The police had cracked a major case and arrested my adoptive parents. They said the old couple who had been beating and scolding me all day weren't my biological parents. They were the murderers who had taken me away and ruined my life.
The police officer caressed my head with heartache. He pressed a few photos into my hands.
"Don't be afraid. We've found your biological parents. Once the paperwork is completed, they'll take you home."
That night, I was so excited I couldn't sleep. I drew my imaginary family portrait based on the three people in the photo. My gentle mother, my tall father. My sister, who would protect me and grow up with me.
When I actually returned to that home, I found a family portrait there, too. The family photo was exactly as I'd imagined. The only thing was, there was no place for me.
My father looked at me as I awkwardly explained, "After you went missing, your mom was so heartbroken she fell ill. We had no choice but to adopt a boy your age from an orphanage."
My mother also hugged me, crying, "It's okay, Sharon. You and Shawn are both my children. This is God's compensation for me. From now on, we'll be a family, never to be separated again!"