I Thought I Knew Who I Was—Then She Came for Me on My 18th Birthday
On Emma’s 18th birthday, a stranger pretends to be her mother, shattering her entire life. She gives up everything in search of answers and finds a startling truth. Was she abducted or left behind? Who wants her wealth and who wants the key to a fortune?
As a child, I was aware that I was adopted. My parents didn’t conceal it. It was similar to my affection for vanilla ice cream, my need for a nightlight until I was twelve, or my passion of horse grooming.
I was selected, they claimed. That parents fell in love with me right away after years of waiting for a child.
I believed them, of course.
I had a fantastic life. a cozy house. My parents never made me feel inferior to their daughter, skipped a soccer match, or forgot my birthday.
They helped me with homework, prepared my school lunches, and consoled me following my first breakup. Every day, my mom and I prepared dinner. Whether I was working or studying didn’t matter to me.
It was home. I was at home.
I never asked where I came from.
But in the weeks leading up to my eighteenth birthday, something strange started.
Emails were the first thing.
The first was from an address that was unknown.
Emma, happy early birthday. I’ve thought of you. I’d like to talk.
No name. No background. I choose to disregard it.
Facebook friend invitations are sent from profiles that don’t have any photos. Sarah W. was the name, and I didn’t respond to the email request.
The knock came on the morning of my birthday.
I nearly didn’t respond. My parents prepared pancakes and bacon for my birthday breakfast, just like they do every year. But that knock tightened my stomach.
Somehow, I sensed that a terrible omen was approaching us.
“Honey, you’ll get the door?Mom asked as she took a bite of bacon.
“Sure, Mom,” I said, washing my hands.
I knew that things would be different as I opened the door.
On the porch, a woman gripped the railing as if it were her only source of stability. She had huge circles beneath her sunken eyes and disheveled blonde hair. She drew a long breath, like if she had been holding it for years, and looked at me.
“Emma?She cried out.
Yes, but who are you?I paused.
Her lower lip twitched and her throat bobbed. Just as I had sensed seconds before, she murmured the words that made all the difference.
“Your mother is me.”
My floor was wobbly.
She said, “Your real mother.”
My gut was twisted and frigid.
No. No.
This has to be incorrect.
“I know this is a shock,” she added in a shaky voice. But please, Emma. Listen to me, please.
I ought to have shut the door. I ought to have asked my folks to take care of this. However, I didn’t. unable to move.
Her eyes conveyed more than just hopelessness. It was depressing. I’m sorry. I felt an ache in my bones as I stood across from her.
Wiping her forehead with her palm, she responded, “Your adoptive parents lied to you.”
My whole body tensed.
They tricked me, Emma. She shook and took hold of my hands.
“What in the world are you discussing?”I said.”
She pulled a folder out of her suitcase and pressed a pile of documents into my hands while crying.
I peered down, not knowing what to expect.
Birth certificates. Real birth certificates.
A huge block of text was followed by a signature.
Her name.
She muttered, “I never wanted to give you up, Emmie.” When you were in my womb, I called you that. They said I wasn’t good enough, despite the fact that I was young and scared. that it would be better for you without me. I’ve been plagued by their deception every day.
I went over the paperwork. I had trembling hands. My thoughts stalled.
Emmie?
Is it possible?
Have I been misled by my parents? My entire life?
putting more pressure on my hands.
Love, give me a chance. Come with me. Let me show you what your fate is.
No, I ought to have stated that. I ought to have shut the door behind her.
Correct?
However, I didn’t.
Because a tiny, broken part of me had to know.
I decided to meet Sarah in a diner.
My heart pounded so loudly later that it seemed like it could shake the floor of the living room. Sitting opposite me, my parents’ expressions were full of hope. They were happy, smiling, and oblivious to my bomb drop.
Mom: “Are you ready for the ice cream and cake?”
swallowed. Sandpaper was the sensation of a dry throat.
“This morning, something happened,” I continue.
My mother’s smile vanished first.
Dad set down his coffee.
“What is it, my love?”
My jaw dropped. Close it. How do I express this, God?
It was a forced word.
“A woman arrived at the residence.”
They both tensed.
“She… she claimed to be my biological mom.”
The air in the room altered.
My mother clutched the couch till her knuckles became white. My dad’s face went cold, as if someone had abruptly taken away all of his warmth.
They both said nothing.
I trembled as I said, “She told me that.” I steadied myself. You lied, she said. that she gave me up because you tricked her.
