The car stopped in front of a tall iron gate, and for a moment, Abigail held her breath as she looked ahead, as if she blinked, the scene might disappear and turn into one of those dreams she used to have at night, the kind that always ended before she could reach the door.

Beside her was an older woman. She looked at Abigail with a smile. "Ready, Abie?" she asked.

Abigail let out a deep breath that seemed to come from somewhere far inside her chest and nodded. "I think so."

"Think so?" the woman teased gently, already pushing the door open. "After all this time, that’s all I get?"

Abigail huffed, her nerves showing despite her attempt to look calm. "If I say I’m completely ready, I might faint before we even get to the door."

"That would be very embarrassing," the woman said, stepping out first and stretching her hand toward her. "Come on."

Abigail looked at that hand for a second, then took it without hesitation, almost like a child who had done this a hundred times before. In a way, she had. The woman, Lady Perry, had raised her in the orphanage home, and she was enough to be her mother. But there was no way Abigail wouldn’t go to her real family after the DNA sample the Williams had dropped years ago matched hers, and Abigail had even recognised the woman in the picture as her mother.

As they walked toward the gate, Abigail lifted her eyes again. The house stood tall and elegant, sunlight brushing against its wide windows. They weren’t as rich as their surname, which was very popular, but the mansion was still beautiful.

’My home.’ She smiled. For years, she had watched other girls get picked up by their parents, had listened to stories about family dinners and warm hugs and arguments that ended with laughter. She had imagined what it would feel like to have someone waiting for her, someone who would look at her and see... theirs.

And in that moment, there she was... because the past had finally found its way back to her.

"Don’t overthink," Lady Perry murmured beside her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Just be yourself."

Abigail nodded, though her heart was already beating faster than it should.

They reached the door. And before she could second-guess anything...

Knock.

Knock.

"Oh, coming!" a voice came from inside.

Another voice asked, "Are we expecting someone?"

"Ahh, nah...."

The door opened. The woman who stood there paused the moment she saw them. At first, her expression was polite, the kind reserved for strangers. "Oh, hi...." Her lips parted the moment she saw Abigail. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Abigail’s smile, which had been waiting so patiently, finally appeared. "Hi, Mom."

The word felt strange, yet right.

The woman—Mrs. William—didn’t respond. She just stood there, staring as if trying to decide whether what she was seeing was real or not.

Before the silence could stretch too long, a deep voice came from behind her. "Is everything okay?"

A man stepped into view. He took one look at Abigail and froze. "Abigail?" His voice carried disbelief and confusion.

He rubbed his eyes like he didn’t trust them, then looked again. "You... how...?"

Lady Perry suddenly laughed, breaking the tension like she always did. "Didn’t I tell you? You would definitely find your daughter."

Mrs William quickly stepped aside. "Come in, please... come in."

Abigail stepped forward, her heart beating so loudly she was sure they could hear it.

This was it. She was finally inside her parents’ house. The house was even more beautiful from within. Everything was neat, carefully arranged, filled with a quiet elegance that left her amazed.

Abigail glanced at her mother again. She smiled softly as she looked at her. They had so much in common. Finally, she had her own mother. She used to envy those who had their mothers and families with them.

She had heard mothers were the most supportive and closest to their children... maybe she wouldn’t have gone through hell if her mother or father had been with her.

She was told fathers didn’t joke with their daughters. They treated them like princesses, acted like first husbands, protected them from bad boys, and became completely obsessed with their daughters. Maybe everything would have been easier for her if her father had been there from the beginning, acting like her knight in shining armour.

All she wanted, in that moment, was to hug them. To tell them everything she had gone through. To finally say, I’m here now.

Lady Perry’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

"So, you don’t need to sign anything," she said casually.

Mrs William blinked in confusion. "Why? Shouldn’t the real parents or the adopter sign the documents?"

Lady Perry glanced at Abigail, her smile soft and full of quiet pride. "We trust Abbie. That’s enough. And we trust you too."

Mrs William placed her hand on her chest, touched. "Thank you so much... for taking care of her all these years."

Lady Perry nodded, then turned to Abigail, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I hope you enjoy your life with your family. And don’t forget us, alright? You know you’re always welcome."

Abigail smiled and nodded. "I know."

She didn’t turn to look as Lady Perry left. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she was afraid her parents would feel awkward or offended.

"Oh, Abigail, my dear—" Mrs William finally moved toward her, spreading her arms.

Abigail’s smile widened. The moment she had been waiting for. But before the embrace could happen....

"Mom? Dad? Who is she?"

The voice came from behind.

They all turned.

A girl walked in, dressed beautifully and confidently, her gaze sharpening as it moved over Abigail from head to toe.

After a moment, she sighed. "I already told you, you don’t have to replace that maid because of her mistake. What makes you think this one will be any better?"

Abigail blinked in confusion. She thought she had misheard. But the serious look on the girl’s face made her dizzy...