The Divorced Heiress Is Entering a New Marriage

Adopted?

“This is a bad time for a joke,” I said, even as my body went cold.

I’m sorry, but I’m not joking.” Dylan said. “I looked into it before saying anything. The paperwork is legitimate, Hazel. You weren’t born a Whitaker. Neither was your sister. But don’t believe whatever bullshit Senior is spewing about your biological mother either,

This was too much information, too fast. I started feeling a bit numb.

Logan saw before anyone else. “We’ll call you back, Dylon,” he said and hung up. Tossing the phone aside on the couch, he fully focused on me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Breathe, Hazel. Deep breaths now. Follow my lead.”

Watching him, I forced myself to inhale as he did and exhale as

I

he did. Slowly. Air in, air out.

When I was breathing normally again, Logan leaned back and looked me over. “You okay?”

“No,” I said.

“You had no idea?” Logan asked.

“Not a clue.”

“They must have adopted you and your sister when you were both very young.” Tammy said. “In that case, your parents might not have deemed it necessary to tell you. That wasn’t the choice we made, but it is a choice.”

If I had known, would that have changed anything? Would I have had some inkling as to why my parents hated me so much? But why would they favor my sister then, if we were both adopted? Maybe they only ever wanted her, but the orphanage only gave us out as a packaged deal.

Their behavior then would make sense. It sucked and hated it, but it at least was a reason.

Looking at Logan, I asked, “Will you see what they are saying about my birth mother?” Did they have some idea of where I came from? Was it true?

Logan retrieved his phone and began to search.

Frank leaned forward and patted my knee. “It doesn’t matter where you came from, Hazel. You are the person you are now because of your actions and personality.”

“Thank you,” I said, grateful for the kindness of him and his wife, “But I still have to know.”

Logan searched for me. When he found something, he spoke up.

“According to this, your real mother was young, unwed, and struggling with drugs,” Logan said. “It says that after her children were forfeited to social services, she was overcome by her addiction and overdosed.”

“She died?” I asked. That at least was provable, even if everything else was questionable. Knowing Senior was behind putting this information out there, I doubted everything.

“Yes,” Logan said. “A few years back. I’m asking Dylan to confirm the rest.”

www

I nodded, sinking into myself somewhat. What kind of person was my mother really? Had she surrendered Natalie by choice? Had she loved us, or was she simply one more person who didn’t care about me enough to fight to keep me?

As Logan continued to search, his face grew more and more dire.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I don’t want to tell you,” he said. “It’s vile”

“I’d rather hear it from you,” I said. “Here, with people who care about me.

“And we do,” Tammy said. “We care about you very much. Whatever your past, you have Frank and I for parents now, and I hope you know that.”

“I do,” I said, and my heart warmed slightly at the reminder. Yes. The past was just that, done and gone My birth mother, even if proven to be a terrible person, was dead. She couldn’t hurt me anymore unless! let her.

“This article…” Logan huffed a sharp exhale. “My grandfather gave them a quote.”

“Lord,” Tammy said.

“What did he say?” I asked.

“Quote, “Discovering this piece of Miss Whitaker’s past helped show some of her character. From what I’ve seen, she’s just like her mother and hopes to bring down my family down to her miserable level. Starting with my poor, kind–hearted grandson.‘ End quote.”

“He’s using my birth mother as an excuse to tarnish my reputation publically,” I said.

Logan’s phone started to ring again. Logan answered and Dylan’s voice came through.

“She died five years ago,” Dylan said. “She did have issues with drugs, in and out of jail and rehab, but from what I can tell, she went clean several years ago. Her history with law enforcement suddenly goes quiet.”

“So she worked hard to help herself.” Tammy said. “That’s a good thing. Speaks to a good character.

“Anyone can have a bad falling.” Frank agreed. “Addiction is a weight that keeps people pulled down. For her to fight it..”

Maybe. I just wished she had done so before being forced to surrender Natalie and I. I wonder what kind of life we would have led if we’d grown up in a different home. If we had a mother who didn’t constantly pit Natalie and I against each other for attention, would we have learned to be sisters and not enemies?

Thinking of Natalie made my heart ache again. I may not have had the best relationship with our adopted parents, but Natalie did. They were wrapped around her little finger. Now that the truth was out there, how was she coping? Was she okay?

I shouldn’t care. She was a terrible person to me and to Logan. She didn’t deserve my sympathy or my

kindness.

But she was still my sister. Despite everything, she shared my blood. And right now, she was the only person in the whole world who knew exactly what I was going through, because she was going through

the same.

Logan, Dylan, and the Christopher’s could try their best to comfort me, and I accept that. It helped. But in my heart, I wondered if speaking to someone in my same boat might be the only want to truly move forward.

Even if the person in that boat with me was a vile, vicious, vindictive snake.

I wasn’t Natalie. I couldn’t hate her the way she hated me, even if I could acknowledge her terrible, horrible flaws.

“She moved out of the city and moved to a smaller town called Farhaven,” Dylan continued.

“I know where that is,” Frank said. “It’s about a half–hour drive from here. Not far.”

“Not far at all,” Tammy said.

They continued to talk while I was lost in thought. The beginnings of a potentially very bad idea was starting to form in my mind. I tried to ignore it at first, but the more I did, the more it ate away at me.

I didn’t have my own phone, so I would have to ask to use Logan’s. That meant I couldn’t keep my idea a secret.

bad

“Logan,” I said suddenly, interrupting whatever they were saying. They all went silent at once. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s alright,” Logan said. “What is it, Hazel?”

Swallowing hard, I fought to keep my voice calm and steady. “Do you still have Natalie’s number?”

“No,” Logan said.

“I do,” Dylan said through the phone. “What are you thinking?”

He had to already know. They all did. Still, each one of them waited for me to say the words aloud.

“I think I should talk to my sister.” This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.