I stepped out of the car and finally saw the woman's face. It was Owen's second cousin, Serena Lambert. But I couldn't make sense of it. Why would Owen be with her at a prenatal checkup?
I was just about to head into the hospital to figure things out when my phone went off. I checked the screen and saw a call from the police station.
"Hello, is this Paige Zeller?" an officer asked.
"Yes, this is Paige. What's this about?"
"After going over your recent medical examination report, we found that your blood type matches a missing girl's. She's been gone for years, and the match is 99%. Do you have time to visit and discuss this?"
My heart skipped a beat. I pushed thoughts of Owen and Serena aside and headed straight for the police station.
Before Grandma passed away, she told me we weren't related by blood. She found me on her way home from the city, where she'd gone to get medicine. She didn't have anyone else, so she brought me home.
Grandma also gave me a pendant. She said it was around my neck when she found me, and it could help prove my identity if I ever found my birth parents. They'd definitely recognize it.
When I got to the police station, I handed the pendant to the officer and explained about it.
A little while later, a fancy car pulled up outside. Then, a well-dressed, plump woman got out. As soon as she saw the pendant, she hugged me and started to cry.
"I'm your mom, Ellie! Oh, my dear Ellie!" she cried.
So, my real name was Ellie. Tears filled my eyes, and I hugged her tight.
A moment later, a middle-aged man exited the car, and I froze the second I saw him. It was William Cromwell, the CEO of Cromwell Group, where Owen worked.
I couldn't believe it. I was the missing daughter of the Cromwell family!
Mom told me that I went off to play one day when I was little and never returned. They searched for me for years but couldn't find me.
Grandma and I had been living in a small, secluded village. Back then, with limited means of communication, it was nearly impossible to track my whereabouts.
After Grandma passed away, I moved to the city, working part-time while finishing college.
Mom and Dad wanted me to come home with them, but I told them I was married and needed to head back first to tell Owen the big news and bring him along.
Mom was fine with that. She gave me her contact info and their address before dropping me off at my apartment.
I walked home, buzzing with excitement while picturing the look on Owen's face when I surprised him with the news.
But as I reached the door, I heard voices from inside, and the words hit me like a knife twisting in my chest.
"Just sign the agreement already." Mildred's voice rang out from inside.
"How am I supposed to tell her, Mom? What if she won't let me go?"
"What are you so afraid of? You're the only son in the Wade family—the one we're counting on to keep the name going. And besides, you've already got Rena pregnant. Are you seriously not going to make it official?" Mildred snapped.
That was when I heard a woman crying inside.
So that was why he'd been leaving early and coming home late. He'd been seeing someone else! And the other woman was none other than his second cousin!
I clearly remembered that Owen had necrospermia, so there was no way he could get anyone pregnant.
I rushed to the hospital, got his last medical examination report, and double-checked with the doctor, who confirmed it was congenital and incurable.
Right then, Mildred called, telling me I needed to come home immediately because she had something important to talk about.
I shoved the medical report into my bag, my mind racing with a whirlwind of emotions. It seemed like things were getting more interesting by the second.
When I got home, only Mildred was sitting on the couch. I looked around, but Owen and his mistress were nowhere to be found.
Mildred tossed an agreement at me, her voice cold and cutting. "Hurry up and sign it. The Wades have been a single bloodline for three generations. We're not keeping someone like you, a barren woman who offers nothing."
I picked up the agreement and skimmed it. I couldn't believe how heartless the Wades were!
I had given up my career and the best years of my life to marry a man who couldn't have kids, choosing to stay home as a full-time wife, swallowing my pride to keep the peace and build a happy family.
And now, here I was—betrayed by Owen, put down by Mildred for not being able to have kids, and being forced to divorce and leave with nothing.
