The man on the other end paused, his tone growing incredibly heavy and thick with "guilt."
"All those years ago... I was the one who personally swapped you and the Sloan family's daughter at the hospital."
Tamara slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in absolute shock.
The man kept speaking, his pace slow and deliberate, as if unearthing a deeply buried secret.
"Back then, my business had just gone under. I was drowning in massive debt, utterly broke, and there was no way I could give you a good life..."
"By pure chance, I saw how ridiculously wealthy the Sloan family in the same ward was. I thought... if I just swapped my precious daughter with theirs, you'd never have to worry about money for the rest of your life. You'd live in pure luxury..."
"Tamara, Dad has missed you so much all these years."
"I've thought about bringing you back to me every single day."
Tamara's body began to tremble slightly, her perfectly manicured nails digging unconsciously into her palms.
The voice on the phone grew even more affectionate, practically choking back tears.
"All these years, Dad has been busting his gut overseas, swallowing so much hardship... And now, I've finally made something of myself."
"Dad is coming back. Very, very soon."
"Tamara, I called you because I just needed to know... have you been okay all these years?"
Tamara's chest heaved violently as the colossal weight of his words slammed into her.
Pure shock, utter confusion, a dark, hidden thrill of ecstasy, and a murky sense of anticipation for the future... A chaotic mess of emotions tangled together, leaving her completely speechless.
She opened her mouth, finally managing to force her voice out, laced with shaky, desperate hope: "...Are... Are you telling the truth? Are you really..."
"It's true, Tamara. It's all true."
"If you still don't believe me, we can do a DNA test the second I get back to the country."
The man's tone was incredibly firm and reassuring.
"You'll know for sure then."
"Dad is successful now. Once I get back, we can finally be a real family again. I'm going to make up for every single thing I owe you..."
"You will never have to bow your head to anyone ever again. My daughter deserves the absolute best this world has to offer."
VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Prison-Made Queen