Chad was in tears. My father approached him and said, "This wasn't how I wanted you to find out… you look so much like him."
Chad looked at my father with contempt and stormed out of the office. We all went after him. He shot past Adam in the living room like a rocket, leaving Adam completely confused.
"Damn, what was that?" Adam asked.
Chad kept walking and slammed the door behind him. Hanna shouted, "Chad, wait! Where are you going? You're upset!"
Without turning around, he yelled, "Far away from you all… from your lies!"
I shouted, "I didn't do anything to you!"
He turned back to me and pulled me into a tight hug. His hand tangled in my hair as he whispered, "I'll call you later." Then he stepped away, got into his car, and sped off. Hanna was devastated.
She grabbed her phone and said, "I'm calling a cab. The car has a tracker—I'm going after him."
My father intervened. "I'll go with you, Hanna. No, Luck, I need to talk to him alone."
The cab arrived, Hanna got in, and only then did I look around. Ruth, Abigail, and Adam were standing very close to us.
I ran back into the house and up the stairs.
"Let's talk, Mia!" my father shouted.
"I don't want to! You're just going to tell more lies! I want to be alone… alone!" I yelled back.
I locked myself in my room and called my mother.
"Hi, sweetheart. It's still early here."
"I want to come home… please, Mom." I could barely speak through my tears.
"What happened, Mia?" she asked. Sobbing, I told her I hated my father.
Then she said, "Honey, try to sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow. If you want to come here, we'll figure something out."
I agreed, ended the call, and fell asleep.
I woke up to knocking on the door. "Who is it?"
"It's Adam."
I opened it. He looked worried. "Mia…" He hugged me. "Your dad told us everything."
I looked at him and broke down. "Chad… he's my cousin… we can't be together."
"Well…" Adam said softly. "A cousin isn't a brother. What other people think shouldn't matter to you. But calm down, Mia."
I cried in his arms until we both fell asleep.
Morning came, and I woke up to find my father in my room. Adam was still there, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry, I fell asleep."
"It's okay, Adam. I need to talk to Mia alone."
Adam left.
"But I don't want to talk to you… please leave," I said.
"Mia, you have to listen to me."
"I don't want to!" I screamed.
Abigail came in and hugged me. "Luck, give her some space… give her time. When she's ready, you can talk."
He left.
"Go take a shower, Mia. It'll help you relax," Abigail said—and it really did. As the water ran over me, my thoughts slowly quieted.
When I got out, I put on my uniform. Abigail gently brushed my hair, just like my mother used to.
"Will you braid it?" I asked. She smiled.
"Of course, sweetheart."
"Abigail… do you think cousins shouldn't date?" I asked.
She sighed, still working on my hair. "Mia, it's a social stigma. You're first cousins. Genetically, if you married and had children, there could be risks."
"But it's not guaranteed," I interrupted.
She finished the braid and stood up. "Mia, think about your father. Dating the son of his brother is strange for him. Siblings share a very strong bond."
"Abigail… do you have siblings?"
She lowered her head. "I had a sister… Adele."
I saw the sadness cross her face and didn't push further. The word had said enough.
Trying to lighten the mood, I said, "Maybe someday I'll know what it's like to have a brother or sister."
She smiled. "It's possible. You and your father are still young. You could have more children."
"Mia Holis, go have breakfast or you'll be late for school."
I stayed silent during breakfast.
"In the afternoon you have therapy," my father said, trying to start a conversation.
I groaned.
"It's important. Your mind is a mess right now."
"Your mother called me. She said she's coming soon. Complaining to her won't help—your custody is mine. I won't authorize you to leave the country."
I stayed quiet.
"Let's go to the company," Ruth said.
She kissed Adam goodbye. I watched, missing my mother intensely.
"Ruth, I called her," I said.
She turned to me.
"Can we see Peter this weekend?" I asked.
"Yes, sweetheart. If you want to come, we're going Sunday."
"I'd love to," I said.
All day, I tried calling Chad, but he didn't answer.
School was chaos—the father of Wender had been arrested, just like Jhenna said. He was an accomplice of Emma's father. But my mind was still spinning from the discovery the day before; nothing else felt important anymore.
Emma was sad about her parents, but happy to be with Adam. He took care of her.
After class, Abigail walked me to my therapist.
That patient who always hovered around her was there.
"Is she your daughter?" he asked. She smiled awkwardly. "No."
"She's my stepmother," I said. He looked embarrassed. Adam smirked.
"Ms. Holis," the receptionist called, "you may go in."
Mrs. Montgomery, the psychologist, was seated. "Come in, dear."
I sat down. She sighed. "What brings you here? Today wasn't scheduled… an emergency?"
I tried to dodge the question, but she was insistent. "And Chad—how is he?"
I shrank into myself. She stared straight at me. Memories rushed in, my body trembled.
Then I started crying. Between sobs, I said, "He's my cousin. We can't be together."
"He's your cousin?" Her eyes widened.
"Yes… I found out he's the son of my father's brother who died."
She brought her hand to her mouth and fell silent. The shock was clear on her face—not mere surprise, but an immediate understanding of the weight of what I had said. Her eyes drifted away, her brow tightened, and the silence between us grew heavy. In that moment, I realized my pain had taken on another dimension. It wasn't just my confusion anymore—it was something far too serious to be ignored, at least judging by her reaction.