
Rachel's daughter.
The two children had been switched.
Again.
Just like the records.
Just like every generation before them.
I felt sick.
“Why?”
Rachel whispered,
“Because Richard wanted your daughter.”
“Why mine?”
“Because you were the true heir.”
I frowned.
“But Lily is my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“Then why does the inheritance matter?”
Rachel looked at Michael.
“Because your bloodline is the one Richard has been searching for.”
“What bloodline?”
“The original Hayes line.”
I shook my head.
“Why is it important?”
Michael finally answered.
“Because your bloodline has a rare genetic mutation.”
“Again with the mutation.”
“It isn't just a medical trait.”
“Then what?”
“It makes the carrier identifiable.”
I frowned.
“How?”
“Through mitochondrial DNA.”
“So?”
“Your mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to child.”
I looked at Lily.
Then Emma.
“Both girls?”
“Only one.”
My heart pounded.
“Which one?”
Michael didn't answer.
Rachel did.
“Lily.”
I looked at my daughter.
“She has your mitochondrial line.”
“And Emma?”
“She has mine.”
I stared at Rachel.
“So that's why Richard switched them.”
“Yes.”
“He wanted Lily.”
“Yes.”
“But he raised Emma as my daughter.”
“No.”
Rachel shook her head.
“He didn't raise her.”
“Then who did?”
Rachel pointed at Daniel.
“He did.”
I looked at my husband.
“You?”
Daniel nodded.
“I was ordered to protect her.”
“From Richard?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know which baby was which.”
I felt tears burning my eyes.
“So all these years…”
“You raised my daughter.”
I looked at Emma.
Rachel looked at her too.
Then she whispered,
“And I lost mine.”
I felt something inside me soften.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
But understanding.
I crouched beside Rachel.
“Why didn't you come for Emma?”
“Because Richard told me you would be killed if I did.”
“Did you believe him?”
“I did.”
“Why?”
Rachel's eyes filled with tears.
“Because he had already killed the woman who tried to take Lily.”
“Who?”
Rachel looked toward the doorway.
“My mother.”
I froze.
“Evelyn?”
Rachel nodded.
“Evelyn wasn't killed three years ago.”
“What?”
“She died last year.”
I looked at Michael.
“You lied.”
He looked down.
“We needed to keep Richard from finding her.”
Rachel continued.
“Evelyn spent years protecting Lily.”
“Where was Lily?”
“With her.”
I looked at Lily.
She had been listening silently.
“Do you remember her?”
Lily nodded.
“She told me about you.”
“What did she say?”
Lily looked at me.
“She said Mommy was looking for me.”
My heart shattered.
I pulled Lily into my arms.
She stiffened at first.
Then slowly hugged me back.
“I was.”
She whispered,
“I know.”
Then Emma stepped forward.
“Can I hug her too?”
I looked at Rachel.
Rachel nodded.
The two girls hugged.
It was the strangest and most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
Two children born from the same bloodline.
Two identities that had been stolen from them.
Two lives built on someone else's lies.
Then the lights suddenly came back on.
A slow clap echoed through the storage room.
Richard.
He stood behind us.
Holding a gun.
“Beautiful.”
Everyone froze.
Richard smiled.
“You finally figured it out.”
I stood in front of the girls.
“Stay away from them.”
Richard laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
“Understand what?”
“Which girl is the real heir.”
I looked at Lily.
He pointed at her.
“Her.”
Then he pointed at Emma.
“And she is the decoy.”
Rachel stepped forward.
“Richard, it's over.”
He smiled.
“No.”
He raised the gun.
“It ends tonight.”
Daniel moved toward him.
Richard fired.
The bullet struck Daniel in the chest.
He collapsed.
“DANIEL!”
I screamed.
Emma and Lily screamed together.
Richard smiled.
“Now…”
He pointed the gun toward Lily.
“…give me the heir.”
I stood between him and both girls.
“You'll have to go through me.”
Richard's expression hardened.
“Gladly.”
Then another gunshot exploded.
But this time, Richard wasn't the one holding the weapon.
Thomas stood behind him.
Richard fell.
The room went silent.
Thomas lowered the gun.
“It's over.”
Richard lay motionless.
I ran toward Daniel.
Blood covered his shirt.
“Daniel!”
His eyes opened.
“Sarah…”
“Stay with me.”
He smiled weakly.
“I never wanted you to know this way.”
“Don't talk.”
“I love you.”
I pressed my hands against the wound.
“You're going to be okay.”
Then Richard laughed from the floor.
Everyone froze.
He slowly lifted his head.
“You think I'm the one who started this?”
I stared at him.
“What?”
He smiled through the blood.
“You're still missing one person.”
“Who?”
Richard looked directly at Lily.
“The real heir isn't her.”
My blood ran cold.
“Then who?”
He whispered:
“Ask the girl who was born first.”
I looked at Rachel.
Then Lily.
Then Emma.
And suddenly, both little girls spoke at exactly the same time.
“Mommy…”
I turned.
They were pointing toward the same person.
My mother.
May you like
Elizabeth.
And she was holding a secret that could change everything again.