My stomach turned when I heard my mother’s trembling breathing.
“Emma,” she said. “That isn’t true at all.”
Why, therefore, did she say that?I asked.
Dad tried to remain composed as he took a slow breath through his nose.
“Because she was aware that it would affect you.”
I shook my head.
“You’re unaware of that.”
With her eyes still moist, my mother continued, “Emma, we do.” “We expected this day. This was unexpected.
I refused to take her hand. She winced as if I had struck her.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and said, “I just…” She’s curious about me. Perhaps I’d like to know her as well.
Quiet.
oppressively hefty.
“Emma, what are you saying exactly?My father inquired.
“I promised to spend a week with her.”
My mother’s voice was hardly audible. Like taking a strong breath before sobbing.
Dad tightened his jaw and sat up straighter.
“A week,” he said again.
I gave a nod.
“Please.”
Mom: “Listen to us, Emma.” “Please, my girl. Don’t go.
“You’ve always had my attention. Let me figure this out, please.
Dad’s breathing was firm but calm. Emma, go. She left you just once. Before you go, consider that.
“I’ll give you a call,” I whispered.
Mom’s tears choked her.
“Yes,” Dad responded, “you do that.”
So I went to join her.
Not at Sarah’s house. It was a mansion. A mansion covered in blood. Who could have known?
marble floors. Chandeliers reminiscent of castles. A grand staircase that curved toward the second floor, reminiscent of a movie.
“This might be yours,” she whispered tearfully. “We can live the life that was intended for us.”
I felt a pang of painful remorse.
Did my folks take this? Did I lose her?
I stayed for a week as I had promised my folks. merely to observe.
But I soon discovered the truth.
A woman stopped me outside the mansion the following day.
“You have to be Emma,” she said, looking at me.
“Yes,” is the response. Who are you?I paused.
“My name is Evelyn,” she said. “Next door, I live.”
A rest.
Did she not tell you? Sarah?”
A shiver went through my body.
“Tell me what?”
Evelyn had tiny lips.
that she didn’t stand up for you. that she wasn’t tricked into giving you up. since she desired to.
I experienced fear and dread once more, and my stomach twisted.
That is untrue. “No way,” was my hurried response.
Evelyn remained still.
“I was familiar with your grandfather. I was familiar with her. I was there the entire time.
swallowed forcefully.
“That’s not what she told me.”
“What, honey? She claimed to be afraid and young.Evelyn stepped in. That she felt sorry for? That she wept for you every day? After you left, did she experience heartache?”
I gave a nod.
Evelyn became stern.
She partied, Em. She had a great time partying. All of her money was wasted. When she became pregnant, she thought you were a burden. Her life abruptly transformed in an instant.
Something broke inside of me.
“She never once looked for you,” Evelyn remarked. Not quite yet.
mansion. Desperation. The moment.
“Why now?I muttered. Why would she search for me at this time?”
Evelyn let out a sigh.
She stated clearly, “Because your grandfather passed away last month.” You have everything he left you. Honey, you’re eighteen now. You own everything.
A sickening wave came on.
No. No, it wasn’t.
“Emma, she returned because you are her ticket!”
Evelyn spoke more softly.
She will tell you everything, honey, if she can convince you to stay. You will be the key to her happiness. She is requesting your ticket.
The world became hazy. mansion. Tears. Hands that are shaking.
It wasn’t affection. It was never romantic.
regarding money.
A golden ticket was me.
I stood beside the large stairway, my bags slung over my shoulder. With her arms folded and her eyes fixed, Sarah rested on the banister.
“You’re going out,” she said frankly.
“Yes.”
She chuckled and said, “Emma, you’re making a mistake.”
“No,” I replied. “I thought you wanted me instead of my inheritance, which was a mistake.”
She said, “I gave birth to you.”
“Then you released me.”
“So you’re just going to grab the cash and leave?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll cover my own college expenses next year. I will spoil my parents because they have spoiled me throughout my life.
For the first time, she had no answer.
turned to face the entrance.
She said, “Emma, you owe me.”
I held the handle and paused.
I said, “I owe you nothing.”
My parents were waiting for me at home.
I remained silent. I rushed into my mother’s arms.
She stroked my hair as she gave me a hug.
“You’re at home,” she muttered.
She was correct. I was at home.
Because in the end, I didn’t need a mother who only wanted me when it was convenient, a mansion, or wealth.
My dad said, “Welcome back, baby girl.”
I had everything I needed already.
real family.
