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.

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

lips. “A successful adoption is all I can really hope for the kids

to see you back here. Mr Reid paid a significant donation to our facility upon your adoption. It was clear that

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

the rest for candidacy.’

than one candidate asking to adopt

lucky to have even one person express interest, this seemed very odd to me. Especially considering

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

to hear

was hoping to look at my records. Perhaps anything to do with my adoption or… how I came

she listened to my request, the

within your rights. Please

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

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.

knew that some things couldn’t be ignored for long. That I couldn’t change my blood, change who and

apologising to you first,” said the lady, entering 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,

where my name should have been, it looked like someone had gone over it with a black marker to censor it. Almost as if someone was removing my identity from it. Perhaps

said, tearing my eyes

breath in, her expression becoming solemn.

something I was aware of but not in its entirety. I now know that the extent of that

“You mean the bullying from

the older children?”

paused before shaking

losing Mr Reid’s donation, something we were in dire need of. Immediately, I began looking into it and realised that I’d missed all the signs. It became obvious that most of the bullying was being orchestrated by the staff, urging

looking unsure

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

her head in understanding.

was because of the circumstances surrounding your arrival,” she finished.

came to be here?”

the road, miles away from here. Nothing in sight for as far as the eye could see. Just

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

at us with those intense eyes of yours silently. An air about you that unnerved many with uncertainty, wondering what your true origins may be.

…A large dog?

stop the rumours and superstitions from the staff at this point. 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

But it was difficult not to realise what she was saying. I’d been so worried that the incident was going to make getting answers problematic but, instead, she was

that it hadn’t been

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

shook her head. “No…

I found that a strange way to

…What about… unofficially?”

immediately hesitated, confirming

a hand on my file. ” However, I feel as though your time here was

opened my folder up and began rifling