On her 18th birthday, Emma’s world shatters when a stranger knocks on her door, claiming to be her real mother. Desperate for answers, she leaves everything behind… only to uncover a chilling truth. Was she stolen… or abandoned? And now that she holds the key to a fortune, who really wants her, and who just wants what she has?
Growing up, I always knew I was adopted. My parents never hid it from me. It was just a fact, like my love for vanilla ice cream, brushing horses, or how I always needed a nightlight until I was twelve.
They told me I was chosen. That they had waited for years, hoping for a child, and when they found me, they loved me instantly.
And, of course, I believed them.
I had a good life. A warm home. Parents who never missed a soccer game, never forgot my birthday, never made me feel like anything less than their daughter.
They packed my school lunches, helped me with homework, and held me when I cried over my first heartbreak. And my mom and I used to cook dinner together every single day. It didn’t matter whether I was prepping for exams or whether I had a project.
It was… home. I was home.
I never once questioned where I came from.
But in the weeks leading up to my 18th birthday, something strange started happening.
It started with emails.
The first one came from an address I didn’t recognize.
Happy early birthday, Emma. I’ve been thinking about you. I’d love to talk.
No name. No context. So, I ignored it.
Then came the Facebook friend request from a profile with no picture. The name was Sarah W. The request sat in my inbox, unanswered.
And then, the morning of my birthday, the knock came.
I almost didn’t answer. My parents were in the kitchen, making my special birthday breakfast, pancakes and bacon, just like every year. But something about the sound of that knock made my stomach clench.