Daughter

As soon as Chantal left, the elders wore a somber expression.

Nobody knew where to start.

After what seemed like an eternity, Vanessa finally spoke, breaking the silence in the room.

"I don't understand. I swear I only have twins. There wasn't any indication of it being triplets during my pregnancy." Vanessa remembered. "I swear I only pushed out two babies."

Osmond looked towards the elders, seeking help in explaining the details.

"That's because you only have twins." Regina finally said.

Vanessa's mouth was agape in shock. "What?! But I have Chantal and Diana."

The room was quiet.

"Are you saying that one of them isn't mine?! Did you take someone else's baby to replace the one I lost?!" Vanessa stared at them incredulously, standing up from the couch and paced back and forth.

Receiving no answer from anyone in the room, she sat back down.

"Where did you get the baby? And which one of them?!" Vanessa was furious. She gritted her teeth, her hands were closed in a tight fist, making nail marks on her palms.

She can't even begin to grasp how she ended up raising a child that's not her own. And now to face the truth that one of them isn't hers is just mind-boggling.

But before anyone can respond, a thought formed in her head.

"It's Diana isn't it? She's always been different from us. She doesn't look like anyone from my side of the family. I'm certain it's not Chantal. I've had baby pictures that are similar to how Chantal was." Vanessa looked around the room, seeking confirmation.

Elaine only nodded.

"So where did you get Diana?!" Vanessa was still fuming mad at being lied to.

At this, Osmond was about to say something when Regina spoke.

"She was an abandoned baby who happened to be born around the same time."

"Abandoned?!" Vanessa's emotions were a mixture of shock, pity and confusion.

Realizing that the elders have their mouth shut now, Vanessa just leaned back on the couch, her eyes wet with tears.

"This doesn't change the fact that I've raised her as my real daughter all these years."

Osmond nodded, relieved. "I agree. She was an innocent in all of this, just like you and Chantal."

"How did she die?"

"There was complications.. She didn't make it."

"Did she suffer?" Her voice shook.

"No, I don't believe so."

They unanimously made a decision to not let this matter cause discord in their family.

They couldn't have known however that just outside the door, Chantal was eavesdropping.

There was no doubt in her head that she is Vanessa's daughter. But now that she found out Diana's true identity, she can't help but recall all those past memories.

Even if she was very much loved by her family, and was doted on by them, she still couldn't stop feeling insecure when it comes to other people.

Just like what her mom said, she looked like her cousins on her maternal side of the family. She even looked a lot like Vanessa when Vanessa was only a child.

But when stood next to Diana, the latter was always the prettier one, without effort. Even dressed plainly, Diana still stood out. She was naturally skinny as well. Unlike her, who has always struggled with weight control, even having an eating disorder just like her mom at one point, until they decided to have her go on surgery to suppress her appetite 2 years ago.

Only then she felt more comfortable in her skin.

Her facial features may be slightly subpar compared to Diana but there is nothing a little plastic surgery can't fix.

Now that she found out that Diana is not her biological sister, all she felt for her was disgust.

How did she let herself feel insecure by an abandoned child?

She is nothing in the Carlton and Winchester family.

If anything, she is a true charity case. She's an orphan.

'She could even be the daughter of a druggie.'

Her lips curled in disgust at the thought. To think she has lived 22 years of her life, acknowledging her as a twin?

And yet she can still remember how Diana would always appear nonchalant when facing her.

Even if her friends would taunt Diana, the latter would always ignore their jibes. As if they were nothing but hyenas, making a fool of themselves. This has always irked Chantal.

But with this knowledge on hand, she is sure that Diana will have nothing to benefit from their family anymore. If anything, the once neutral Vanessa, would start to look at her differently. If anything, whatever hold Diana has in the family is gone.

And Henry, for sure he wouldn't even glance at Diana after knowing the truth. Who would want her now?

She's not worthy to with anybody. She would only be someone's burden.

Good days are coming for Chantal, she is sure of it. Now, she's the one and only granddaughter of the Winchester family.

She was disappointed that they would still choose to keep Diana though. She's not blood-related to them. Why do they need to keep an outsider?

This discovery have definitely changed the dynamics in their family.

Who could have expected that one of the twins was fake? That the real twin of Chantal have been dead all these years? That the elders except for Vanessa all knew about it and were in on it all along. How could they have made such a decision on their own? They couldn't trust her enough to handle her own mental health? There's always the therapists available to help her get through it. Why should they make up such an elaborate lie? Couldn't they have given her the chance to make a decision?

Vanessa couldn't help but feel resentful to them.

For 22 years, she has been fooled so thoroughly.

She also could not resolve the fact that she didn't even realize she was raising a child that was not her own flesh and blood. That she didn't know that her real baby has died. That her real baby have been replaced. What kind of mother is she to not even know for 22 years? She didn't even feel that there was a difference?

She did say that she has raised Diana as her daughter all these years, but would she really be able to look at her the same way?