A Gift from the Goddess

Book Two – Ch.# 39

This was the riskiest venture I’d done since returning from Ashwood.

Not only was I now leaving the protection of my father’s reach, but I was willingly jumping down a rabbit hole that could potentially bring more problems in its wake. Opening myself up to secrets I might eventually regret uncovering.

But I couldn’t go on like this anymore.

To continue as I was would only lead to destroying myself or others, possibly bringing more harm than I knew how to fix. *If it was even fixable. I could only hope that Zac would recover and stop treating me like… whatever that was.

However, it was clear that there were things at work behind the scenes that weren’t immediately obvious. Things that might come back to bite me whether I liked it or not.

And so I had to start with what information I did have.

… Information that led me to staring at an old iron woven gate, a chilling familiarity about it.

Because it was this very gate that belonged to the place I’d called home for some time.

The orphanage I’d been adopted from.

I took a moment to calm my nerves, contemplating whether this was really a good idea. But the drive here had already taken several hours to arrive, it now being morning already, and it was time that I’d spent mulling over this very dilemma.

And, ultimately, I went through with what I came here to do.

….I entered through the gate.

The orphanage looked to still be in business, several children running around in the distance on a grassy green field. From the path, I could hear their laughter, hear how they were all enjoying themselves. A vastly different experience than what I could remember of my own. time here.

“Can I help you?”

I was greeted inside by an older lady attending the counter. She looked vaguely familiar, assumedly someone who had been here during my residency. I hoped that was a good thing.

Upon walking in, her eyes immediately scrutinised me.

“Hi… yes,” I said, approaching. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was just looking to get some information. I ah… I used to live here and was hoping that you might have my old records still available. My name is-.”

“Rheyna,” she finished, her face lightening in recognition.

“You remember me?” I asked, a little shocked.

It’d been sixteen years since my adoption.

She had to have seen thousands of children come through these doors since then.

“Yes…,” she said slowly. “It’s not often kids leave such an… impact… as you did.

Your time here was as memorable as your distinctive appearance. It’s hard to forget golden eyes such as yours.”

“Ah…,” was all I could say.

memorable impact was referring to the incident I’d caused. Hospitalising children was sure to traumatise a person.

on her lips. “A successful adoption is all I can really hope for the kids here. To this day, it still breaks my heart whenever I see any

paid a significant donation to our facility upon your adoption. It was clear that the lifestyle and devotion he could provide for you was a head above the rest for candidacy. I would have thought that you’d have all but forgotten about

as odd and, as I took a moment to think about it more, I realised what

‘Head above the rest for

than one candidate asking to adopt

one person express interest, this seemed very odd

father provided me with a… fulfilling life,” I said carefully. “To this day, I continue to work for the family business

happy to hear

questions about my past,” I continued. “If possible, I was hoping to look at my records. Perhaps anything to do with my adoption or…

she listened to my

slowly. This request is within your rights. Please

where she remained for some time. I paced in the lobby as she

so much as had an itch to go looking for them. To me, only my father had mattered. The one who had lifted me out

some things couldn’t be ignored for long. That I couldn’t change my blood, change who and what I was. Ashwood had made

was filled with difficulties outside your control. I can see you’ve grown into a well-adjusted, beautiful young lady, and I tell you these things now not to upset

over to the desk and saw she’d retrieved my records. Only, in the place where my name should have been, it looked like someone had gone over it with a black marker to

I said, tearing my

a deep breath in, her expression

the extent of that

frowned. “You mean the bullying from

the older children?”

shaking

the staff were to see you gone. I was appalled. Especially since the horrific incident that day could have cost us significantly in potentially losing Mr Reid’s donation,

paused, looking unsure how

the past now. All I’m looking for is the honest truth. No matter how

she nodded her

because of the circumstances surrounding your arrival,”

to

road, miles away from here. Nothing in sight for as far as the

my hands and, for a split second, thought I could remember a

hard the police and I tried to find out where you came from or what happened,” she continued. ” You’d just… stare at us with those intense eyes of yours silently. An air about you that unnerved many

…A large dog?

I found out later that this bias would go on to create the foundation of your mistreatment. I wish I’d known back then how bad it really was. Maybe then I could have stopped… no, maybe I could have helped you feel more

focus on what I’d come here to do. But it was difficult not to realise what she was saying. I’d been so worried that the incident was going to make

it hadn’t been my

Did you ever find out anything about my birth family?” I

shook her head. “No… nothing

found that a strange way to

…What about… unofficially?”

hesitated, confirming

to other parties…,” she said slowly, placing a hand on my file. ” However, I feel as though your time here was filled

then opened my folder up and began rifling through