Chapter 3 Finding Her Birth Parents

Leaving the Marsh family home, Eleanor stood by the curb, summoning a cab. She had abandoned her convertible; that wasn't hers anyway.

She glanced back at the house she had called home for eighteen years, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. The absurdity of it all weighed heavily on her-how much she had sacrificed, how deeply she had invested in this family, only to be rejected and cast aside in the end.

With a quiet sigh, Eleanor shifted her focus to her phone, reading the message that contained the address of her biological parents' home.

It was located in Dridsa. The residents of Dridsa struggled to make ends meet, often going to bed hungry.

If Pholis represented a utopia for the privileged in Isonsea, Dridsa was a cruel contrast-a place of struggle for the disadvantaged.

Upon her arrival, the stark difference between her and the surroundings couldn't be ignored. The curious eyes of the onlookers scanned her with confusion and intrigue.

What was someone so strikingly beautiful, so composed, doing in a place like this?

With her refined elegance and pristine appearance, they assumed she must hail from a wealthy family in Pholis, far removed from the grim reality of Dridsa.

Undeterred by their stares, Eleanor made her way through the area, eventually standing before a run-down house. She couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the family that must live there, imagining the hardships they endured day after day.

"Miss, who are you looking for?" A hesitant voice interrupted her thoughts, snapping her back to the present.

Eleanor turned to find a woman standing before her. The deep lines in her weathered skin spoke of years of hard labor and resilience.

The woman studied Eleanor carefully, her eyes narrowing with an almost imperceptible shift of recognition. A brief flash of surprise flickered across her face.

"You are..." she began, her voice trailing off as she tried to place Eleanor.

"My name is Eleanor," Eleanor answered calmly, though the weight of the moment pressed heavily on her chest.

The woman's hands, once steady, trembled as the bundle of vegetables she held slipped from her grip, hitting the ground with a soft thud.

"You... you're Eleanor?" Her voice faltered, full of disbelief, shock, and a trace of something deeper-perhaps guilt. "It really is you."

She reached out instinctively, as though to touch Eleanor, but then hesitated, her hand frozen mid-air. "I'm sorry," she stammered, quickly withdrawing her arm. "I must have mistaken you for someone else."

The woman quickly averted her gaze; her movements rushed as she gathered the fallen vegetables and retreated inside.

Eleanor stood still for a moment, then, her voice soft but unyielding, she spoke again. "I want the truth."

The woman's gaze immediately dropped, and her eyes reddened as tears began to form.

"Come in," she murmured, her voice faint and tremulous as she turned to walk inside, her movements slow and deliberate.

Eleanor's expression remained composed, though her mind churned with conflicting emotions. She had expected to feel anger, resentment, perhaps even rage, upon meeting her birth mother. Yet, there was only a profound, unexpected calm.

As she stepped inside, her eyes took in the modest furnishings, the lingering scent of stale air, and a sense of hardship that filled the space. She could almost feel the weight of the family's struggles.

Just then, a man emerged from a room. "Lily, you're back. Kane's been working late again; maybe you should make him some soup tonight." His voice trailed off when he saw Eleanor standing there, his eyes widening. "And who might this be?"

The woman, Lily Harris, her voice barely above a whisper, answered, "Maverick, this is... Eleanor."

Maverick Harris's face twisted in disbelief, his gaze flickering with a brief flash of panic that he quickly masked.

"Eleanor?" he repeated, his voice shaking with surprise. "What is she doing here? We don't even know her. You..."

Lily's shoulders slumped as she wiped away another tear, turning to face Maverick. "There's no point in hiding it anymore," she said quietly, her tone resolute. "Eleanor has come to us for answers, and she must already know the truth. This secret has haunted us both for so long, weighing on me until I could barely breathe. It's time to lay it bare."

She glanced at Eleanor, her face streaked with tears, her voice barely a whisper as the weight of the revelation sank in.

The sight of Lily so broken struck Eleanor deeply, the calmness she had carried moments ago slipping away like sand through her fingers. The emotions stirring within her were more complex than she had anticipated.

Maverick stepped forward, placing a steady hand on Lily's shoulder. "You're right," he said with a heavy sigh, his voice thick with regret. "This secret has torn at us for years, and it's about time we faced it."

He turned to Eleanor, his expression full of guilt and remorse. "We owe you far more than just an apology."

Eleanor exhaled slowly, the weight of years pressing down on her as she finally asked the question that had haunted her. "Why did you abandon me?"

The bluntness of Eleanor's inquiry left both Lily and Maverick visibly shaken, their complexions draining of color. After a long, charged silence, they reluctantly shared the painful truth.

Eighteen years ago, Chloe's daughter had disappeared, sending her into a spiral of madness. To help ease her pain, Louis had taken the decision to bring the Harris family's daughter into their home, raising her as his own.

Eleanor was taken in by the Marshes because she had been frail and sickly at birth when the Harris family, already struggling with three sons and financial burdens, had been unable to care for her. In their desperation, they had entrusted Eleanor to Louis's care.

The truth sank in like cold water, and Eleanor sat frozen on the old sofa, her mind struggling to process what she had just learned. The room seemed to close in around her as the walls blurred.

Lily and Maverick exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to proceed but fearful of breaking the fragile silence. Their expressions were laden with apprehension, but neither dared to speak first.

Finally, Maverick's voice cut through the tension, hesitant but sincere. "Eleanor... how has your life been with the Marsh family?"

His question hung in the air, a quiet but heavy inquiry that revealed both his concern and his unease.