2 A New Home

Faye's POV

I stared at the back of that man in a daze. My phone rang again at that moment. I suddenly realized that after the accident, I hadn't checked my phone. I answered the call, and it was the voice of Headmistress Annie.

"Hi, what's up, Headmistress?"

"Faye, I have good news!"

What? Good news? I wasn't excited at all. What could it be? I pondered with boredom. Could someone be willing to sponsor my university education? Other than that, I didn't know what else could qualify as "good news" for me at that point.

I feigned excitement to go along with Annie, even though I didn't really care about what the good news was. Annie exclaimed excitedly, "Faye, your biological mother has found you! Where are you now? Come back quickly. We have a lot to prepare!"

WAIT!

"Annie, please say that again!" I could barely hold my phone, my hands trembling heavily. Wasn't I abandoned? Why would my biological mother suddenly appear?

Annie explained, "There seems to have been a misunderstanding, but I can assure you that your biological mother has indeed found you, and she's living well now. She can offer you a better life too."

Upon hearing this, I started to feel angry. My biological mother? What did that woman mean? After enjoying 18 years of her life, did she suddenly remember she had a lost daughter?

Annie seemed to sense my anger and she reassured me over the phone. "Dear, don't think that your mother abandoned you. In fact, I only found out that she got separated from you due to some unexpected circumstances. Faye, listen to me, come back quickly, and I'll explain everything to you from start to finish!"

Annie hung up the phone, and she had given me an order.

I stared at my phone, couldn't help but mutter a curse under my breath.

If I were 8 years old, I would be thrilled to hear this news. I would jump up and down in places. For a child who grew up without parents, Annie's words were the best news in the world. She had finally found her biological mother, who would offer her a new family, a prosperous life, and a bright future.

But now I was almost 18, on the brink of adulthood, and I had just torn up my university offer letter. I had been supporting myself through work and trying to save money for college. At that moment, my biological mother appeared!

I suddenly didn't know how to approach this situation. Yet, my brain seemed to be under a spell, immediately imagining my biological mother. What kind of person was she? Did she look like me? What kind of life was she living now? Did she have a new family? Did she have other children?

My thoughts were all over the place, but I had to follow Annie's command. I asked Uncle Simon for a leave of absence and hurried back to the orphanage.

I headed straight to Headmistress Annie's office, where she had prepared all the materials for me. She told me a story about a baby getting lost from her biological mother.

18 years ago, a young girl named Elena met a man. They weren't each other's mates, but they chose to be together. Just as they were about to become chosen mates, the man found his fated mate and abandoned Elena. It was then that Elena discovered she was pregnant. She couldn't bear having an abortion, but she didn't have much money, so she ended up giving birth at a small hospital.

After Elena gave birth to the child, the small hospital suddenly caught fire. She was rescued in a hurry and was told that the hospital had completely collapsed, with a few infant bodies found in the ruins, possibly including her child's. Overwhelmed by grief, Elena refused to believe her newborn child had died. For several days, she wandered around the ruins, asking anyone she met for clues. However, she never found her child. Meanwhile, she met a man, her fated mate. He saved Elena in her darkest moment and took her to his pack.

"The protagonist of this story is your mother. She's now living in the Silver Moon Pack, the largest pack in Santan State. The man is the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, and your mother is his Luna." Annie finished telling the whole story.

This story left me shocked for a long time. I never imagined I had such a complex background.

"So, where is she now?" I asked Annie, referring to my biological mother. I'm sorry, but I couldn't call her "mother" at that point. The weight of that word was still too heavy for me.

I looked around, wondering if she might be in the room, listening to my conversation with Annie. Annie could tell what I was thinking and said, "Don't worry, your mother isn't here. She told me that she would respect your choice. You can meet her, or she can come to meet you. She's open to either. She's concerned that her sudden appearance might startle you or cause you stress."

My tensed shoulders relaxed, but there was also a trace of disappointment spreading within me. So, she really wasn't here. After hearing that story, my anger towards my biological mother had lessened quite a bit. Honestly, I did want to meet her.

"Don't be disappointed, dear," Annie told me. At the same time, she handed me a small pink envelope.

Seeing my puzzled expression, Annie pushed the envelope into my hand. "Open it. It's a letter from your mother."

Suddenly, the letter felt heavy in my hands. I hesitated to open it. But I finally unfolded the thin paper inside. It read:

"Dear Faye, I am your biological mother, Elena. I feel fortunate to have found you and am soon going to have you. I hope you can forgive me for not being there to care for you for the past 18 years."

"I've talked to Headmistress Annie. I really hope you can come and live with me. I have a happy family now. I can provide you with a comfortable life. Soon, you'll get to know your two twin brothers. They are my stepsons, along with your sister, my new child. I believe you'll like them, and they'll like you too."

"I don't know if you're willing to see me now. If you are, I'll come to you as soon as possible. If you need some time to accept this, that's okay too. I've left some money for you. When you decide you're ready to meet me, you can come find me."

"Love you, mom."

It was a short letter, and from it, I only got a basic idea of her family. Those words about happiness stung me a bit. But the atmosphere of a family's warmth that seeped through the lines also made me yearn for it greatly.

I looked at the envelope again and found a small photo inside. I pulled it out. It seemed to be a picture of my biological mother, Elena. Seeing her for the first time, I couldn't help but marvel at the magic of genetics. Elena and I really looked alike! We both had red hair. Hers seemed smooth and gentle, while mine was like a wild lion's mane on my head. I had to tie it to a braid that hung down my chest. We both had emerald green eyes and scattered freckles on our cheeks and noses.

This photo won me over. A few days later, oh, today actually, I chose to take a plane to the city where my mother was. In my 18 years of life in the orphanage, I rarely had the money to travel by plane. My mother even arranged for me to travel first class. I had never experienced first class before, and I was curious.

As the plane landed, I reluctantly left the first-class cabin. The unknown awaited me next. I didn't yet know how to greet my mother and her family. How are we going to get along in the future? What if we argue? Or if I didn't like her current family? I knew she had stepsons and a daughter with her current husband. Perhaps this could be my last chance to experience the first class.

With a jumble of thoughts, I collected my luggage, which contained all my documents from the orphanage, as well as my belongings—a few cheap clothes and some dolls that had kept me company. They were worn out, but I insisted on bringing them to Santan State. Oh, there were also letters exchanged with my friends.

I hadn't mentioned any of this to my close friend Sibyl. Everything happened too suddenly, and she was busy studying new magical courses in the forest to become an advanced witch. I thought I would tell her about my situation after I met my biological mother and got to know her better.

I walked toward the exit with the crowd. Many people were standing outside the railing, waiting to greet arriving passengers. I looked around, hoping to find a sign with my name, but there wasn't any sign with "Faye" written on it.

I suppressed my disappointment and sighed silently. But in the next second, I consoled myself. My flight had arrived early, so the person coming to pick me up might still be on the way. They should be arriving soon.

The long flight left me somewhat thirsty. I found a coffee shop. It was a familiar place that gave me a sense of security. I thought I needed a cup of coffee to clear my mind.

I checked my messages on my phone as I walked into the coffee shop. Suddenly, I was bumped into someone and staggered a few steps back. The pain in my shoulder made me grimace.

"Ah…" I couldn't help but let out a pained cry.

I looked up and saw a familiar face. A pair of deep blue eyes like the sea, and a face like a sculpture.