Chapter 6 - THE CHILD THEY BURIED“Another child?”
I stared at Jonathan.
He couldn't look at me.
Mother sat down.
Ethan remained standing.
“What does that mean?”
Jonathan finally said, “You had a twin.”
The world became strangely quiet.
“A twin?”
Mother nodded.
“She was born first.”
I laughed.
“No.”
Her tears fell.
“Her name was Lily.”
“Where is she?”
Mother closed her eyes.
“She died.”
I looked at Jonathan.
He shook his head.
“No.”
Mother looked up sharply.
“What?”
“Lily didn't die.”
Silence.
“You told me she died.”
Jonathan's voice was almost a whisper.
“Because someone needed you to believe that.”
“Who?”
He looked toward the pendant.
“Diane.”
I felt dizzy.
“Why would Diane care about a baby?”
“Because Lily had something you didn't.”
“What?”
“The trust was meant to be divided between both children.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“So Diane needed one child.”
Jonathan nodded.
“Or neither.”
Mother covered her face.
I turned toward her.
“What happened?”
She finally told us.
Twenty-eight years earlier, Jonathan had discovered Diane was manipulating company finances.
His first wife, Eleanor, had been pregnant.
Then Eleanor died under suspicious circumstances.
Jonathan blamed Diane.
Diane blamed Jonathan.
And while the family fought, Mother gave birth to twins.
Me.
Lily.
Diane wanted the children separated.
One disappeared.
One remained.
I stared at my mother.
“You gave her away?”
“No.”
“Then where is she?”
Mother whispered:
“I don't know.”
Jonathan looked at me.
“I do.”
He pulled out a photograph.
A woman.
About my age.
Dark hair.
Green eyes.
Same face shape.
My face.
I couldn't breathe.
“Who is she?”
“Lily.”
“She looks…”
“Like you.”
Ethan took the photograph.
“Where is she now?”
Jonathan hesitated.
“She works for Diane.”
My skin went cold.
“No.”
“She doesn't know who she is.”
“Then why does Diane have her?”
“Because Diane raised her.”
I stared at the photograph.
My twin was alive.
She had grown up under the woman who had destroyed our family.
And she didn't even know who she was.
Then Mother's phone rang.
She answered.
A woman whispered:
“Mom?”
Mother dropped the phone.
I heard the voice through the speaker.
“Why did you abandon me?”
Mother began sobbing.
I grabbed the phone.
“Who are you?”
Silence.
Then:
May you like
“My name is Lily.”
The line went dead.
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