He Gave Her My Eyes A Story of Final Sight novel Chapter 183

The auditorium froze. For a second, nobody breathed or moved. Then, all at once, everyone turned to look at Patti as she made her way to the front. Thick glasses slid down her nose and she squinted through them, holding a microphone in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. She started waving the documents in the air, letting the printed pages flutter down like falling leaves.

She stopped right in the center, lifted her chin, and pointed straight at Theresia, who was caught in the spotlight.

“Theresia is the love child of my dad and our maid,” Patti announced, her voice cutting through the silence. “And her mother? She’s a snake who tore my family apart and swapped me and Theresia at birth.”

Her words crashed over the crowd. Patti didn’t stop there. “Ten years ago, Theresia’s real mother went to prison. What right does the child of a homewrecker have to stand here and brag about her success? It’s a slap in the face to all of us.”

She tossed out more papers, scattering evidence everywhere. There were records about Naomi’s time in prison, a paternity test showing Theresia was Eric’s daughter. Each document seemed to back her up.

The shock in the room slowly turned into a wave of whispers and side glances. Suddenly, every eye on Theresia was different.

“I can’t believe Teresa’s illegitimate,” someone whispered, voice trembling. “I feel like my whole world just flipped upside down.”

“Her mom went to jail? That’s too much. What if Teresa’s just like her?” another voice said, barely above a breath.

“My idol can’t have that kind of background. I can’t believe this,” someone else muttered.

“Teresa is such a letdown. I’m done being her fan.”

The air was thick with judgment, sharp words filling the space like needles. Patti stood there, soaking it in, her lips curling into a satisfied smile as she stared at Theresia, whose face had turned ghostly pale.

Garry, who had been silent and tense this whole time, frowned deeply. He watched her. If Theresia could handle this herself, fine. If not, he was ready to step in.

The coldness in his eyes was nothing like the sunlight pouring through the windows. He was just about to move when Theresia finally spoke.

“I’m not leaving,” she said, her voice steady, totally calm. “Not now. Not ever. None of you get to decide that for me.”

She stood there, still as a statue, her eyes fierce and unflinching. “I’m not denying anything you just heard. Yes, I’m an illegitimate child. Yes, my mother made mistakes. But that’s not something I’m ashamed of. None of us get to pick our families. If you’re going to judge my whole life by something I couldn’t control, then you’re the shallow ones.”

She looked out at the sea of faces, her voice unwavering. “Or do you really think only people born lucky deserve success? That the rest of us have to drag around guilt forever, never allowed to be proud of ourselves? Who gave you the right to decide what my life should be? Who are you to define me?”