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.

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

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

then paused to look 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

I took a moment to think about it more, I

‘Head above the rest for candidacy.’

than one candidate asking to

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

life,” I said carefully. “To this

happy to hear

continued. “If possible, I was hoping to look at my records. Perhaps anything to do with my adoption or… how I came to be here.”

listened to my request, the lines on

slowly. This request is within your rights. Please wait for a moment as I

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

for them. To me, only my father had mattered. The one who had lifted me out of this

ignored for long. That I couldn’t change my blood, change who and what I

beginning, your time here 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

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

I said, tearing my eyes away

a deep breath in, her expression becoming solemn.

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

mean the bullying from

the older children?”

shaking her head.

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 realised that I’d missed all the signs. It became obvious that most of the bullying was being orchestrated by the staff, urging the

unsure how to proceed.

her to continue. “I can’t change the past now. All I’m looking for is the honest

she nodded her head in

of the circumstances surrounding your

to be

were… spooked, I suppose. You were found by a truck 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

looked down at my hands and, for a split second, thought I could

months, no matter how 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 with uncertainty, wondering what

…A large dog?

to create the foundation of your mistreatment. I wish I’d

not to realise what she was saying. I’d been so worried that the incident was going to make

it hadn’t been my

about my birth family?” I asked, clearing my

head. “No…

I found that a strange way to phrase

…What about… unofficially?”

immediately hesitated,

a hand on my file. ” However, I

my folder up and began