Chapter 2

The moment I say it, a collective gasp sweeps through the room.

"The nanny's kids? That's horrible!"

"No wonder those two always stick together. They're actual siblings!"

"So the Whitfields raised someone else's kids for eighteen years?"

Mrs. Whitfield sways, catching hold of the dining table beside her to stay upright:

"Mrs. Garrett has always been such a decent, honest woman. How could she do something so evil?"

Derek explodes in fury:

"You'd make up a lie this vicious just to stay in this family?!"

"Mom, Dad, don't believe her. She's jealous of me and Mia. She wants to tear the Whitfields apart!"

Derek jabs a finger in my face, sneering loudly:

"And do you have any proof for any of this?"

Mia sighs:

"Besides, you've been in the projects all these years. How would you even know about Mrs. Garrett?"

"I bet you've been planning to smear us for a long time."

The guests hesitate and murmur among themselves.

"You can't just say things like that. Calling them the nanny's children with no proof is way out of line."

"Maybe she really is jealous of the Whitfields and made up a story to get back at the two of them."

Mrs. Whitfield's expression, already softened, hardens again:

"You've got no evidence. Everything you said today is baseless slander."

Seeing this, Derek grows even more smug:

"Get on your knees right now and apologize to me and Mia."

"Otherwise I'm calling the cops and reporting you for defamation!"

My eyes lock sharply onto Derek:

"If you think I'm defaming you."

"Then let's do a DNA test."

The words have barely left my mouth when the ballroom doors swing open from the outside.

"DNA test. I've got it right here."

Mrs. Garrett's voice carries clearly across the room.

Derek sees who it is and raises his voice at once:

"Mrs. Garrett, perfect timing!"

"Tell my parents exactly what happened back then!"

Mia wipes at her tears too, staring at Mrs. Garrett hopefully.

Mrs. Whitfield stares blankly at the nanny who's been with the family for years, her voice trembling:

"Mrs. Garrett, what's that in your hand?"

Mrs. Garrett walks slowly to the center of the hall and lifts her eyes to look at me.

Her voice is hesitant:

"Ma'am, when you brought Nora home a few days ago, I felt something was off."

"I secretly collected a few strands of her hair and had them tested."

She holds the report out.

"The report is clear. She's not your biological daughter."

The guests start talking all at once.

"A DNA test can't be faked, can it?"

Derek whips his head around to me and laughs, arrogant:

"You hear that! Even Mrs. Garrett has evidence!"

"You're not a Whitfield daughter at all. Now you've given me proof. I'm calling the cops right now!"

Mrs. Whitfield sways again:

"The report is right in front of you. What else do you have to say?"

Mr. Whitfield's face is stone-cold. His fists clench tight as he looks at me with disappointment:

"You swore up and down you were the Whitfields' daughter. Are you still going to keep making excuses?"

The cat's voice rings clearly in my head:

[This report is forged. It doesn't even have a stamp.]

I take in the scornful eyes around me.

I raise my hand and point at the report in Mrs. Garrett's hand:

"Look at it carefully. There's no official lab certification on this report."

Everyone leans in to look.

Guests nearby crane their necks to inspect it, and someone immediately mutters:

"There really is no stamp..."

"How can a real DNA report be missing an official seal? This is clearly not up to code."

Mrs. Garrett's hand jerks back. She instinctively hides the report behind her.

Derek's smile freezes on his face:

"The numbers are right there in black and white. Quit nitpicking!"

I laugh, dry and short:

"Without proper lab certification, this report proves nothing."

"There's a simple way to sort out real from fake. All of us go to a certified lab right now and get fresh blood drawn."

I turn to look at Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield, keeping my voice steady:

"I'm not afraid of the test. If you cooperate, we can get this done within half an hour."

"Then we'll know the truth."

Mr. Whitfield hesitates for a moment:

"If Nora is willing, then let's redo the test."

The moment he says it, Derek panics:

"I'm not going! Why should we play along with her nonsense?"

"Who knows if she's already paid off someone at the lab to frame us!"

I step forward slowly:

"You keep saying I'm defaming you."

"Now the chance to clear your name is right in front of you, and you won't take it."

"Or are you just scared?"

Derek's face turns pale. He suddenly takes a step back.

"I'm not going... I'm scared of needles."

Mia's eyes fill with tears in an instant.

She suddenly runs onto the balcony and climbs up on the railing:

"None of you believe me or Derek. You're all forcing me to get tested. I might as well just jump!"

Before the words are even out, she leans halfway over the railing.

One hand is already gripping the outside of the railing, like she's about to let go.

"Mia!"

Mrs. Whitfield is scared out of her wits.

Her face goes white as she rushes over and locks both arms around Mia's waist:

"Don't do anything stupid! I believe you. I believe everything you're saying."

"No more tests. No one's going to force you, okay?"

Mrs. Whitfield turns her head back to me, her eyes full of blame:

"Mia's fragile. You just wouldn't let it go."

"What if something had happened to her? Could you live with that?"