PART 3: The Broken Promise
“Iris,” I stammered, my voice breaking as I stepped between her and Ryan. “Sweetheart, please sit down.”
Iris looked between my pale face and Ryan’s stern expression, the smile slowly fading from her lips. “Mom? What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
“Ryan’s father… he was my brother’s twin,” I confessed, tears blurring my vision. “Seventeen years ago, your birth parents passed away in a severe accident. You were only three weeks old.”
Iris dropped her hands to her sides, her eyes wide with shock. “Birth parents? What are you talking about? You’re my mother!”
“I am your mother in every way that matters, Iris,” I wept, taking a step toward her. “When your biological parents died, the court was going to place you into state custody. Ryan’s family didn’t have the means to take you in back then, so I adopted you legally and raised you as my own daughter.”
“And you lied to me my entire life!” Iris shouted, tears streaming down her face. “You told me my father just walked out on us!”
How did Ryan react? Continue reading Part 4 below for the confrontation.
