Dresdale two days later.

Two days have passed since Deacon and Wendy's return to Dresdale. The days seemed to be going in varying directions and taking over the motion of everyday life with monumental twists that were not seen coming.

Evelyn's kidnapping of Elizabeth was only such one event and it was bringing forth more revelations than Wendy wanted to know.

"Are you sure she's your sister?"

Wendy moved from where she stood and walked over to the writing desk in the corner of the room where she pulled out a drawer and took from it Georgia's letter. She handed it to Leela who stared at it then reached for it.

She watched as her friend scanned the contents and then read the words with more preciseness. Her mind drifted to the day Brandon made it more sure than she would have liked.

"What's that?"

Cynthia looked from the envelope to the curious Precilla and then back to the retreating figure of Brandon. She waited until he had driven out of sight before she walked to the table on the porch and sat on one of the chairs.

Wendy watched as she took care of opening the envelope when all she wanted to do was rip it open and see what it held. Her feet trembled when her mother pulled sheets of paper from within.

Her eyes catch a glimpse of a birth certificate then another paper that later turns out to be a death certificate. When her mother unfolded a smaller piece of paper her extremely shaking hands had Wendy moving hastily from where she had stood rooted on the porch step to look down on what had her so worked up.

Her eyes blinked in astonishment as she saw that it was a DNA test that had both her and Evelyn's names on it stating a 99.9% sibling accuracy.

How could this be? She had questioned as she reached for the birth certificate which she saw bore her father's name and Sonia Giles as the parents of Evelyn. Brandon's mother was Evelyn's mother and was her father's child.

She backed away and dropped the paper as if it had burned her fingers but as she looked at her aunt and mother she realized they were not shocked by what was unfolding.

"You knew about this!" she gasped.

There was silence on the porch as she shook her head as if trying to shake the reality from her mind. All this time working with Evelyn and having her meddling in her life in some way or the other as she tried to tolerate her presence they were sisters.

She remembered how on occasions when certain events had transpired Evelyn had related to her in a manner of ways that now left her to speculate she was playing on the knowledge that she had about who she really was.

There was that time in the ladies when Evelyn had helped her out of a rather dire situation her appreciation for her assistance had Evelyn responding, 'What are sisters for.'

There were other occasions on how she treated and dealt with her that caused her to now rationalise that Evelyn's over-familiarity went far beyond what she had concluded.

That time in the office a few days ago stood out, not to mention her behaviour at the staff's Christmas Party. The meddling, overbearing and intervening characteristics of the other woman stemmed from this very matter that was now turning her world inside out.

"I thought I had issues popping up in my life but here you are with more than you bargained for," Leela said bringing her back to the present.

Wendy sighed and stared at Georgia's letter the contents riveted in her mind. She looked away from it knowing it was just another fixture piecing the present together.

Wendy looked sadly at Leela and said. "I had often wondered why Sonia made my life a living hell when she was the one who pushed Brandon and I together. The way she did everything to make me miserable..." Her voice trailed off with a bitter sigh.

Wendy looked at her friend her eyes brimming with the misery of this new turn of events in her life.

"To think I was just her pawn to manipulate and punish because of her being jealous of my mother having the life she never had with my father. She was using that grudge to spite me, Lee."

A single tear ran down Wendy's cheek as her voice cracked under the weight of emotions that were surfacing. "Now--- now we know she kept Evelyn a secret from him the--- then decided to use her in the end to exact her selfish needs. Guess she did not bargain on my father not dancing to her tune."

"Sonia seems to be a wretched woman who will sacrifice anything or anyone for her selfish gain, don't dwell on it," Leela said as she went to wrap her in a comforting hug.

"I just wish he had opened up to me instead of Georgia. I am his daughter dammit!" she snapped. "I am always learning matters of my life the hard way or from others. He could have easily talked to me. I knew they were lovers before he married my mother."

Her whole being raged with emotion she wished not to feel.

"Now I know there was more to it than Sonia's inability to let go of the love she lost with my father. Christ! look at this mess." Wendy cried against her shoulder.

"Listen I know life sucks but learning about the past sets us up to overcome obstacles in the present," Leela told her pulling away so she could look at her. "I have learned that letting go and moving on is often better."

Wendy nodded she understood what Leela meant. She knew there was no use dragging herself down with the situation, the past did not warrant her messing up her present. Certain things just were not worth it.

Sonia's twisted games and her manipulation of her children and the people around her were not going to hamper her happiness anymore. It was best to accept what was and ensure that she stayed focused on taking care of the people who needed her.

Her mother had undergone a lot by becoming her father's wife. That choice had gained her a bitter enemy. Sonia had hoped for her mother's life to be filled with pain but life had in return offered her rival love, success and the companionship she would never had.

It must have tasted like bitter medicine to see her hope and aspirations go to nought.

Even though Sonia had in part gotten her hands on a piece of Preston by obtaining it through Brandon in their divorce settlement and her father doing right by Evelyn in naming her a beneficiary to in his will her callousness caused her to remain steadfast in her element of the scorned woman.

Sonia had created so much hurt, pain and bitterness even though she is sitting on a vast fortune as the Mistress of Brampton the next big family in Duncan Cove.

As much as she would have wanted her father to have shared everything personally with her the past played out how life intended it to.

It might not have changed much anyway if he had she thought to herself.

Evelyn was her sister and by right Preston Manor was hers too but Sonia played her like a chess piece sacrificing her in the end to the twisted hatred that she held for her mother and her.

"Time will make it all better. It's time to focus on your life with Deacon and there is always strength from pain. Use this to build, not break you."

"Thank you, Lee. I know you too have had your share of mishaps but am happy you got your daughter back to think you're getting married to Lionel Withers in a matter of weeks is sure another sign that life leads you where you ought to be."

They both held each other smiling as they asserted themselves to where they now were. They found love and it was their time to build from the rubble a foundation that would allow them to live in the beauty of restoration.

Yes, trials would come that was just a part of life, but they were equipped with determination to make the best of their life. Their past has given them a few tools to fix the problems that will occur in this uncertain yet very giving world. They were not alone they had those who would see them through as well.

"I will see you at the house for Kylie's send-off right?" Leela asked going to get her bag.

"Yes, Deacon and I will be there," Wendy replied following her to the door.

When she stood watching her friend leave for the elevator she saw Deacon stepping out and her heart soared with love. Yes, life was very giving indeed. It gave her Deacon and his love amid her adversities, a friend and a family that had her all the way.

She smiled as he walked into her arms and kissed her soundly before saying.

"I missed you."

"How much?"

"Let me show you."

𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷

Hi 😊

𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑒𝑠 ᵃⁿᵈ 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 is coming to a close. I must thank everyone who stayed with me from the beginning and those who came on board after and never left.
I appreciate you all 🥰

Thank you ( ˘ ³˘)♥︎