At that moment, Ella's face had turned ghostly pale, her whole body trembling, eyes glistening with unshed tears. She looked like she was on the verge of breaking down.
"Ella! Ella! It’s not what you think!” I rushed to her side, desperate to comfort her. “Cassie … Cassie is your twin sister. She isn't ….”
However, before I could finish my word, Ella suddenly shoved me away. With tears streaming down her face, she shouted, “Mom, please! Stop lying to me! I heard everything you and Dad said! I’m not your real daughter. Cassie is! You don’t have to keep pretending to me …”
“No, Ella! When have I ever lied to you?” Panic gripped me as I saw her labored breathing and agitated expression. I frantically searched for her heart medication. “Please, don’t get upset! You have a heart condition. Promise me, Ella, stay calm… You’re my daughter, you're always my child.”
Her face was flushed, but suddenly, her face seemed off and she collapsed in my arms. I turned, about to plead with Simon to convince Ella that she was our daughter, but he just stood up, furious and out of nowhere, he produced a folder and slammed it onto the table in front of us.