"No, it can't be. This can't be true." Melanie shook her head and stared at her family, who were looking at her in contempt. Their eyes were filled with so much disdain that it tore her apart from within.
Melanie's eyes burned with tears, blurring her vision. Yet, she couldn't remove what she had just seen from her sight.
Gripping the DNA report in one hand, the other clenched her dress tight. In her anguish, Melanie didn't even realize that she was wearing her wedding gown and it was her wedding day.
"Mom, please tell me this is all a lie," she begged her mother, her voice choking with emotion.
"Don't call me Mom. I'm not your Mom." An older woman, in her mid-fifties, replied curtly. She glared at her hatefully, making Melanie's body quiver in shock. She had never seen such an emotion in her mother's eyes before. Her mother had always held a warm smile, her eyes filled with love and indulgence.
Suddenly, the woman before her appeared foreign. Melanie couldn't imagine that she'd one day receive such a look from her.
"Mom..." Melanie's voice was stuck in her throat, and her body bent forward slightly as she tried to hold her sobs. Although she looked gorgeous in her white wedding gown, at that moment, she was more like a broken angel as her sobs resounded in the room.
"Didn't you hear what Nadia said?"
Melanie heard her father speak. His tone didn't hold much emotion, but she sensed his impatience and disgust.
Why were they disgusted with her? What had she even done?
"Open your eyes and read the report thoroughly, Melanie. You were never our daughter. You're just an imposter who occupied my daughter's place," Howard said, glowering at her, wishing to burn her to death.
Melanie sniffled a few times and waited until her eyes cleared up. She read the DNA report again, the reality consuming her slowly. She wasn't the Gilroy family's daughter. She didn't have their blood running through her veins. She was just an imposter.
Then who was she?
Instantly, her eyes shot towards the young woman standing beside her mother.
Lana.
Melanie knew her. Dressed in a long, green satin mermaid dress with sequins creating a beautiful pattern on the skirt and sleeves, and a detachable train, Lana looked pretty. But she seemed to be overdressed for the wedding. So, instead of looking gorgeous, she appeared tacky and out of place.
But Melanie's focus was fixed on Lana's face, and she glanced at her mother. It was then she noticed how similar they looked, especially their eyes and lips. Anybody who saw them could easily tell that they were mother and daughter.
All of a sudden, the reality hit her like a Mack truck, taking her breath away. Her chest constricted in pain, and her mind cleared. Slowly, a very impossible notion started to invade her mind.
Suppressing her thoughts for a moment, she returned her attention to her father. 'Should I call him my adopted father now?' Melanie thought, finding the situation absurd.
For a moment, she even wondered if everything was a dream. She even pinched herself discreetly, only to hiss softly in pain.
Taking control of her emotions, Melanie met her father's gaze. "Is Lana your daughter?"
Howard narrowed his eyes as he studied Melanie. She was oddly composed for the predicament she was in. Although she appeared sorrowful, she wasn't as aggrieved as he had assumed her to be. Giving her a mysterious look, he nodded, silently acknowledging the truth.
"How long have you known the truth?" Letting out a dejected breath, Melanie asked her next question.
This time, Howard panicked, and his eyes quivered while his nails dug into his skin. Although he masked his expression in seconds, Melanie had captured the changes on his face, and she smiled wryly to herself.
"So, you've known the truth for a long time." She didn't ask. She stated calmly, slowly accepting the truth. She was not a Gilroy.
"Where are my parents?" This time, the question was meant for Lana, and she looked at the woman who was of her age, observing her calmly.
"How'd we know? We aren't here to keep a record of everyone's parents." Nadia's high-pitched voice hit her ears, making Melanie squint her eyes in dismay.
Melanie didn't look at her. She kept her eyes focused on Lana, waiting for her to speak.
"You..." Nadia was livid at her blatant disrespect. She stepped forward to teach Melanie a lesson, only to halt when Howard stopped her.
"Your parents will be here soon. I've already informed them of the truth," Lana said, her tone dripping with arrogance. She even eyed Melanie as if she were a thief.
"Very well then," Melanie nodded, too tired to talk to her anymore. "I guess I'll wait until they arrive."
Melanie had no idea that the entire proceedings were being broadcast live to all the guests in the banquet hall outside. They stared at each other, too stunned to make out of the situation.
They were waiting for the wedding to begin. Who knew they'd find out such a shocking truth before the event started? Would the wedding even proceed now that Melanie wasn't a Gilroy anymore?
Everybody's eyes instantly followed the groom and his family, who looked equally flummoxed and speechless.
"Will the Harrington family proceed with the wedding?" one of the guests asked the person sitting beside her.
"I am not sure. Liam Harrington is a gentleman, and he loves Melanie. There shouldn't be a problem with the wedding, right?"
"Well, it's hard to say. Now that Melanie isn't the Gilroy's daughter, the Harrington family might not be willing to go ahead with the alliance."
"It also depends on Melanie's parents. If they're rich enough with a high social standing, perhaps the wedding will continue."
All kinds of murmurs and whispers spread through the banquet hall, and the Harrington family heard them all.
"Brother, what are we going to do?" Ashley asked her brother, who was standing silently by the aisle.
Dressed in a white suit, the groom, Liam, looked like a prince, handsome and dignified. Known to be a gentleman, he didn't reveal his thoughts as he watched the scene unfold on the big screen.
The entire Gilroy family, along with Melanie, was visible on the screen. And since they were waiting for Melanie's real parents, there wasn't much discussing going on in the bride's room. Instead, a tense silence filled the air and slowly settled in the banquet hall as well.
Letting out a heavy breath, Liam glanced at his parents, who conveyed their thoughts with their eyes.
"I'll go take a look," he mumbled and, under everyone's scrutinizing gaze, went to the bride's room.
However, before he could reach Melanie's room, a commotion at the entrance caught his attention, and immediately after, he noticed a couple dash inside the banquet hall, followed by three men.
Liam frowned slightly, finding the couple oddly familiar. But he couldn't quite put a name to their faces.
Before he could react and enter the bride's room, he heard the voices from the speaker and turned to the screen, only to find the couple hugging Melanie as they cried their hearts out while calling her their daughter.