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<\/p>\nRich businessman Caleb runs into his office janitor bearing a striking resemblance to his late mother, who was believed to be dead for 28 years. When a DNA test reveals the woman is his biological mother, Caleb decides to seek answers from his father, who had lied to him about her death.<\/p>\n
It was a bustling Monday morning. 29-year-old Caleb was sitting in his office, looking through his company\u2019s annual report on his laptop. Suddenly, a janitor, a woman likely in her late 50s, walked in with cleaning supplies.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me, Sir\u2026I\u2019m extremely sorry\u2026I didn\u2019t mean to disturb you. I\u2019ll just mop up the floor in five minutes,\u201d she said as Caleb looked up and experienced the massive shock of his life \u2014 The woman standing in front of him bore an uncanny resemblance to his late mother, who had died 28 years ago\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my God\u2026it\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d Caleb gasped. \u201cIt\u2019s okay\u2026please come in,\u201d he said, his gaze stalking the woman as she marched across the office. \u201cUh, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen you around before\u2026but your face looks so familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman smiled and turned around. \u201cMy name is Michelle, Sir. I started working here only recently. This town is quite small\u2026maybe you would\u2019ve seen me somewhere. But I moved here just two weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m Caleb,\u201d he said as his brows furrowed with suspicion. \u201cMichelle, I don\u2019t understand why I get this strange feeling when I see your face\u2026but maybe you\u2019re right,\u201d he added as he reached for his cup of coffee, only to accidentally spill it on his laptop.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn\u2026not again!\u201d Caleb leaped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Sir\u2026I\u2019ll clean it up for you,\u201d Michelle dropped the mop and hurried to Caleb\u2019s table to clean the mess. She rolled up her sleeves and started wiping the laptop with a cloth. That\u2019s when Caleb\u2019s eyes fell on a peculiar scar on her left arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere you go\u2026your laptop is clean!\u201d Michelle said as she turned to Caleb.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis scar\u2026Ha\u2014how did you get it?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, this scar\u2026? Well, you may find it strange. But I don\u2019t remember anything that happened to me over 20 years ago. I have amnesia\u2026I don\u2019t even remember my name. When I saw the name \u2018Michelle\u2019 on a billboard, I adopted it as my own\u2026and I have no memory of how I got this scar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb\u2019s heart started to race. \u201cAnd what about your relatives\u2026and friends?\u201d He asked Michelle while simultaneously looking at her left arm bearing the oval-shaped burn mark.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have anybody!\u201d Michelle disappointedly said. \u201cNobody came for me all these years\u2026Not even when I was in the hospital. I lived a gypsy life and finally found a job here in this town.\u201d<\/p>\n
A strange sensation crawled up Caleb\u2019s gut. He knew his mind was dealing with a bizarre theory. But Michelle\u2019s scar and striking resemblance to his dead mother left him reeling. \u201cMichelle, you won\u2019t believe this. But you look a lot like my late mother, who I had only seen in an old photograph,\u201d he revealed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? I resemble your late mother? Oh dear\u2026really?\u201d Michelle stopped in her tracks.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes\u2026you look a lot like my mother\u2026she died 28 years ago, according to my Dad,\u201d replied Caleb. \u201cShe had the exact same scar like this. I know this is gonna sound crazy. But can we go to the hospital and take a DNA test together? I don\u2019t know why I\u2019m even saying this\u2026but something is bothering me. Something doesn\u2019t seem right\u2026And I want to find out if there are any odds\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle pondered for a few seconds. Like Caleb, even she was curious to find out if they were related and agreed to take the test with him.<\/p>\n
As they drove in Caleb\u2019s car to the City Hospital, nothing but a deadly, grim silence prevailed between them. On the one hand, Caleb was unsettled about getting a positive result. He knew he would have to sort out a lot of things and connect so many dots if Michelle turned out to be his biological mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what if I\u2019m just assuming things?\u201d Caleb thought. \u201cWhat if it\u2019s just a coincidence\u2026what if my mother is really dead\u2026and Michelle is not my biological mother and just her lookalike?\u201d<\/p>\n
