Chapter 279: Stolen
Melody was in shock. Melanie—her sister? That couldn’t be possible. She stared at her mother, disbelief etched across her face. Melanie had been stolen by her grandmother when they were little? But why would anyone do such a thing? Her grandmother because of some fight with her mother? Why? And more than that... how had she never known? Never remembered? How could she have lived all these years completely unaware that she even had a sister?
She understood that she was young and this was a possibility that she had no memory, but even so, she had never heard them mention her also.
Her voice trembled as she asked, "Mother, you’re surely joking... right? This can’t be true. How can this be true? Are you absolutely sure about this? Maybe it’s just a strange coincidence. Maybe she and I really are just lookalikes. That happens, doesn’t it? Just because we resemble each other, does it really mean she has to be my sister?"
Her mother looked at her with wide eyes, confused by her reaction. "Melody, why do you seem so upset? If Melanie truly is your sister-the one we lost so long ago-then that’s something to be happy about, isn’t it? Just think about it. Imagine how overjoyed your father and I would be to have our daughter back after all these years. We thought she was gone forever."
But Melody wasn’t pleased. She stepped back, her expression hard and brittle as she asked sharply, "Why would you be happy? Mom, it’s been so many years. You never had any more children after me. You always said I was enough. That I was everything you needed. And now-suddenly-you’re ready to believe someone’s your daughter just because she looks like me? That’s not proof."
She crossed her arms tightly, as if trying to protect herself from the implications of this revelation. "No. If you really want to go further with this madness, then you’ll have to get a DNA test first. That’s the only way I’ll believe it. And to be honest, I hope the result comes back negative. I really do. Because I’d rather have no sister at all than have Melanie as my sister."
Marianne’s hand moved before Melody could process or even expect what was happening. The sharp crack echoed through the room as her palm met Melody’s cheek. Melody gasped, one hand flying up to her face, stunned more by the suddenness than the pain itself. Her eyes welled up, not with tears, but with disbelief. Her mother had never hit her before. Never... And this time it was because of Melanie Collins.
"Stop it," Marianne said, her voice low but trembling with restrained fury. "Just stop being so selfish, Melody."
Melody stared at her mother, unable to speak.
"Yes, of course we’ll do a DNA test," Marianne continued, her tone still shaking but now more composed as she said slowly, "Do you think we’d accept something this huge just based on appearances? We’re not fools. But that doesn’t mean we should charge ahead like bulls. If Melanie really is who we think she is... if she’s truly the daughter your father and I lost... then she was raised by her grandmother."