As the photos and paper fell on the table, time seemed to stop.
Then almost at the same time, Amelia and Rita’s eyes were drawn to the photos.
Amelia could not make out the words on the paper due to the distance, but still, she got nervous.
Her heart beat fast, anxiety and fear magnifying inside her.
Her body acted fast than her mind. She scrambled up and reached for the photos and paper. “Bullshit! Who are you? You are trying to deceive my granddaughter, aren’t you?”
Amelia didn’t even spare a look on the paper, she just tore them into pieces and threw them on Michael. “Get out!”
Rita seldom saw Amelia to be so furious before, she squinted.
The fragments slapped on Michael’s face. But he didn’t get mad, instead, he smiled. “It’s just some paper, why do you get so anxious, Mrs. Amelia?”
Rita kept silent, her eyes fixing on Amelia’s face to catch every minor change of emotion on it.
Amelia had to yield under Rita’s stare.
She straightened her back after a few seconds and snorted. “Who told you that I am anxious? I just don’t want my granddaughter to get coaxed by you.”
She said toughly whereas in fact she was insecure.
She then grabbed Rita’s hand and then tried to leave. “Don't listen to him, Rita. Let’s go home.”
But Rita did not even move an inch.
Amelia paused, “Ri…Rita?”
“Grandma…if it’s not true, why are you so afraid?” looking Amelia in her eyes, Rita asked.
Her tone was rather neutral, but Amelia still sensed some coldness in it. That intensify her anxiety.
“Rita is right, why are you so afraid?” Michael said, “A straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe.”
Michael’s sarcastic tone irritated Amelia, her face sagged down gloomily.
Amelia chose not to answer, but Michael plucked out some more pieces of paper form his coat. “The ones she tore were copies, these are the originals. Originals of the paternity test.”
“Paternity test?” Rita pause, puzzled.
Michael tucked the papers in her hands, his tone softened. “Have a look, Rita. And then you’ll understand everything.”
Rita lowered her eyes at the paper.
When she saw what the paper said, her hands shook uncontrollably.
Rita Brown is not related to Noah Brown or Zoe Duncan by blood, the report said.
That meant she’s not her dad and mom’s true born child.
She’s not a Brown.
Staring at the report, Rita’s head was blank.
“Don’t believe him Rita, it’s not true, it is not!” when the hoarse voice of Amelia rang again, Rita came back to herself.
Her eyes were than fix on the seal at the right corner of the paper, she murmured. “SK hospital… Michael, if I’m not mistaken, you worked atSK hospital when you first came back in the country right?”
“Right.” Michael nodded.
Rita frowned.” Then it won’t be so difficult for you to forge a paternity test report, right?”
She said as she raised her head to study Michael. She looked at him in a way that as if she was to look in to his heart to find out what he’s really thinking.
Michael paused for a second at her gaze, then frustration spread in his eyes.
Rita doesn’t believe him.
He smiled wryly. “If you don't believe me, ask your father to do the test with you. Then you’ll know I’m not lying to you.”
His suggestion struck her, Rita paused.
And as she drifted off, Michael whirled to leave the room.
Then he seemed to remember something, he turned his head around and added. “I lied to Lillian, I lied to the Burkes, may I’ll lie to someone else in the future. But I will never lie to you. Never.”
Then he was gone. Rita felt conflicted looking at where Michael had once stood.
Amelia, however, was relieved. “Rita, I knew you wouldn’t believe him. Ri…Rita?”
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