As Caleb drove across the bustling road and pulled over in the middle of thick traffic, he stared at Michelle in the rearview mirror, and her eyes looked eerily familiar.<\/p>\n
Something about those eyes of hers forced Caleb to plunge into his memories. He sat back behind the wheel, recalling the fateful day he made a heartbreaking discovery about his mother while fixing the roof with his Dad, William\u2026<\/p>\n
12 years ago, when Caleb was 17 years old\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd\u2026like this! See! You just twist the claw hammer and pull out the rotten plank!\u201d Caleb\u2019s Dad, William, was teaching him how to get rid of old, rotting wooden planks. They were doing minor home repairs together that Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a good plank\u2026can be used as firewood!\u201d William said as he gathered all the worn-out planks on the lawn. Caleb was bored of these never-ending fixes his Dad taught him every weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, why can\u2019t we just hire some carpenters?\u201d he smirked. \u201c\u2026and pay them to do all this stuff? It\u2019s so tiring\u2026and boring.\u201d<\/p>\n
William chuckled as he plucked another plank out. \u201cChamp, if we pay others money for the simple things we can do on our own, then we\u2019ll go to rags like your Uncle Dexter. Moreover, we\u2019ll become very lazy\u2026again, like your Uncle Dexter! Now get back to work\u2026And start pulling out the planks from the floor in the attic. We must replace them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah\u2026whatever!\u201d Caleb squared his shoulders. He climbed up the attic, and just as he removed one of the planks on the floor, he noticed a weathered piece of paper under it.<\/p>\n
Curiosity got the better of Caleb as he picked it up. It was an old crumpled photograph of an unknown woman with a baby cradled in her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWeird\u2026who is this woman in this picture? I haven\u2019t seen her before\u2026\u201d wondered Caleb as he flipped the photograph and saw a signature on the back with the words: \u201cBaby Caleb with Mommy. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart :)\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCaleb with Mommy??\u201d Caleb grew unsettled.<\/p>\n
He was stunned by those words. It made no sense why his name was mentioned on the back of a stranger\u2019s picture because, first of all, the woman in the photo did not look like his mother, Olivia. And then, she had a weird oval-shaped scar on her left arm Caleb had never seen on his mother Olivia\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n
Haunted by the unknown, Caleb took the photo and climbed down the attic, making his way to his Dad to find out.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, what is this? Who is she?\u201d Caleb approached William, who was busy making pencil marks on the new wooden planks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2026?\u201d William turned around with a start.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found this while removing the plank in the attic\u2026Who is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anxiety surged into William\u2019s eyes, and his face grew ashen\u2026as though he had seen a ghost. \u201cWh\u2014Where did you get that from?\u201d He asked, uneasiness etched all over his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad\u2026I asked you what this is. Who is this woman\u2026And what does it mean by \u2018Caleb with Mommy\u2019 written on the back of this photo? Is that baby in her arms\u2026me?\u201d Caleb retorted.<\/p>\n
Willam was beyond shocked as he grabbed the picture from Caleb\u2019s grip. He stared at it again\u2026and again. Uneasiness cloaked his face, and William knew he could no longer hide the truth from his son.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome with me,\u201d he dropped the hammer and marched to the kitchen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Caleb hastily followed his Dad. William grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and sat down at the dining table, anxiously tapping his fingers on the glass as he looked up at his son.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaleb, trust me when I say this,\u201d William chugged a drink and said, his tone heavy with agony. \u201cAll my life\u2026I only wished you nothing but good. I\u2026I wanted you to be happy\u2026wanted you to grow up into a successful man\u2026achieve great things. I\u2026and my wife, Olivia, we always wanted the best for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb was desperate to suppress the flood of tears. But his eyes betrayed him. \u201cYour wife, Olivia? That means Olivia is not my mother?\u201d He sadly asked.<\/p>\n
