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.

referring to the incident I’d caused. Hospitalising children was sure

up well despite having a difficult time here,” she said, a small smile 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 return. Failed adoptions happen only too

at me closer, confusion showing on her face. “I am a little surprised to see you back here. Mr Reid 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 your time here.”

odd and, as I took a moment to think

the

than one candidate asking to adopt

children were lucky to have even one person express interest, this seemed very odd to me.

“To this day, I continue to work for the family business with

to

continued. “If possible, I was hoping to look at my

listened to my request, the lines on her face

within your rights. Please wait for a moment as I find

paced in the lobby as she searched for the records, doing my best to remain as patient as possible

adopted. I never 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 of this place and given me shelter. Given me a life and purpose, someone to nurture the issues I’d presented with as a

That I couldn’t change my blood, change who and

the room once more. “From the very beginning, your time here was filled with difficulties outside your control. I can see you’ve grown into a well-adjusted, beautiful young lady,

someone had gone over it with a black marker to censor it. Almost as if someone was removing my identity from

me,” I said, tearing my eyes away from

in,

but not in its entirety. I now know that the extent of that treatment went beyond the norm… and I need to sincerely apologise for my

frowned. “You mean the

the older children?”

shaking her head.

the children. After your adoption, I started to hear whispers of how happy 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, something we were in dire need of. Immediately, I began looking into it and

looking unsure how to

her to continue. “I can’t change the past now. All I’m looking for is the honest truth. No matter how difficult that might

she nodded her head

of the circumstances

to be

driver on the side of the road, miles away from here. Nothing in sight for as far as the eye could see. Just an area completely overrun with deserted woods. You were brought to us covered in blood… and wouldn’t speak a

split second, thought I could remember a

stare at us with those intense eyes of yours silently. An

…A large dog?

go on to create the foundation of your mistreatment. I

what she was saying. I’d been so worried that the incident was going to make

saying that it hadn’t been my

about my birth family?” I

her head. “No… nothing officially.”

I found that a strange

…What about… unofficially?”

she immediately hesitated, confirming my hunch.

my file. ” However, I feel as

watched as she then opened my folder up and began rifling through