Colby
Still seated on the sofa and blowing my nose with a tissue, Yvonne suddenly burst into the room, joining my dad and me.
“You won’t believe what just happened!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.
“What is it?” Jerry asked, intrigued.
She laughed. “Oh, Dad, you know Sally? Well, it turns out she’s not really Sally, but her twin sister, Sadie, who can’t talk. She took Sally’s identity and pretended to be her because she felt bad for her.”
Jerry raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t tell me you didn’t go snooping around and overhear their conversation, Dad.”
My dad chuckled. “Well, besides that, what’s going on?”
Yvonne grinned mischievously. “I just uncovered the biggest secret ever!”
Just then, we heard footsteps approaching. We looked up to see tears welling up in Stella’s eyes as she came downstairs, which she quickly wiped away. Sally, on the other hand, appeared pale and weak, her usual agility diminished.
Once Sally and her mom, Stella, were seated downstairs, Jerry inquired with concern, “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Stella wiped away her tears and said, “I discovered a shocking secret today, and I’m still reeling. My daughter here…” She paused, glancing at Sally, before continuing, “You don’t want to share it, do you?”
Sally shook her head with a smile, and Stella nodded in understanding.
Taking a deep breath, Sally began, “My name isn’t actually Sally, but Sadie. I took my sister’s identity.” She proceeded to explain everything, leaving me utterly shocked.
As Sally concluded her story, I asked, “Now that you’ve found your voice, will you change back to your real name?”
Sally contemplated before responding, “It’ll be difficult, but I don’t think I can change my name. I want ‘Sally’ to be a part of me, a reminder of my growth. I’ve always felt guilty about my sister’s death, and it’s haunted me for years. I’ve cried myself to sleep and struggled with mental health issues. But I’m glad I’m stronger now.”
I offered a sympathetic smile and asked, “How are you doing now?”
Sally’s eyes welled up with tears as she replied, “I guess I’m better than before.”
Interrupting the conversation, Yvonne declared, “Enough of this story, I’m tired of it. It’s getting boring. Let’s discuss the meeting you mentioned earlier. What’s the plan?”
Stella smiled, explaining, “I’ve decided to end things with Jerry.”
Sally’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? Why?”
I was equally shocked, thinking to myself that they hadn’t even been together for a year or six months.
Yvonne raised an eyebrow. “Finally, I knew this would happen. So, what’s the reason?”
Jerry sighed, “She’s the one ending it with me, but she wouldn’t tell me why. She said she’d explain when we’re all together.”
Yvonne’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Well, now that we’re all here, can you tell us why you decided to do this?”
Stella’s expression turned cold. “To be honest, I never loved Jerry. I just wanted to use him.”
Sally gasped, shocked by her mother’s revelation. Yvonne, on the other hand, laughed. “Not surprised. I knew you were a gold digger all along.”
Jerry looked stunned by Stella’s words. “But you told me you liked me. We messaged for months before we met.”
Stella cut him off coldly, “Oh please, Jerry. I did that because I was after your money. But now that I see it’s not worth it, I’ve decided to end things with you.”
Sally’s eyes widened in shock. “Hold on, hold on. So, you didn’t come back because of me? You came back because of his money, right?”
Stella hesitated, then shook her head, but remained silent.
“Answer me!” Sally yelled, her voice filled with hurt and anger.
Finally, Stella confessed, “Yes, I’m sorry. I came back for his money.”
Sally’s face fell as she realized the truth. “You never changed. You’re still the same person.”
Sally stood up, and I followed suit. “You should leave,” I said, my voice firm and unwavering. “You’re still the bad mother she knew. Leave this house immediately.”
Stella glared at us, but eventually turned and left without another word. I wrapped my blanket around me, watching her go, grateful to have Sally by my side.
I followed Sally outside and found her sitting on a bench, crying uncontrollably.
I sat down beside her and asked gently, “Hey, are you okay?”
She continued to sob, and I sighed deeply, wrapping my arm around her in an attempt to provide some comfort. Despite feeling unsettled myself, I wanted to be there for her.
Just then, I spotted Stella walking out of the house, her back to us. She paused, sighed heavily, and began walking away, tears streaming down her face.
“Your mom is leaving,” I said to Sally. “Don’t you want to say anything to her?”
Sally shook her head, her voice firm. “Let her leave. She’s not worth it.”
But suddenly, Sally broke free from my embrace, locked eyes with me, nodded as if coming to a realization, and took off running after her mom. I watched helplessly as she disappeared into the distance, hoping she would find the closure she needed.