AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It’s not until I reach the last section that things begin to fall into place. This tells me all about Vicky Wright. How her parents were killed young, and that she and her sister—Kennedy Wright—were put into foster care.
The file moves through her life, revealing every little thing the woman did. She had a police record pages long: theft, possession of drugs with intent to sell, and prostitution. It shows who she got involved with, and details every bad decision she ever made.
And then the social care report comes in. She gave birth to a premature baby who was born an addict. It reveals her reluctance to stay and care for the baby, which led to the charges of abandonment that she never got the chance to be charged with because she died a month or so later.
I read my mother’s statement and the legal papers to get guardianship.
The baby in this story is me.
I’m Imogen Wright.
My mother is a drug addict who lied, stole, and whored her way through life. She abandoned her sick daughter before a doctor could even look her over.
My mother isn’t my mother.
She is my aunt.
And I’m a product of assault and darkness.
“I knew you would be here,” Hayden announces, making me jump. My head smacks against the desk and I hiss out a breath.
I see her standing in the doorway, unaffected by my reaction. “What are you doing here?”
“Everyone is out looking for you. I figured if I wanted answers about my life, what better place to look than a place where your dad uncovers secrets for a living.”
“My mum isn’t my mum.”
“Of course, she’s your mum,” she tells me as she kneels down beside me.
“You don’t understand,” I choke out, nearly tearing the page in my hand.
“Imogen…”
I blink, snapping out of my grief for a moment. “Wait, you knew I was here looking for answers. You didn’t seem surprised when I said my mum isn’t my mum,” I state, betrayal hitting me like high-force winds. “You knew!”
She closes her eyes for a moment, revealing the truth. “Imogen…”
I get to my feet, stepping away from her. “You knew. Does everyone know?”
“I don’t know,” she admits. “But your mum and dad are looking for you.”
I shake my head as I reach for the spare keys and throw them at her. “You can lock up on your way out,” I snap as I head for the door.
“Imogen, wait,” she calls out, following behind me.
“No, Hayden. I need space. Leave me alone,” I bark, pushing open the door and stepping out into the cold.
“Just wait a minute. Please. You can—”
I stop when I reach my car. “I said stop, Hayden. Just stop. You knew and didn’t tell me.”
“It wasn’t my place to,” she replies.
“It’s never bothered you before,” I snap. “This isn’t something you keep a secret.”
“It wasn’t my place,” she pleads. “Go home to your mum and dad. Hear them out.”
I get in my car, ignoring her. I can’t go home. Not right now. I need to think. To process.
