Tears of regret
Chapter One
My eighteenth birthday was supposed to be a
big deal. My folks had promised me a day I
wouldn’t forget.
I even roped in some friends to capture the
moment, document everything.
But as the night dragged on, they were
nowhere to be found. Crickets.
My brother finally picked up my call, and then
just laughed. Straight–up laughed. “You
actually thought we were getting you a
present? Are you delusional or something?!”
I was crushed. Totally gutted. I walked back
to the house like a zombie, only to find my
family throwing a huge coming–of–age party
for my stepsister, Brittany.
Yeah, that birthday was definitely
unforgettable.
I gave up on finding a family connection then
and there. I immediately applied for a student
visa and every scholarship I could find to
study abroad.
That’s when they freaked out.
“You can’t just leave! What about family?!”
1
I stood outside the house in the shadows,
practically on tiptoes, trying to peek through
Brittany was surrounded by everyone, soaking
up the attention, basking in their birthday
wishes: “Happy Birthday, Brittany! Sweet
Sixteen!”
The house was all lit up, warm and inviting.
My fingers were numb as I gripped the icy
windowsill, peering through the frost. I
watched Brittany, envious.
And then the tears started flowing. I couldn’t
stop them.
I was adopted into the Hamilton’s family
when I was 12, after my mom, the Hamilton’s
nanny, passed away.
Before she died, she finally told me the truth.
<
She admitted she’d secretly switched Brittany
and me at the hospital, hoping her own
daughter would have a better life.
When I told my parents, I thought they would
be over the moon to have their biological
daughter back.
But my parents, who had always treated me
so well, suddenly changed.
Even worse, my brother, Lucas, asked point-
blank, “Why are you telling us this now? Like,
right before Mom and Dad are about to split
their assets between me and Brittany?”
I was speechless.
After the DNA test results came back, I
thought they might finally smile again.
Г
Nope. My dad ripped up the results right in
front of me. “Brittany’s been with us for
twelve years. Blood or not, she’s our
daughter. Let’s just pretend this never
happened.”
For six years, I had never had a birthday, yet
Brittany got birthday presents from my
parents every year.
Didn’t they realize that if we were switched, it
meant we shared the same birthday?
I tried to convince myself that because I was
a boarding student and Brittany wasn’t, my
parents couldn’t find the time to celebrate my
birthday, plus they didn’t want to ruin my
studies.
So, when Lucas told me that Mom and Dad
had planned a surprise for me at the diner for
my eighteenth birthday, I eagerly borrowed a
camera, dragged my friends along, and asked
them to capture this special moment.
But the diner closed, and they never showed.
The waiter gave me a weird look, and my
friends kept avoiding my gaze, it was all so
humiliating.
I stubbornly clung to the hope that something
must have happened to Mom and Dad, which
was why they never showed up. That’s why I
rushed home.
But there was Brittany, wearing a brand new
dress, standing next to my parents, enjoying
everyone’s love and blessings
