Ophelia? (Entered In 2022 Wattys Award)

Devil's Face Revealed?

Life brings so many twists and turns that the human himself fails to fathom what is waiting for him in the next second.
So, he is always getting shocking surprises from life.

That's what Amelia is feeling right now.
Never have she thought for once that such an unthinkable turn may come into her life.
She is Sammy's daughter? Who is Richard? Her real father?
But Sammy never mentioned his name. Is it true?

What about her present parents then? The Johnson family?
They have adopted her? They are her adopted parents?

So many questions.....
But the truth, the answers to all these are scattered around her; in the envelope.

Amelia has been checking the same documents repeatedly. She is just rubbing her teary eyes that are making everything blurry for her.

Who knows? She might be imagining things. She might have surely read something wrong. But alas! Nothing changed; not a word.
The words are staring at her with the same intensifying bluntness. Amelia feels they are mocking her,
" Your whole life was a lie, Amelia until now! "

She looks at the diary where Sandra wrote those lines. Is it even possible?
She is so jealous of her that she has decided she won't ever disclose this crucial truth to Amelia.

" No! "
She wants to scream but her voice gets suppressed. She doesn't want this type of truth.

The words of the diary also get life suddenly.
" She is not your real friend, Amelia! She took Shawn away from you! Now she wants to snatch your biological mother from you! She is a traitor! "

" No! It's can't be! Just stop! Please! "
She screams.

She places her hands tightly to her ears as if she were trying to hide them from hearing the truth.
" Please, stop! For God's sake! "
She screams again.

" Amelia? What happened? Why did you scream? "
Sammy places her hands on Amelia's shoulder. She looks at Richard who has also come, running behind her.

Richard was not here when Amelia came. So, he doesn't know who Amelia is. He has gone outside to bring a gift for Sammy. He is supposed to return home today. So, he has decided to give her something she likes.
When he was persuading Sammy to take his gift, they heard a scream. He was surprised as he didn't know there was someone else in the house.

He looks concerned for the girl. Because she is visibly shaking. God knows what has happened to her. He bends down and asks her,
" Are you okay, miss? What happened?"

Amelia looks at the man with a strange gaze. She is also unknown about his identity. She removes her eyes from him and looks at Sammy.

She suddenly feels a strong urge to cry her heart out when she sees Sammy's concerned gaze. She wants to cry until her soul leaves her body... until she feels nothing and succumbs to nothingness.

But what has happened to her voice? Why is it unable to form any words? She needs to say something but she can't even concentrate on a definite object.
Is she going mad? Paralyzed in shock?

" What happened, dear? You are scaring me! Say something, Amelia! "
Sammy starts shaking her constantly.

Richard suddenly looks at all the mess around them. He takes the papers in hand and makes a shocking sound.
" You are my daughter? "
He genuinely looks shocked.
" But how can it be? I thought my child is dead! "

" What the hell are saying, Richard? "
Sammy forgets to take a breath.
" What kind of prank is this? "

Amelia forgets everything around her. "He is Richard Wood? My father? "
She looks surprised.