The Parent Trap

Chapter 6: The truth (2)

Engfa pushed open the door to Charlotte's house, her hand intertwined with Snack's as they walked into the living room. The moment they entered, Charlotte's eyes shot up, and she sprang to her feet, rushing over to embrace Snack, who remained quietly by Engfa's side. "Baby!" Charlotte exclaimed, kneeling down to envelop her daughter in a warm hug. "Where have you been? Why did you leave school?" The concern in her voice was palpable, yet it lacked any trace of anger or reprimand.

Neither Snack nor Engfa responded. Engfa’s gaze was fixated on Mew, who was seated beside Charlotte earlier, with his arm casually draped over her shoulders.

The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly as Heidi, perched on a nearby single chair, stood up and knelt before Snack. "You really shouldn't do that again, sweetheart,” she said softly. “Your mom was so worried about you. We all were.” Snack simply nodded, absorbing her aunt's concern.

"Where did you find her?" Heidi then asked, her attention turning to Engfa as she rose to her feet and met her gaze.

"At the docks," Engfa replied.

"That's impossible. We searched there already, and she wasn't there," Mew interjected from the couch.

Engfa couldn't help herself and shot back, "Well, maybe you should reconsider your skills as a police officer if you can’t even locate a child," she scoffed.

"Enough!" Charlotte spoke up sharply, her eyes narrowing at Engfa as she stood. "Thank you, Mew. You can head back to the precinct now and tell your officers to stop searching," Charlotte instructed, offering Mew a nod of gratitude.

Mew returned Charlotte's nod before glancing at Engfa, who met his gaze with a defiant glare. As soon as Mew left the house, Heidi sensed the tension in the air and decided it would be best to give Engfa and Charlotte some time alone to address whatever questions were lingering between them.

Turning to Snack, still standing by Engfa, Heidi suggested, "How about we go upstairs and play dress-up? Does that sound fun?"

Snack, adept at gauging the mood in the room, nodded eagerly and followed her Aunt Heidi upstairs, leaving Engfa and Charlotte to navigate the complicated emotions that lay ahead.

Once Engfa found herself alone with her wife, she wasted no time in seeking the truth she desperately needed. She yearned for answers, for closure, and if her suspicions were correct, Charlotte was the only person who could provide them. "Is Snack Mew's daughter?" Engfa had a strong hunch that Snack was adopted, yet she needed confirmation from Charlotte herself.

Charlotte turned to Engfa with a sharp glare. "Of course not! What the hell?"

"But Snack told me that you and him are getting married," Engfa pressed.

Charlotte cut herself off mid-attack, staring at Engfa with growing frustration. With a deep sigh, she neither confirmed nor denied the accusation, simply stating, "Snack's adopted."

"Then may I see the adoption papers?" Engfa's tone had shifted to a demand, eliciting a scoff from Charlotte, who was clearly unimpressed by her ex-wife's entitlement.

With arms crossed, mirroring Snack’s defiant posture, Charlotte challenged, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Is she my daughter, Charlotte?" Engfa's question hung heavy in the air.

Charlotte was taken aback, she hadn't expected Engfa to take Snack's words at face value. Quickly masking her surprise with a scoff, she retorted, "Are you serious? How could she be your daughter? We haven't been together for a decade. I'm surprised you still haven't signed the divorce papers."

"Ten years ago, we signed adoption papers for a two-month-old baby girl in Phuket. We were prepared to take her home, but then the biological parents changed their minds. Snack is ten now, and one night, she appeared at my door, claiming to be my daughter. Make it make sense, Charlotte." Engfa's unwavering gaze bore into Charlotte's.

"Snack's just a child with a wild imagination—” Charlotte began, but Engfa interrupted.

"Then let me see her adoption papers and her birth certificate."

"You've got to be kidding me," Charlotte shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "After everything you've done—being unfaithful to me a decade ago—and now you demand my daughter's files acting so entitled? Just how thick-skinned can you be, Engfa? I've moved on. I adopted Snack as a single mother after you left. That's the only truth you need to hear."

"I never cheated on you, Charlotte. If your trust in me wasn't as strong as mine was, that's on you," Engfa replied, her heart racing.

"Right, it’s on me. That's why I moved on long ago, Engfa. Your presence here is only ruining my life."

Engfa felt the familiar pang in her heart. Charlotte's words were like relentless blows, leaving her breathless. Each accusation reminded her of that fateful night when Charlotte had thrust the divorce papers into her hands. It seemed that after nearly ten years of separation, it was finally time for Engfa to give Charlotte exactly what she had wanted.

She pulled out a recent copy of their divorce papers and a pen from her jeans pocket that she had stashed for this moment—a moment she’d anticipated yet dreaded— before she left Bangkok to bring Snack home. Her hands trembled slightly as she kneelingly placed the papers on the coffee table, signing under her name. Immediately, she stood, blinking rapidly to keep her tears at bay, and handed the documents to Charlotte, who stood motionless, staring at the paper in disbelief before meeting Engfa’s gaze.

"There," Engfa said, struggling to steady her trembling voice. "I’ve signed it. You’re free from me. But please, just tell me one thing, Charlotte. Is Snack the same little girl we intended to adopt ten years ago?"

Despite her efforts to suppress them, tears streamed down Engfa's cheeks as she looked at Charlotte, her eyes pleading for an answer.

Charlotte, too, found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions, a tear slipping down her cheek as she confronted the turmoil within her—torn between her lingering love for the woman in front of her and the pain of their past.

Finally, after a long silence, Charlotte nodded.

Engfa sobbed silently, her shoulders shaking as she fought to contain her anguish. It was a bittersweet moment—she had finally granted Charlotte the freedom she had sought, and in return, she received the answer for her questions.

For Engfa, that was enough. She could live with just that.

"Thank you," she whispered, knowing that this closure, bittersweet as it was, would allow her to move forward.