William solemnly bowed his head. His silence answered Caleb\u2019s question. But William found himself obliged to confess the truth that struck Caleb like a thunderbolt. \u201cYes, dear\u2026Olivia is not your real mother. Your birth mother died 28 years ago\u2026I\u2026I\u2019m sorry, son. I didn\u2019t mean to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb was paralyzed with shock by the revelation, and the truth seemed to have upturned everything he thought he knew about his mother. \u201cHow did she die?\u201d He broke William\u2019s silence, desperate to know more about his mother\u2019s fate.<\/p>\n
\u201cA car accident\u2026\u201d William replied, his voice choked with grief. \u201cIt was nobody\u2019s fault. Fate betrayed us\u2026and your mother was destined to leave us that day. It was an unfortunate dark day in my life\u2026one that I can never forget. You were just a baby. You needed a mother. I moved on with Olivia not because I wanted a wife. I wanted to bring you a mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb was shaken. But after hearing his Dad out, he took the news like a grown boy.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad\u2026I understand that you wanted the best for me. That you didn\u2019t want me to go through that pain of losing my mother,\u201d he said, placing his hand on William\u2019s shoulder. \u201cBut you should\u2019ve told me earlier\u2026And I would\u2019ve understood everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
William clutched Caleb\u2019s hand tight, unable to hold back his tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Dad. Can you take me to her grave? I would like to go there,\u201d Caleb said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy, of course, dear!\u201d William agreed with a smile. \u201cWe will go there tomorrow, alright?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure!\u201d Caleb said and walked away as William gulped his beer and sat back.<\/p>\n
Caleb and his Dad arrived at the cemetery the following afternoon. The silence of the graves was haunting as the boy marched behind his Dad on the dilapidated sidewalk. Suddenly, William stopped before an overgrown tomb with the epitaph \u2014 Sarah J. \u2014 engraved on the crumbled tombstone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, hello, Sarah,\u201d William said as he lit a cigarette. \u201cOur son is here\u2026he has come to visit you!\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb knew there was no use in suppressing his emotions. So he let them pour out of his eyes. He fell to his knees and bitterly sobbed as he gingerly brushed his hands on the overgrown tombstone.<\/p>\n
William walked away to his car, leaving his son alone at the grave. An hour passed, and Caleb still sat beside his mother\u2019s tomb, talking to her about all things good and bad that had happened in his life in her absence.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoodbye, Mom,\u201d he rose to leave. \u201cI\u2019m sorry again. Dad just told me about you. I\u2019m still shocked\u2026I\u2019ll visit often. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
A loud honk of a car behind his SUV jolted Caleb to the moment. The traffic had cleared, and Michelle leaned forward from the backseat to see if everything was alright.<\/p>\n
\u201cSir, we\u2019re getting late. I think we should keep going,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, yes! Yes, Michelle,\u201d Caleb replied. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I was just, uhm\u2026thinking about something. We\u2019re almost there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you really turn out to be my mother, then that means only one thing: For 12 years, I\u2019ve been visiting the grave of a woman I don\u2019t even know,\u201d Caleb thought as he hit the gas pedal and sped to the hospital.<\/p>\n
Two minutes later, he pulled over at the hospital parking lot and hurried inside with Michelle. He rushed to a staff nurse at the reception as Michelle hastily followed him.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me, nurse\u2026We\u2019d like to take a DNA maternity test immediately,\u201d Caleb said. \u201cI want the results as soon as possible. I\u2019m ready to pay any additional amount. It\u2019s urgent. I want the results today.\u201d<\/p>\n
A couple of hours passed as Caleb and Michelle anxiously sat in the waiting hall, awaiting the test results. \u201cSo, what is the last thing you remember from your past, Michelle?\u201d He asked, breaking the silence.<\/p>\n
Michelle pursed her lips. \u201cI remember opening my eyes in the woods. A woodcutter said he found me floating in the river,\u201d she recounted. \u201c\u2026and then a hospital\u2026when doctors told me I had amnesia. And now, this new life!\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb\u2019s mind started haunting him. There were no fragments of her past that Michelle could recall or make peace with. At that moment, the nurse approached them and handed over a file in his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaternity rate\u202699.99%!\u201d Caleb exclaimed as he read. \u201cThat means\u2026You are my MOTHER!\u201d<\/p>\n
It felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. Michelle trembled as Caleb threw himself into her arms and cried. \u201cYou are my Mom, Michelle!\u201d Caleb said. \u201cBut why did Dad lie to me that you died in an accident at that moment?\u201d he pondered. \u201cI have an idea. Come with me\u2026\u201d he told her as they left the hospital.<\/p>\n
An hour later, Caleb and Michelle were looking out the car window from across William\u2019s mansion. \u201cAre you ready?\u201d He asked her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes!\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you remember everything I told you? You know what you\u2019re supposed to tell him, right?\u201d Caleb asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I remember everything. Don\u2019t worry!\u201d Michelle replied with a confident grin and stepped out of the car. She was nervous yet mustered the courage as she walked up to the front door of William\u2019s mansion and knocked.<\/p>\n
The door creaked open moments later. \u201cGood evening!\u201d Michelle greeted William, who froze in his tracks after seeing her.<\/p>\n
\u201cJennifer??\u201d He gasped.<\/p>\n
\u201cJennifer? No, uh, I\u2019m Michelle,\u201d Michelle replied with a chuckle. \u201cI\u2019m from Mayflower Cosmetics\u2026I just wanted to offer your wife a gift set worth $150.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Are you kidding me? But how is this possible?\u201d William retorted, composing his anxiety almost immediately.<\/p>\n
Michelle smiled. \u201cOh, I guess you\u2019ve confused me with someone else,\u201d she replied confidently. \u201cMaybe we could\u2019ve met before\u2026or seen each other in the life I don\u2019t remember! The thing is, I have amnesia. I don\u2019t remember anything that happened to me over 20 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAmnesia?\u201d William stuttered after a long, nervous pause. \u201cOh, maybe you\u2019re right! I likely confused you with someone.\u201d Michelle nodded as William looked at her from top to toe. \u201cNever mind! You just reminded me of an old friend\u2026Uh, I\u2019m William, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
William extended his hand, and Michelle\u2019s gut had already started to churn with fear. \u201cMichelle..as I said!\u201d She shook hands with William, and at that moment, he noticed the oval-shaped scar on her left arm. He remembered his dead wife bearing a similar scar on the same spot.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo\u2026this can\u2019t be real,\u201d William was terrified as he looked Michelle in the eye.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, Michelle, I didn\u2019t mean to offend you or something,\u201d William said. \u201cSorry about my behavior. I didn\u2019t want to sound insensitive, you know! My wife is not home now. Maybe you have something for men?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, yeah, I do!\u201d Michelle replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat! Hey, can you join me for a cup of coffee? I could also see what you\u2019ve got,\u201d William said, smiling as he invited Michelle over.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, why not?!\u201d She exclaimed and followed him inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was wondering\u2026Michelle, how long have you been in this city?\u201d William asked as Michelle took off her overcoat and put it on the hanger.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo weeks!\u201d She replied. \u201cI still don\u2019t know much about this place\u2026Oh, can I please use the restroom to wash my hands? I can\u2019t touch the cosmetics with greasy hands, and my hands are a bit sweaty\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, sure! The bathroom is right there\u2026behind you. Only two weeks?\u201d William said, his gaze fixated on Michelle\u2019s every move. \u201cWell, welcome to our city! I\u2019m sure you and your family love being around here!\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle turned around and smiled. \u201cOh, thanks! I don\u2019t have a family as such. I live in a small rented house south of Main Street.\u2026one at the end of the lane. To be honest, house rents here are insane\u2026landlords aren\u2019t considerate about single women with amnesia!\u201d Michelle joked as she lathered her hands with soap.<\/p>\n
William then led her to the kitchen, which was eerily dark and quiet. Michelle was unsettled. The glinting knives in the rack heightened her fear. But she decided to keep calm, just like how Caleb had told her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, it\u2019s so dark in here,\u201d she turned to William. \u201cDo you mind if I just turn on the light?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not!\u201d William replied. \u201cThe switch is inside the\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
