Everything went quiet then. "Is this true?" Katherine asked again.
"This doesn't concern you Katherine. Get back upstairs while we deal with this." Her father ordered. His daughter refused to move.
"Dad, this girl has shown up, claiming to be my sister and you want me to stay silent and go back upstairs? No, I'm not going anywhere."
"Sweetheart-" Mum started in warning.
But Katherine would not be silenced.
"Tell me!"
There was more silence, tense and uncomfortable.
"Yes." Dad finally spoke in a broken voice. "Katherine, this is your older sister Lily and she's the same age as you."
Surprise. Shock. Horror. Those were the feelings that tore through Katherine's soul as she processed this information. It was true. She could barely bring herself to say the next words:
"So for seventeen whole years, you never told me? I've been separated from my own big sister for all these damned years and she's been abandoned and alone?"
Mum and Dad nodded numbly.
"Why didn't you tell me!" Katherine yelled. "I could have taken it, you know! You've been keeping me away from making real friends while Lily's been out in the world alone without her family! What kind of parents are you?"
"Sweetie, that's enough! You're too young to understand!" Mum shot back.
"Oh I don't understand anything, do I!" In one swift and angry motion, Katherine threw down the framed image of their recent family photo and it shattered to a million little pieces. Dad spun to Lily with a furious look on his face. "I suggest you leave right now! You are not welcome here!"
"I'm you're daughter too!" Lily protested. "Please don't send me away! I promise I'll behave!"
"You are not our daughter! You are nothing! And you will leave."
"NO." Katherine spoke through gritted teeth, her tone strong and defiant. Mum turned, eyes wide. "What did you just say?"
"You know damn well what I said! Lily is my biological older sister whether you like it or not and she's staying."
With that, Katherine chucked on her thick coat, compassionately helped Lily with hers, then the newfound sisters wandered outside, leaving Mum and Dad behind.
YOU ARE READING
On That Winter's Night.
Детектив / ТриллерKatherine thought she was just an only child. That is until a mysterious girl, claiming to be her long lost sister turns up. Could she be her sister? Or is it a hoax? And more importantly, is Katherine's sister the key to revealing the secrets that...
