8

“I’m an adult now; I can make my own decisions.” Before Mr. and Mrs. Anderson could react, Alfred stared at me in disbelief, “You… you’re refusing? Why? You used to…” I tugged at the corner of my mouth, smiling silently. “I thought I made it clear before,” I calmly met his gaze, “This time, I never considered returning to the Anderson Family.” “I am now Dolores Brown, your daughter or sister, Elaine, not me.” Alfred's face grew pale. Mom suddenly rushed forward and hugged me tightly, her tears soaking my shoulders. “Dolores, during the years you were missing, Mom thought about you every day. How could you… how could you not recognize Mom!” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elaine standing nearby, biting her lip, her face showing a look of loneliness. “If I come back,” I asked softly, “what about Elaine?” I looked straight into Mrs. Anderson’s eyes. “Dolores, Mom will definitely make it up to you! Mom knows you’ve suffered all these years. When you come back, we’l