Unravelling The Mystery

When I entered the office, I found almost all the sisters seated with grave expressions on their faces. On the other side of the room sat four strangers. I couldn't help but feel dizzy again; it felt like I couldn't breathe. I grasped the door for support, and one sister was quick to come and help. She gently led me to a chair and had me sit down.

The main sister cleared her throat. She looked pained by the information she was about to deliver. I braced myself for the impact of the coming message, but nothing could have prepared me for the next few minutes—or even the next part of my life...

"Chloe, umm, these people seated in front of you are here because of you. They have a message for you, to be precise. Please, dear, listen to them carefully and don't be afraid or anything. They hold answers to some questions none of us can give you, even if we wanted."

I looked at the sister, who was like our mother, and nodded dumbly. I then let my eyes wander to the other side of the room and looked at the strangers. Was it weird that I wasn't looking forward to their message? Even though the sister said they had certain answers to certain questions, some information was better off when nobody knew... But fate had it, and who was I to stop fate?

The man seated closest to the window cleared his throat. These people were so huge! And they were too good-looking—so unreal. I couldn't spot a single flaw in any of them. The men looked like gods, and the only lady among them looked angelic. I couldn't help but stare at her. She looked up, and our eyes met. She was really beautiful. She stared directly into my eyes without blinking. Her face revealed no emotion, and though her eyes were hypnotic, they held no information. She had closed herself off, but I realized that all of them had. The man cleared his throat again, and that brought my attention back to him.

"Chloe," he said. I felt the same weird jolt I had felt when the hot guy held me in the hallway. His voice was smooth and silky, it sounded out of this world. It was soft yet strong, commanding yet soothing. I gulped.

"Chloe," he called again. I looked up at him but quickly looked down at my hands. I couldn't hold his gaze. "Please listen carefully. We're here to tell you who you are."

My heart rate spiked. What did this guy mean by telling me who I was? I felt all kinds of emotions flood through me—anger, anxiety, hate, disappointment, and dread. I was surprised I wasn't eager to know this. The need to know who I was, which I had harbored all these years, suddenly disappeared. I just wanted to curl into a ball and fall asleep. Why did these people show up now? Why hadn't anyone bothered to find me earlier? What was their involvement with me? Why did I feel negative vibes coming from them? I felt like crying, but I had to hold it together. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, and that only fueled my anxiety. But there was one gaze that was stronger. Whoever it was, their eyes were burning into me with such intensity that I found myself unwillingly looking up at them. It was the lady. She was staring at me with such strength. This time, she had an emotion in her eyes, but I couldn't place it exactly. Was it pity? Or sadness? I couldn’t know. She quickly closed off and looked away. That was funny; the last time we held gazes, I had to look away because I couldn't hold hers. But she withdrew this time. Strange!

"Chloe, I know you're confused right now," the guy continued. Hell, yeah, I was confused! But I was also so many other things right now, I thought to myself, but stayed quiet so he could go on.

"I'll start by saying sorry. You deserve at least that. Your original name was not Chloe..."

What? I was exasperated. What did he mean by "my original name was not Chloe"? The sisters had said the piece of paper indicated I was named Chloe! What was going on??

"I’m sorry. So sorry, gal," he said. I think he saw my agony, but he kept going.

"Your parents had to change your name because of certain things. It was very important—it was for your own good and safety."

At the mention of my parents, I felt rage and a strange emotion wash over me. Did I want to know about them? No! Was I interested in why it was for my good and safety? No! But... I did have a tiny bit of interest. I was curious as to why I had been dropped off here. Not because I disliked the home, but because I needed answers—why would my parents throw me away?

"You should know that your parents never wanted to drop you off here. It was against their will, but they had no option."

I scoffed out loud. Against their will? No option? Who were they to have no option but to throw away their baby?

The lady looked at me with disapproval when I scoffed. Who was she? Why did she look at me like that? She hadn't been left in a home with nothing but a name and date scribbled on a piece of paper, with no clothes but a towel.

Hey, lady, don't dare show me your attitude, I thought to myself. The guy continued...

"They were so devastated when they dropped you off that your mother almost took you back with her. But it was of utmost importance. She was heartbroken and felt as if she was failing as a mother."

Yeah, that serves her right. No woman with a heart could leave their child out in the world like that.

"Your name is Andrea... You were named after your great-grandmother. You also look a lot like her. She was a great person and held major importance in our society—she was a legend. When you were born, you were so similar to her that we knew we had to take you away immediately. Your mother refused, and even your father supported her. They urged us to wait until you were one, at least, so we could observe you and decide what to do. So, one year later, we urgently needed to take you from there, since your life was threatened. Your mother and father, with heavy hearts, agreed it was for the best."

I’m called Andrea? Wow, it's beautiful, but I liked Chloe more. And my great-grandmother? Strange and similar to her? This was too much information to digest. My life was threatened?? Unbelievable! How could my life be threatened at such a tender age? And by whom? For what reason? I had so many questions, I could feel an oncoming headache.

I’m more confused than ever now...

Who am I???