Chapter 482 Sonia’s Breakdown
Grace nodded. “Yes. That is correct.”
“Impossible!” Sonia shot up and shook her head violently. “There’s no way I’m not my parents’ daughter.” Her face was as white as a sheet.
“What? Babe’s not Mr. and Mrs. Reed’s daughter?” Charles had just come back from giving his father a call when he heard that bombshell of a piece of news. He was stunned for a moment, then he went up to his mother. “Do you know what you’re talking about, mom? There’s no way babe isn’t her parents’ real daughter.”
“Yes, I do, and I wasn’t lying. That’s the truth.” She sighed.
Sonia started trembling. Her face was getting paler and paler, while her eyes lost focus. “That’s impossible. Impossible.”
“Yeah, mom. There’s no way that’s real.” Charles refused to believe it either, and he looked at his mother. “When I told you that Sonia wasn’t the baby I saw the first time, she already suspected she wasn’t her parents’ daughter. That’s why she went to Norfolk to find out the truth. Then I asked you about it, and you told me the baby I saw the first time belonged to the Reeds’ relative, and Sonia’s their real daughter. Why are you saying a different thing now?”
Sonia looked at Grace as well. Her eyes were red, but also filled with hope. “You’re lying, Grace. You’re lying, aren’t you? There’s no way I’m not their kid.”
“I’m sorry, Sonia. I did lie to you, but not this time. I lied back then, back when I told you the baby belonged to the Reeds’ relatives. I didn’t want to make you sad. The truth is that the baby was your parents’ real daughter, but she died when she was five months old, so your father went to adopt you at an orphanage. You were a replacement for the baby, since your mother would have broken down otherwise.”
That was the final blow that snuffed all of Sonia’s hopes out. She started wobbling and finally plopped down on the sofa, for she had no strength left to stand. It was as if her heart and soul were shattered at the same time.
I see. No wonder grandpa kept that photo of his relative’s kid so carefully in his study. That was not his relative’s child, but his real granddaughter.
He lied to me. I’m not his grandkid, but a fake. I’m just an orphan who has no idea who my real parents are. My parents aren’t my parents, and my grandpa isn’t my grandpa either. Now even my name doesn’t belong to me. I’m just a b*stard who replaced the real Sonia. The mere thought of that made her smile in despair.
Charles was heartbroken seeing Sonia so depressed, so he glared at his mother. “Why did you have to tell her that, mom? You told her the baby belonged to the Reeds’ relative. Obviously you were going to hide the truth, so why didn’t you hide it forever? Why did you tell her now?”
Grace knew she’d break Sonia’s heart if she told her the truth, but she had to. And so, she sighed. “Because it didn’t sit right with me. After I lied to you, I kept thinking whether it was the right thing to do or not. When I came back, I looked through Lina’s photos and thought about her dying wish. That’s why I told Sonia. Even if I didn’t, she would find out sooner or later.”
“As if. She would never know if you said nothing.” Charles clenched his fists.
Grace looked at him. “Do you really think so? I said nothing about her real identity, but she still found out about the baby and had suspicions of her own. Do you really think you can hide something like this for life?”
“Um…” Charles couldn’t argue with that.
Grace continued, “She’ll find out about the truth even if I didn’t say anything today.” She then turned to Sonia. “Sonia, your parents had planned for your future long before today. They knew the company might not last forever even though it was going strong, nor could they guarantee they’d be with you for life. That’s why they set aside a huge sum of money for you when you were little.”
“They did?” Sonia looked at her.
“Yes,” Grace said. “Just in case the company went under or if they got into an accident, you wouldn’t be stranded with nothing even if you were alone. That was why they set the money aside in the bank. Once you turn thirty, the bank will inform you about this, then you’ll have to present your parents’ details so they can handle the paperwork. Once that happens, you’ll also know that your blood type doesn’t match with theirs. That’s why you’ll find out eventually even if I said nothing.”
“Holy moly. That’s unbelievable.” Charles gasped.
Sonia bit her lip but said nothing.
Grace patted her shoulder. “Don’t blame me for telling you this, Grace. I did it for your own good, since this secret can’t be kept forever. From the moment they left that money to you, it’s obvious they didn’t intend to keep it a secret forever either. You have the right to know who you truly are. That was why she left me this box and told me to give it to you once you know who you truly are. But I think it’s better to give you the box earlier and tell you the truth.”
“Why?” Charles was curious.
Grace looked at him as if he was an idiot. “Because she can accept it that much easier. Because she can find out how she really came to the Reed family. If she found this out on her own, she’d be worried about too many things she shouldn’t.”
Charles couldn’t argue with the truth. Telling Sonia the truth and letting her know she came to the Reeds because her foster parents wanted her to was better than her finding it out herself. If she found out about the truth on her own, she might think she was just a mere replacement and complicate an originally simple situation. Worse, she might go ballistic about it.
“Sonia.” Grace bent down to hug her. “I know you’re upset and you can’t accept this, but please don’t overthink this matter. You might not be their real daughter, but they truly thought of you as their own. They love you, alright?”
“I understand.” A drop of tear fell onto the back of her hand, and her voice broke. “I know they love me, and I know they see me as their own. That’s why they thought about my future that much. I just can’t face the truth as calmly as you want me to.”
The truth that Grace had divulged shattered her world into a million pieces. She had grown up under an environment filled with love. Her mother passed away when she was five, but her father still loved her. She could never imagine that they weren’t her real parents, given how much they loved her. However, that was the truth. I just don’t get it. Why must fate be so cruel to me?
