Racheal's heart raced as she stumbled through the uneven terrain leading to the Silent River. The rush of water echoed in her ears, but it was nothing compared to the frantic drumming of her own pulse. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, the evening sun casting eerie shadows on the riverbank. Then she saw her Mom.
Not sitting. Not in a wheelchair. But standing, poised at the very edge of the river, the gentle breeze teasing the loose strands of her hair.
Racheal skidded to a halt, her breath catching in her throat. "Mom?!"
Harriet turned slowly, a soft smile curling on her lips.
"I knew you would come."
Racheal's legs nearly gave way beneath her. "I... I don't understand. You were paralyzed! and now you can stan"
"I know what the doctor said," Harriet interrupted calmly. "But I also know my body. I knew the remedy for the poison I took."
Kate, who had arrived moments later with David, stood frozen, her hands clutching her protruding belly. "This... this isn't real. I must be hallucinating," she whispered, eyes darting from Racheal to Harriet. "Racheal, is that really Mom? Or someone that looks like her?"
Harriet chuckled, stepping closer to them. "Oh, Kate. It's me. The real me. Come, let's go home. There's no need for this fear."
Racheal remained rooted to the ground, her mind whirling. Nothing made sense. Her mother had been completely dependent on a wheelchair just hours ago. And now she stood before them, whole and unhindered. "How is this possible?" Racheal whispered, mostly to herself.
Harriet reached for her daughter's hands. "Some things are beyond human understanding, my dear. What matters is that I'm here now. Alive. And I'm not going anywhere."
Racheal still felt like she was trapped in some twisted dream, but she nodded slowly.
"Let's go home."
Harriet's recovery, though miraculous, left a lingering tension in the air. No one knew what to make of it. She refused to explain further, brushing aside their questions with a simple,
"I poisoned myself, and I knew the remedy."
But Racheal couldn't let it go.
"Mom, I need you to tell me what really happened. You almost died the other day, and now you're here walking as if nothing happened. I need to know the truth. What did you do? What really happened?"
Racheal exhaled, her gaze distant. "If I told you I had stopped thinking about it all this while, that would be a lie. I just needed time to mourn your father's death." she sat close to her mother, gripping her hands tightly.
"Mom, tell me the truth."
A long silence stretched between them before Harriet finally spoke.
"The truth is... I wanted to die. Especially after learning that your father killed my son."
Her voice wavered, but she quickly composed herself.
"I took a poison I planted myself. It's one of a kind Rachael,only the George household has cultivated it for years. And we alone possess the antidote. You take it, and you're cured instantly."
Racheal's breath hitched. "Poison? Antidote? What are you talking about?"
"Come with me. There's a lot you need to know."
Harriet led her through the garden, her steps unwavering. They reached a secluded area, a part of the estate Racheal had never paid much attention to. Harriet pointed at a patch of exotic, unfamiliar plants.
"There. That's the poison your father and I cultivated. The most expensive poison in the world. It's actually illegal, Racheal." Her mother's voice was laced with something akin to pride.
"And here…" She led Racheal to another section, where identical plants bore strikingly different leaves. "This is the antidote. Even rarer and even more expensive."
Racheal's mind reeled. She had always thought of her family as privileged, influential. But this? This was something else entirely.
Harriet studied her daughter's expression. "Now, let's go inside. And I hope you can keep our little secret, Racheal."
She smiled, but there was something unsettling behind her gaze. Racheal swallowed hard, following her mother back into the house, her thoughts spiraling into chaos.
Meanwhile, Kate's due date loomed closer. She spent most of her days in the sunroom, a stack of books beside her, preparing for the arrival of her twins. The baby kicks were stronger, more frequent, and at times, she swore she could hear their tiny hearts beating in sync with hers.
Racheal had thrown herself into running the family business, burying herself in work. But when she returned home that evening, something felt... off.
She heard voices coming from the guest room downstairs. A hushed conversation. A man's voice.
Her pulse spiked. "Mom? Kate?" she called, following the sound.
She knew everyone in the house, the housekeepers didn't even live inside with them. So who was this?
She reached the door, hesitated for a second, then pushed it open.
A man stood inside, mid-conversation with Harriet. He turned to face her, and the moment their eyes met, Racheal's world tilted.
Her breath caught in her throat. "Oh my" But she didn't finish her sentence.
Her vision blurred, her knees gave way, and darkness swallowed her whole as she collapsed onto the floor.
approved
"Adam! Please, get Racheal!" Harriet's voice cut through the tension.
Adam rushed forward, lifting Racheal onto the sofa. "She'll wake up soon. It's nothing to worry about."
After a while, Harriet opened a small vial and held it close to Racheal's nose. A sharp, pungent scent filled her nostrils, forcing her back into consciousness.
Racheal gasped, sitting up in shock.
"I had a terrible nightmare Dad came back to this house.."
She stopped mid sentence as Adam stepped forward. Her heart slammed against her ribs. She screamed.
"Racheal, calm down!" Harriet urged, gripping her arms.
"It's not what you think," Harriet reassured her. "This is your father's twin, Adam."
Adam nodded.
"Hello, Racheal. I am your uncle."
Racheal stared at him in shock. "Twin?" She looked between Adam and Harriet. "But Dad never said anything about having a brother."
Adam sighed. "Allow me to explain."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "When Anthony and I were boys, we were inseparable. And it became obvious that I was being primed to inherit the George empire. Until our 18th birthday. That was the day everything changed."
Racheal listened, her pulse racing.
"We were down by the Silent River when Anthony pointed a rifle at me, his eyes void of humanity. He told me about the George curse,how one twin always meets a violent end, usually at the hands of the other. But that day, he spared me. He told me to run away and never return so I ran away from home and vanished, without any trace. I joined the military in Russia, desperate to outrun the curse."
Racheal's eyes were glued to Adam's face, her mind reeling with the shocking revelation. "So, you're my uncle?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Adam nodded, a gentle smile on his face. "Yes, Racheal. I'm your uncle."
Just then, Racheal's phone rang, shattering the silence. She hesitated for a moment before getting up to answer it. "I need to take this," she said, her eyes apologetic.