For a few seconds after Annabel’s words, no one spoke. The air suddenly felt awkward, but Abigail still managed to maintain her faint smile.

She looked at her mother first, then her father, silently urging them—please, say something.

Mrs William sighed helplessly, as if she suddenly didn’t know where to place her hands. When she finally stepped forward, there was hesitation in her movement, something that didn’t match the gentle expression she was trying to put on.

"Why are you sweating, darling?" she asked as she moved toward the girl, brushing her hair softly.

"Who is she??"

Mr William cleared his throat behind her, his voice coming out a little firmer, as though he was trying to stabilise the moment. "She’s the daughter we lost twenty years ago."

Annabel’s brows lifted. "Oh." Then she looked Abigail up and down in a way that suddenly made Abigail aware of herself like never before.

Abigail’s smile returned, relief flickering across her face as she nodded.

"Hi... I’m Abigail," she said, even lifting her hand in a small wave, unsure whether she should laugh or stand still. "Thank you for..."

"So it’s time for me to leave?!" The sudden outburst cut through her words like a blade.

Annabel’s scream was filled with something far louder than surprise before she turned on her heel and stormed toward the stairs, each step loud enough to echo through the house.

"Anna—what are you talking about?" Mrs William called after her nervously as she hurried after her. "You know we will always love you!"

Abigail stood frozen. Her hand slowly lowered. Her eyes followed them as they disappeared up the stairs, her expression shifting from confusion... to something she couldn’t even understand.

What just happened?

Mr William let out a short chuckle, shaking his head as though what had just happened was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

"Don’t mind Anna," he said softly. "She’s just emotional."

He stepped closer and placed a hand on Abigail’s shoulder. "Welcome home, dear."

Abigail looked at his hand and frowned slightly. The warmth she had imagined... didn’t come. Instead, there was something else.

Mr William seemed not to notice. He cleared his throat and withdrew his hand, turning away as if he had suddenly remembered something more important to attend to.

"I’ll go check on them," he added, already walking away.

And just like that, Abigail was left alone. With her bag beside her. In a house that was supposed to be hers. No one even showed her around or asked if she needed anything.

She just stood in the same spot for a moment, unsure if she should move or wait, her fists slowly clenching.

Then her eyes drifted to two large frames hanging on the wall not too far from her. Something about them pulled her closer.

The first photo was old. The colours were softer, slightly faded with time, but the smiles were bright. A younger version of her parents stood side by side, and between them was a little girl.

Abigail smiled bitterly. The picture had probably been taken around the same time she had gone missing.

But the girl in the photo wasn’t her. The funniest part was that the hair colour and length were almost the same. Even the height and body shape...

There were small details that overlapped just enough to make it believable.

And suddenly, it all made sense to her. They hadn’t just adopted a child. They had adopted someone who could fit.

Well, it was normal to her. They had believed their beloved daughter was dead and wanted someone to replace her.

Her gaze shifted to the second frame. A recent picture of them. Everyone was smiling.

Happy!

Complete!

Her parents stood together while Annabel stood confidently in front, glowing with the kind of ease that came from truly belonging. And behind her was a tall young man, his presence calm but noticeable.

’James.’ She smiled faintly. Her elder brother. She remembered him vaguely... just pieces of laughter, a hand holding hers.

Now he looked like someone else. He had become a man. Time had moved forward without her.

"Hello, miss?"

The voice came from behind, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Abigail turned and nodded. "Hello?"

The maid bowed, her hands respectfully holding Abigail’s bag. "I was told to show you your room."

Abigail stared at her for a second, then let out a quiet breath and nodded. "Thank you."

.....

The room was... beautiful. That was the first thing that came to her mind. It was spacious and beautifully decorated, filled with soft colours and elegant details that made it feel warm and welcoming.

Maybe she had misunderstood. Maybe everything was just overwhelming for them. Maybe they simply needed time to adjust.

She stepped further in, her fingers brushing lightly against the edge of the table as her eyes wandered around every corner.

It felt... prepared. Like someone had truly thought about it. And that alone made her chest warm. But before that feeling could settle— 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The door burst open. "I thought you locked it because you wanted to surprise me on my birthday!" Annabel yelled as she walked in without hesitation, Mrs William rushing in behind her.

Then Annabel pointed directly at Abigail. "Then why did you give it to a stranger?"

Mr William entered soon after with a helpless sigh.

"Didn’t we tell you she’s our daughter? Your sister," he said in displeasure.

Annabel’s eyes widened. And just like that, tears filled them. "I was just curious!" she sounded wronged, like she was the one being pushed aside.

Mrs William immediately pulled her into a hug, her hand stroking her hair as she shot her husband a disapproving look. "That’s too harsh," she said softly. "You know she’s had a bad day."

Then she looked at Abigail guiltily.

"But I want this room," Annabel continued, her voice muffled against her mother’s shoulder. "My room is too small and old for my TikTok lifestyle."

"Now you hear that?" Mrs William said gently, glancing at her husband. "She’s building her platform."

She sighed, then looked at Abigail. "I knew you would be upset... I’m so sorry, dear."

Her tone was soft and apologetic. But her decision had already been made. "Anna is a content creator, a model, a brand ambassador... streaming in a small room doesn’t suit her image."

"She’s right," Mr William admitted. "I prepared this room for her birthday, but since we don’t have any other space left..." He trailed off, then forced a small smile. "And I want you to feel at home."

Mrs William nodded as if that settled everything. "And you know... you’re not really into social media or anything like that. Her room will suit you just fine."

Abigail looked at her parents in amusement. She wasn’t even sure she had heard them correctly. She gritted her teeth.

"What?"