She’d learned long ago that challenging her parents led nowhere.

Her voice was steady but soft as she replied, “I’m sorry, Dad. I won’t mention it again.”

Kate stood outside the towering office building, her heart thumping in her chest. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around her phone, almost as if it was her lifeline, something steady to hold onto.

But today, that confidence just wasn’t there. Instead, she was overwhelmed by a wave of doubt and guilt that wouldn’t go away.

She felt torn between the person her parents wanted her to be and the person she felt she was—someone she wasn’t even sure she understood yet.

Sometimes, she thought she was just going through the motions, living a life for them, not for her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice, hoarse and filled with disbelief. “Rosa? Is that you? My dear Rosa!”

Kate turned to see a man, unkempt and dressed in shabby clothes, standing just a few feet away.

Without warning, he stepped closer and wrapped her in a hug, his rough hands clutching her tightly.

Stunned, Kate pulled away, staring at the stranger.

“Who… who are you? I’m not Rosa! You must have me mixed up with someone else.”

“No, it’s you. I would know you anywhere, Rosa! I would recognize that birthmark on your neck. I remember the first time I saw it.”

Kate’s hand instinctively went to her neck, feeling the familiar mark there. It was small, something she rarely thought about.

But this stranger—a man she had never seen—knew about it. She felt a chill run through her as she demanded, “How do you know that? Who are you?”

The man took a shaky breath, his voice softening.

“Rosa, my dear, I know this must sound strange, but… I’m Eric. I’m your father.”

There was no way this man could be her father. It had to be some kind of mistake.

“That’s impossible,” she said firmly, shaking her head. “My parents are Charles and Julia Longstaff. They’ve always been my parents.”

A look of sadness crossed the man’s face.

“Charles and Julia… they’re thieves, that’s who they are. Your mother Lily and I… we both worked for them. I was their gardener, and Lily was their cook. If we hadn’t accepted their offer… none of this would have happened.”

Kate watched in stunned silence as the man’s voice broke, tears now streaming down his face.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “What offer?”

Eric looked at her, his eyes pleading.

“They offered us money—money to buy you. It was something like a surrogacy agreement. They knew we were desperate, that we needed the money, and they offered us a way out. We were such fools to believe it would be simple.”

Kate’s mind raced. “But… if that was the plan, why am I here? Why didn’t you keep me?”

“Everything seemed fine at first,” he explained, his voice thick with regret.

“They took care of Lily during the pregnancy, made sure she had everything she needed. But as her due date got closer, she changed her mind. She didn’t want to give you up anymore. She loved you too much, and so did I. We wanted to be a family.”

“No one has the right to take a child from their mother,” Kate said, her voice filled with conviction.

“No contract can make someone give up their baby.”

Eric nodded sadly.

“That’s what we believed too. But during childbirth… Lily died. And they took you. I tried to see you, to hold onto you, but they pushed me away. They told me I had no right, and then… they made sure I stayed out of your life.”

Kate’s heart ached as she watched this man—her supposed father—break down before her. She had so many questions, so much confusion.

Could this really be true? Her mind screamed that it couldn’t be, that it was impossible. Yet something in the man’s voice, in the pain she saw in his eyes, felt real.

“I… I don’t know if I believe you, but I want to hear more. Let me… let me talk to them first.”

They exchanged phone numbers, and with a promise to call him soon, Kate walked away, her heart and mind in turmoil.

As soon as Kate stepped into the office building, her parents, Charles and Julia, were already striding toward her with stern expressions.

“Where have you been?” Charles’s voice was sharp, his eyes narrowing as he checked his watch. “You’re almost half an hour late!”

Kate steadied herself, the weight of everything she’d learned crashing over her again. “Dad, Mom, I need to talk to you… This is important.”

Julia shook her head, waving her hand as if to brush Kate’s words away.

“If this is another one of your whims, Kate, don’t start. You’re going to that interview, and that’s final!”

“Am I… am I even your real daughter?”

After a stunned silence, Julia tried to keep her composure.

“What are you talking about, dear?” Her voice was controlled, but Kate could see the flicker of fear in her eyes. “Of course, you’re our daughter!”

Kate’s voice grew louder, more insistent.

“Then who are Eric and Lily?”

At the mention of those names, Charles’s face hardened.

“Where did you hear about them?” he demanded, his tone suddenly colder.

Kate took a step back. “So it’s true? They worked for you? And… and they’re my real parents?”

“It’s not that simple,” Charles replied, a trace of defensiveness slipping into his voice. “Yes, Lily was your biological mother. But we had an agreement.”

“I know!” Kate shouted. “She changed her mind. The agreement should’ve been canceled.”

Charles’s tone grew dismissive.

“And you think we should have given you back to that poor man? What kind of life could he have given you?”

Kate shook her head, hurt flashing in her eyes.

“But he was family. Couldn’t you have helped him instead of… just taking me?”

“So he could ruin you?” Charles replied, his voice rising. “No. You’re our daughter! Our daughter! We raised you. We gave you a future! And now you want to throw it all away?”

“I always felt like something was missing, that I didn’t truly belong. And now I know why. I was never meant to be here.”

Julia reached out, her face softening. “Dear, please…”

“I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, and I’ll never forget it,” Kate said, her eyes filling with tears. “But I have to make my own choices now. Right now, I choose to help Eric, the man who should’ve been my father.”

It was time for her to find out who she truly was.

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