But before he could finish, he saw Michelle opening the kitchen cabinet by the door and flicking the light switch. He could not believe his eyes when he watched her do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichelle?\u201d William said. \u201cI must say\u2026you have such a great intuition. None of our guests were able to locate the switch until we told them it was in the cabinet by the door!\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle stopped in her tracks. A strange, unsettling feeling fluttered in the pit of her stomach as she grabbed her bag and stepped back. \u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry about that. I don\u2019t know how it happened. I..uh\u2026this place kind of looks familiar to me. I don\u2019t understand how. Guess it\u2019s another crazy day! I think I should probably go now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, wait a minute\u2026Get back here\u2026.\u201d William ran after Michelle. But by the time he made it out of his house, he saw her boarding an old cheap car.<\/p>\n
\u201cGosh, that was close!\u201d Michelle told Caleb as she settled in her car. \u201cCaleb, it seems to have worked! I thought I opened the wrong cabinet at first\u2026but thank goodness I found the switch!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s great! Everything is fine,\u201d Caleb said. \u201cAnd don\u2019t worry. I\u2019ll be there before you reach. And yes\u2026He is following you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around 20 minutes later, Caleb pulled over several yards away from Michelle\u2019s house. He saw Michelle stepping down from her car and walking inside. And moments later, he noticed his Dad\u2019s car stop outside Michelle\u2019s gate. After a momentous pause, the car turned around and sped away.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, do as I say,\u201d Caleb called Michelle from his car. \u201cI\u2019ll come back in half an hour, okay? Lock all the doors. And don\u2019t forget what I just told you\u2026Tonight\u2019s gonna be a game changer\u2026and the truth will unravel itself!\u201d<\/p>\n
It was three o\u2019clock in the morning. Caleb was sitting in a car he had borrowed from a friend and was quietly waiting across the road from Michelle\u2019s house. The night was calm. The piercing shrill of crickets shattered the silence as Caleb looked around.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, bright headlights illuminated the stillness of the street, and Caleb saw his Dad\u2019s car pull up in front of Michelle\u2019s gate. He concealed his face under his hoodie and watched William emerge from the car.<\/p>\n
In the dimly lit night, William cautiously crept into the secluded backyard of Michelle\u2019s house. He looked around. It was eerily quiet and dark, and an open window on the balcony drew his attention.<\/p>\n
With a cautious and calculated move, William climbed the pipeline leading to the balcony and squeezed his way through the open window. As he slipped into the bedroom, the soft glow of the moonlight illuminated the silhouette of Michelle lying on the bed.<\/p>\n
A heavy gasp escaped William\u2019s lips as he pulled out a glimmering Bowie knife from his leather jacket and quietly approached the bedside. Aiming for the stomach and chest, William stabbed the figure several times\u2026<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the bedroom door slammed open, and the lights turned on. \u201cYou\u2019re under arrest!\u201d two police officers burst into the bedroom with handcuffs. And Michelle accompanied them, much to William\u2019s shock.<\/p>\n
With bulging, terrified eyes, he turned to the bed, only to realize he was standing in a mess of feathers and cotton. \u201cWhat\u2014No\u2026no, it can\u2019t be\u2026\u201d He gasped as he hastily lifted the blanket and discovered a chilling sight\u2014a human effigy was under it.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Anderson, you\u2019re under arrest!\u201d The Sheriff cuffed William and escorted him to the police station. In the intense interrogation room, he finally broke his silence and confessed to the spine-chilling crime he had committed 28 years ago.<\/p>\n
As it turned out, Jennifer had found out about William\u2019s affair with his secretary, Olivia. She wanted to file for divorce, but that was the last thing William wanted to happen to him. Afraid it would tarnish his reputation, and that he would have to pay alimony and share his property with Jennifer after the divorce, he decided to get rid of her.<\/p>\n
When the opportunity presented itself during a picnic with his family in the woods, William pushed her off a steep cliff. He sighed with relief and immediately fled the spot after seeing her body plunge into the river below. But unfortunately, William failed to wait a little more to see Jennifer getting washed away in the current after miraculously surviving the deadly fall!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"