After discovering a hidden door at their late mother’s house, Emily and Stacey's relationship is shattered. However, with time, things take a turn, and peace is restored in their lives.
Usually, you’d expect siblings to bicker over minor issues and cause problems for their parents, but Emily and Stacey were a complete contrast to that. In fact, both sisters were fiercely protective of one another, and if one were in distress, the other would rush to her aid.
However, as time passed, things began to change, and the sisters got busy with their daily lives. They married, had children, and relocated to other towns. Even so, their love and concern for one another never faded—at least not until they received a piece of news that shook their world. Their mother left them for her heavenly abode.
The secret door that shattered the sisters' relationship | Photo: Shutterstock
Emily and Stacey flew over to say their final goodbyes to their mother and organized a lavish funeral for her. After the funeral, Emily accompanied Stacey to their mother’s house. The sisters looked around the house, and their eyes welled up with tears.
“I can’t believe mom is no longer with us. It really breaks my heart,” Stacey mumbled, her face almost scarlet from crying.
Emily moved towards Stacey and hugged her. “It’s strange how we feel a void after someone we love passes away unexpectedly. But don’t worry, Stacey, we’ll be fine,” she consoled her.
Stacey hugged her tighter. “I still remember the days when we’d rush home from school, and she’d bake cookies for us. I will miss those days. I will miss everything about her.”
Emily tried to calm Stacey down. “Would you like to take a tour of the house then? That way, we can revisit those moments before we leave and sell the house,” she said. "It would make her feel better," she reasoned.
Emily consoled Stacey after their mother's death | Photo: Pexels
Thankfully, Stacey agreed. “Yeah, sure,” she responded in a low voice.
While touring the house, Stacey and Emily found some old photos of themselves and even the costumes they wore as kids. Their mother had kept everything safely in her cupboards. Some of those things brought smiles to their faces, while others left them sad. But in the end, they felt relieved after looking at them.
Then before leaving, they decided to take a tour of the basement to see whether their mother had left any other boxes containing their childhood belongings. Suddenly, their gaze was drawn to a box kept in the middle of the room.
As the sisters moved it to see what was inside, they discovered a secret door underneath. They were perplexed. They'd been in the house for a long time but hadn't seen it before.
Maybe it was because the basement was usually crammed with junk when they were youngsters, but now that they'd moved out, it was relatively empty, and the door was easy to figure out. Anyway, they decided to check it out.
Stacey and Emily didn't know the basement had a secret door | Photo: Pexels
They unlocked the door right away and discovered that it led to a hidden room. They climbed down the stairs and found the room empty -- except for a box kept in one corner. Stacey rushed over to it and opened it, but what she found inside puzzled her.
The box was filled with pictures of two people posing with a baby. As Stacey looked closely, it suddenly hit her. The baby was none other than herself. But the two other people … she didn’t know them.
Then while she was fiddling with other pictures, an envelope landed on the floor. Stacey picked it up and began reading. A few minutes later, her eyes filled with tears. She turned to Emily and yelled in anger, her eyes moist. “Why did you hide it from me? Just why?”
“Stacey, what’s the matter?” Emily inquired, confused.
After reading the letter, Stacey lashed out at Emily | Photo: Pexels
“You know I AM ADOPTED. Don’t you, Emily?”
Emily was stunned. “But.. how did you...I mean, how did you get to know? I wanted you to know about it, but mom made me promise not to tell you.”
Stacey looked at her furiously. “Of course, she didn’t want me to know. That’s why she made you sign this stupid letter!” With that, Stacey tossed the envelope in front of Emily. When Emily read the letter, she understood what Stacey was talking about.
“Look, Stacey. It doesn’t matter. I’ve always loved you, and mom loved you too. We are a family,” Emily replied and held Stacey’s hand.
But Stacey shrugged her hand out of Emily’s and began yelling, “You’re a bloody liar! You, mom, everyone! I want to know about my birth parents. You guys know about them, right? Don’t think about lying now. It’s mentioned in the letter that you know about them.”
Emily tried to explain to Stacey why she didn't tell her the truth but Stacey didn't listen to her | Photo: Pexels
At this point, Emily realized that Stacey wouldn’t calm down until she got to know the entire truth. So, she decided to tell her everything.
Emily explained that Stacey was their mother’s best friend’s daughter. Her mother’s name was Clara. After Clara and her husband passed away in a car accident, their mother decided to take on the responsibility of racing Stacey.
“So, that’s all,” Emily said as she finished telling Stacey about her past. “I wanted to tell you before, but mom was afraid you’d lash out. I guess she wasn’t wrong. Anyway, now that you know the truth I hope you won’t be angry at us. We are a family, after all.”
“Family?!” Stacey glared at Emily. “I HATE YOU FOR THIS! I can’t believe you kept this hidden from me. I could have at least paid a visit to my parents’ graves once a year, but you guys took away that right from me. Do you think I’ll forgive you guys?! NEVER! I will never forgive you or mom for this!” Stacey yelled and left.
Stacey just walked away | Photo: Pexels
Emily wished she could stop her, but she knew it would be futile. So, she just stood there silently as she saw Stacey walk away.
Months went by. Emily tried contacting Stacey several times, but Stacey didn’t return her calls or texts. Day and night, she just kept thinking about how her mother and sister had betrayed her.
Sadly, that took a heavy toll on her body, and her health deteriorated. The doctors told her she’d need immediate treatment, but then came another trouble knocking on her door. Her husband lost his job, and the family was now struggling to make ends meet.
Due to a lack of proper medical care, one day, Stacey’s body gave way. Doctors hospitalized her, but the costs were too much for them to bear. Thankfully though, somehow, they received a remittance.
It was Emily who had sent the money | Photo: Pexels
When Stacey got discharged from the hospital, the doctors informed her it was Emily who had sent the money to her. Stacey's husband had called Emily asking for help. When Emily learned her sister was in trouble, she immediately transferred the money and asked the doctor to take good care of her sister.
That day, Stacey realized that the true foundations of relationships are love and care. It doesn't matter if they're related by blood or not.
She immediately called Emily and apologized to her. “I’m sorry, Emily. I was so wrong to lash out at you. You are the best sister in the world. I doubt my own sister would have gone to such lengths to help me. I LOVE you. I really do!”
So, in the end, Stacey gave up her hatred and reunited with her sister.
What can we learn from this story?
- Relationships are built with love and care and not necessarily by blood. Emily and Stacey weren’t related by blood, but Emily loved Stacey like her own sister.
- Love and care can transform a person. Stacey’s anger went away when she realized Emily had helped her during the hard times.
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