Chapter 8: The Cherished Fake Daughter
Neither the Elshers nor the Evans knew why Lariette and Stephanie were switched at birth twenty-six years ago.
At that time, Jonathan and Samantha went on a weekend getaway in the north of the country. The latter was heavily pregnant but, she insisted on going on the short trip.
Samantha's water broke on the second day, leading her to be admitted to the local hospital. Another young woman gave birth that day. She was Stephanie's biological mother.
No one realized the swap until sixteen years later.
An anonymous letter arrived at Jonathan's desk at Elsher Group. The same thing happened to Chairman Delaney. Both of the former's parents were already deceased.
The letter detailed the DNA comparison between Stephanie, Jonathan and Samantha. Its arrival caused an uproar within the main Elsher family.
Jonathan and Samantha were shocked but, they tried to hide the matter from reaching Stephanie's ears. They planned to slowly and quietly investigate this issue.
Unfortunately, Chairman Delaney's interference ruined Jonathan and Samantha's plan. He wanted them to do a thorough investigation without wasting time.
"Find the child no matter what! What if she's suffering somewhere? She's your child!"
Chairman Delaney loved all his grandchildren equally, even after learning Stephanie was not biologically related to him. What irritated him was Jonathan and Samantha's behavior.
In the beginning, Jonathan and Samantha wished to meet the child who was taken away from them. Their behavior gradually changed the longer the investigation went on.