Jessica's POV
Me and my mom went down to see my dad and a man whom I assume is my real dad who abandoned me. He had eyes and nose that resembled mine. But his other features didn't match mine. There was a woman sitting next to him who is most likely my mom. By looking at their appearance, I won't be surprised if they turned out to be millionaires, if not billionaires. They were very elegant in their clothing and posture.
I turned to see James and couldn't help but notice sadness in his eyes when he saw me. I gave him a smile, letting him know that everything will turn out just fine. Or, maybe I was trying to convince myself.
"Jess, this is Mrs. and Mr. Knight. She is Jessica." mom introduced me and I just gave them my infamous fake smile.
"Hi. It's a pleasure to meet you all." I spoke, barely above a whisper.
"Hey dear. I am not sure if Mrs. Scott has told you about the situation but we are your biological parents and we've come to get you back. I really appreciate what Scotts have done to raise you for the past twenty years." Mrs. Knight spoke kindly and I tried to calm myself from showing any emotion.
"Oh really? May I trouble you to ask why you want to take me back after... 20years?" I asked them, trying my best not to show disappointment in my voice.
"Oh dear. We had some hardships going on twenty years ago when I had to assure you to Mrs. and Mr. Scott and it was really kind of them to take care of you all this while." The woman spoke.
She smiled at me and I thought for a second if she was scamming us with her act or something. Something didn't feel right and it was pathetic of them to use a lame excuse to abandon their child and take them back after someone had taken care of me all along. I would have gagged but after hearing a bit of desperation and love in her voice, it was hard to ignore the pang in my heart.
"Hm, well, if that's the case Mrs. Knight, I don't think it's necessary because I have grown up and am an adult now. I was planning to leave Mr. and Mrs. Scott in two weeks after graduation anyway so you don't have to bother. I don't know why you guys left me to someone else twenty years ago and suddenly want me back but if you really want me to live together with you guys, you will have to show me you really mean it and show me your sincerity. But trust me, I don't plan on turning my back on people who raised me all this while just because you showed up after twenty years and claim yourselves to be my parents." My voice felt even foreign to my ears but I was proud of what I've said.
"Sure. We will figure it out on our own. It was pleasant to meet you Jessica, Mr. Scott and Mrs. Scott. Hope we will meet soon." They shook hands and left the house soon after. I was relieved that I didn't have to go with them straight away but it didn't ease the tension in the house.
Mom and dad explained how they got me twenty years ago and they even showed me the certificate. The certificate that I so desperately wanted to tear and turn the situation. I was left speechless and left for my room after our conversation was over.
My head was about to explode with all the information and I cried, hugging my knees to my chest trying to find some comfort in it. I called Rose because I wanted someone to talk to and she was always there for me when I was going through shitty days and she always gave the best advice. I called and she picked me up in the third ring.
"Hey gurl. What's up? Miss me already? I am really surprised that you aren't sleeping right now. How are you planning t-" She stopped talking when she heard me sniffle.
"Jess? Are you crying? What the hell? What happened to you? Who bullied you?" "Rose- I- I am adopted." "Huh?" "They said I wasn't their child and I met my biological parents a few hours ago."
I explained everything and she listened to my naggings patiently. I told her the things and the emotions I was feeling and she helped me calm my emotional hormones down.
"Everything will be fine. I mean, it might not be but no worries, I will stay with you no matter what happens to you. You're still my best friend, adopted or not. Besides, it's not like you will have to cut ties with your parents just because your biological parents showed up. Don't freak out and just take a deep breath and sleep. I promise everything will settle down when time comes. That's how things work, Jess. Nothing is permanent. After you solve your problems, they won't bother you anymore. It's just temporary. Just go with the flow."
"Thanks. I think you know that I called you because I needed someone to talk to and let the feelings out, right? Thank you for listening." I felt a lump in my throat again when I thought about all the things, she has done for me.
"Thank you for always being there for me and I am sorry I wasn't there to save you." I broke down when I remembered I couldn't help her when she got drugged and was almost raped by her ex; Jack.
"Jeez. Calm down. That's what friends are for, right? I am not there to wipe your tears so stop worrying me and freak out. What does that incident have to do with your biological parents anyway? Stop blaming and stressing yourself out. Everyone goes through hardships in their life. I am fine, at least I won't have to see that jackass's face anymore. Don't think too much." Rose spoke on the other end of the phone and she continued after taking a breath.
"There will be even bigger obstacles for you in the future. After all, my standard was too awful to meet that bastard and agree to date him. But everything is in the past now. No worries. On the bright side, you have got to find out the truth and meet your biological parents. You're no longer kept in the dark. As long as you think things in an optimistic way, you will find out how easy your life will be when you live that way."
"Fine. I will listen to you." I took a tissue out from the box and blew my nose.
"Damn, that was loud." Rose laughed from the other side which made me laugh along with her. I am so lucky to have her as my best friend. She always managed to overcome obstacles and challenges to build herself stronger and she just made people laugh when they were feeling down.
She just had in her genes and always managed to calm me down and convince me to stop worrying about things like some sort of therapist. A tear fell from my eyes again when I thought about how lucky I was to have her as my best friend.
After talking for half an hour more, it was almost four and we hung up, too sleepy and tried to continue talking. I was mentally and physically exhausted and drifted off as my eyelids felt too heavy to stay awake.