A Father Claimed

My mother passed away.

It was a quiet death, the kind that came gently after a long illness.

In her final moments, she clutched my hand, her voice thick with emotion as she repeated, "When I'm gone, you have to find your father."

I grew up with just her, raised solely by my mom. My father had always been a mystery, wrapped in silence.

I didn't even know his name, let alone where he came from.

But that changed in the end.

Just before my mother left this world, she whispered his name and handed me an address. He wasn't just anyone—he was the chairman of a company.

And I was nothing more than his illegitimate daughter.

She told me how she had outlasted the man's lawful wife, and, with a heavy heart, gave me a keepsake to reunite with him.

Then, she slipped away, her face peaceful, leaving this world without regret.

Afterward, I confided in my best friend, Susan Wales.

"Your father's the chairman? The Wrenn Group is a big deal!"

The moment she heard, tears streamed down her face. "I've never known what it's like to have parents. I grew up without parents," she said, her voice quaking with emotion.

Seeing her so upset, I quickly handed her a tissue to dab at her eyes.

"You don't understand," she continued, her voice breaking. "I used to scavenge for scraps to sell, just to pay for school. On holidays, I wandered the streets alone, invisible to everyone around me. Whenever I saw families together, it made me feel so jealous."

Tears spilled down her cheeks, heavy and glistening, as she looked utterly devastated.

She grasped my hands tightly. "Amber, can you let me experience what it feels like to have a father?"

"How would that even work?" I asked, puzzled by her request.

"Let me join you when you reunite with him, please?"

"Uh… I don't think that's possible…"

My mother left me only one keepsake. She said that as long as I presented it to my father, he would understand everything.

Susan noticed my hesitation and, with tears streaming down her face, pleaded, "I've never known what it's like to have parents or a family. Just let me experience it for three days, please?"

Her sobs were heart-wrenching, and I felt torn. If I refused, knowing her, she might do something drastic.

"One day. Just one day, okay?" Seeing my indecision, she lowered her expectations. "I'll call him 'Dad' for just one day, and the next day, I'll tell him everything."

Even then, it felt awkward. How could anyone call someone else's father their own?

"I… I need some time to think."

Susan wiped her tears and leaned closer. "Have you ever met him?"

I shook my head. "Never."

"Then how do you know if he even wants to acknowledge you as his daughter?"

I shook my head again. "I have no idea."

All I knew was that my mother made me promise to find him before she passed.

"That's it!" Susan's face brightened. "You're his illegitimate daughter! He's a chairman—there are probably more kids out there like you."