Chapter 3
Natalie not only agreed to give up the room, she even asked Ms. Hattie to come help her pack.
With practiced efficiency, Ms. Hattie swept away every trace of Natalie’s presence. One by one, Clarissa’s belongings filled the space.
In less than thirty minutes, the room had been transformed into a brand-new nursery.
Natalie stood there, watching Clarissa settle in with the baby, eagerly claiming the space like it had always been hers.
Everything was arranged to perfection. Even the crib had been shipped in from abroad—clearly something that required time and planning.
They had prepared all of this long ago.
Natalie lowered her eyes.
She turned and walked into the smallest, most secluded room in the house. She didn’t bother unpacking—just left her suitcase sitting untouched by the wall.
So be it. She would endure the last stretch of time here.
Then she would leave. For good. And never disturb their little family again.
But that fragile peace didn’t last the night.
After dinner, Clarissa knocked on her door. She came in without waiting for an answer.
“Natalie, if it weren’t for your generosity, Joey and I wouldn’t even have a place to stay. I wanted to thank you… so I got you a gift.”
Natalie looked at Clarissa’s forever-innocent, radiant face—and involuntarily took a step back.
“No need. Letting you stay was their decision. You just focus on resting. That’s all they really care about.”
Clarissa didn’t leave. In fact, she stepped closer.
“Don’t be afraid, Natalie. I’ve been through a lot these past few years. I truly regret everything I’ve done. I promise, I won’t ever hurt you again.”
Before she finished speaking, she thrust a neatly wrapped box into Natalie’s arms.
“Mom and Dad really hope we can get along. I picked this out carefully. If you don’t accept it, they’ll be heartbroken.”
Natalie had no choice but to take it.
She looked down—and froze.
It was a photograph—and the face on it… was one she’d never in her life forget.
The man who had dragged her into that alley, grinning viciously. The man with rough hands that tore at her clothes, who breathed foul air down her neck.
If Colton hadn’t arrived in time, she might never have walked out of that alley alive.
The memory had haunted her ever since.
Natalie’s body trembled violently. She couldn’t hold it in. She threw the box—photo and all—across the room. It hit Clarissa on the arm.
Clarissa cried out, just as expected. “Natalie, no—”
Footsteps rushed down the stairs.
Colton stormed in, pulling Natalie aside and rushing to check on Clarissa. “What happened? What’s going on?”
Clarissa’s voice was trembling, nearly in tears.
“Natalie was kind enough to let us stay. I was really grateful… I picked out a gift, hoping we could make peace.”
“But I guess she’s still angry with me. She… she threw the gift at me.”
Natalie winced as her lower back throbbed from where it had hit the edge of the couch. Gritting her teeth, she slowly stood.
“She gave me a photo,” she said, her voice low. “Of the man who attacked me back then.”
“I panicked. I didn’t mean to throw it—I was just… scared.”
Colton frowned. “That old creep’s still in prison. He doesn’t have family. Where would a photo even come from?”
“You really need to stop making things up.”
Natalie’s eyes were red.
She pointed to the photo on the floor. “If you don’t believe me, look for yourself! I’m not lying.”
Colton picked it up, still skeptical. But as soon as he glanced at it, his brow tightened.
Natalie’s heart sank. She reached for the photo, pushing past her fear.
But it had changed.
Just moments ago, it had been that monster’s face—now it was a gentle-looking elderly man she didn’t recognize.
“What… how?”
Natalie shook her head, stunned.
Clarissa looked genuinely wounded. “That’s… that’s my biological father.”
“After I found out I wasn’t Mom and Dad’s real daughter, I was devastated. I wanted to find the people who gave me up, who replaced me with Natalie.”
“That photo… I had someone find them. That’s him.”
“I must’ve… mixed up the boxes when I was wrapping the gift. I never expected Natalie would think such a thing of me…”
Her voice cracked near the end, laced with tears.
Colton’s throat moved slightly. His gaze toward Clarissa softened with sympathy.
“Clarissa…”
She shook her head, wiping her tears quickly.
“I’m okay. I know Natalie’s been under a lot of pressure. Maybe… she just saw it wrong.”
“That’s not true!” Natalie cried out, desperate, turning to Colton and her parents. “It really was him—just a moment ago. I don’t know how, but it changed…”
“That’s enough.”
Colton cut her off and gently supported Clarissa. “Come. Let’s get you back to your room.”
Natalie stood there, frozen, staring at their backs fade into the hallway.
She could still hear Colton murmuring gently to Clarissa.
“Don’t bother giving her anything again. She won’t appreciate it. You’ll only end up hurt.”
Natalie turned around—and met her parents’ eyes.
Both of them looked at her with quiet disappointment
