- the truth buried for years.
The moment Rihannat stepped into the Abbas mansion living room, her entire body froze.
Her fingers slipped from faridat's hand.
Her breathing stopped.
For a second, the entire world became silent.
The faces sitting before her were familiar.
Too familiar.
The elegant woman clutching a handkerchief with trembling fingers.
The tall man seated beside her, his eyes already red as though he had been holding himself together for hours.
And the young man standing near the window, staring at her with an expression that looked like disbelief mixed with overwhelming emotion. He joined them some minutes ago, with the way he rushed in, he looks like he came from the office.
Rihannat's lips parted slowly.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"...The Collins family?"
Her eyes filled with confusion as she looked from one face to another.
"What... what is going on?"
Beside her, Faridat swallowed nervously.
"This was what she had wanted to show her. This was why folakemi wanted her to see the woman herself because they are replica of eachother." Rihannat told herself inwardly. Disbelief written all over her face.
And Basit…
Basit finally understood why he could never bring himself to explain it properly over the phone or even in person. There was no gentle way to tell someone that everything they believed about themselves was about to change.
Rihannat turned to Basit immediately.
Her voice shook.
"Basit... why are they here? Who are they?"
Basit opened his mouth but no words came out.
Because even now, seeing her standing there completely unaware, he could not imagine the pain she was about to feel.
Mrs. Collins suddenly stood from her seat.
Tears immediately rolled down her cheeks.
"My daughter…"
The words shattered the atmosphere instantly. This is the second time she's hearing this.
Rihannat blinked.
Then blinked again.
"What?"
Mr. Collins lowered his head emotionally while the young man near the window finally stepped forward slowly.
His eyes never left her face.
"I searched for you...., for years," he said quietly.
Rihannat frowned in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
Her heartbeat began pounding painfully against her chest.
"No…"
She stepped back slowly.
"No, this doesn't make sense."
Her gaze darted toward Basit desperately.
"Basit?"
But Basit could only look at her with sympathy.
That alone terrified her.
Mrs. Collins broke down completely.
"You were stolen from us…"
The room fell silent.
Rihannat stared at her.
Every word sounded distant.
Unreal.
Mr. Collins inhaled shakily before speaking in a low voice.
"You were three years old."
Rihannat's brows furrowed slowly.
Three years old?
"You disappeared from our home…"
Mrs. Collins suddenly covered her mouth as painful sobs escaped her.
"I saw them take you…"
Rihannat's chest tightened immediately.
The older woman trembled violently as though she was being dragged back into the memory against her will.
"That day…" she whispered brokenly, "you were playing around the compound with your toys…"
Her eyes became distant.
"I was sitting in the garden reading…"
Her hands shook harder.
"You kept running back to me every few minutes to show me flowers you picked…"
A painful smile briefly appeared on her lips before disappearing instantly.
"And then…"
Her breathing became uneven.
"I heard you scream."
Rihannat's throat tightened.
Mrs. Collins shut her eyes painfully.
"When I looked up, a man had already grabbed you."
The room became deathly silent.
"You were crying for me…"
Her voice cracked completely.
"You were reaching for me…"
Rihannat suddenly felt tears burn her eyes.
"I ran."
Mrs. Collins began sobbing uncontrollably now.
"I ran barefoot across the compound screaming your name…"
Mr. Collins immediately held his wife's shoulders as she broke down.
"But before I could reach the gate…"
She gasped painfully.
"They bundled you into a car and drove away."
Rihannat's breathing became shaky.
Mrs. Collins cried harder.
"It was an unlicensed car… no plate number… nothing…"
Her voice became hysterical.
"I still hear your scream every night."
The words pierced through the room like a blade.
"I still wake up hearing you call me 'Mummy.'"
Rihannat immediately covered her mouth.
Tears streamed down her face now.
Mrs. Collins continued crying.
"For years I couldn't sleep."
Her body trembled violently.
"Every single night I saw it happen again in my dreams."
Mr. Collins closed his eyes painfully.
"She stopped going near gardens after that day," he said quietly.
"She stopped reading outside."
His voice became heavy.
"She blamed herself for years."
Mrs. Collins cried harder.
"If I had held your hand…"
"If I had watched you more carefully…"
"Maybe—"
"No," Mr. Collins said firmly, pulling her close immediately.
"It was never your fault."
But even after all these years, the guilt had clearly never left her.
The room remained painfully emotional.
Mr. Collins exhaled deeply before continuing.
"We later discovered it was planned."
Basit frowned slightly.
Mr. Collins' eyes darkened.
"One of my business rivals orchestrated it."
Shock crossed several faces.
"He wanted me distracted."
His voice became colder.
"That same day, I had secured a major contract."
Rihannat listened silently through tears.
"He thought if my family collapsed emotionally, I would lose focus and the contract would fail."
Mr. Collins clenched his fists tightly.
"And it nearly did."
Mrs. Collins shut her eyes painfully.
"Our family broke apart after you disappeared."
Her voice was weak.
"We searched everywhere."
"Police."
"Private investigators."
"Different states."
"Different countries."
"But nothing."
The young man standing nearby finally spoke again.
"I never stopped searching."
Rihannat looked toward him slowly.
His eyes were already red.
"I'm your brother, Rihannat."
Her tears fell harder.
"I was young too… but I remembered you."
His lips trembled slightly.
"You used to follow me everywhere."
A weak laugh escaped him painfully.
"You couldn't pronounce my name properly."
Rihannat lowered her head immediately as emotion overwhelmed her.
"When we moved abroad after the incident," he continued softly, "I promised myself I would find you."
Mrs. Collins nodded tearfully.
"He refused to marry."
Rihannat looked up in shock.
Her brother smiled sadly.
"How could I celebrate properly when my little sister was missing?"
The words shattered whatever emotional wall Rihannat still had left.
She broke down completely.
Painful sobs escaped her as she covered her face.
Everything felt overwhelming.
The parents she knew at home…
The life she grew up with…
The sudden appearance of another family…
The horrifying story of a child stolen in broad daylight…
And now this family looking at her like they had finally found a missing piece of their soul.
"I…"
Her voice cracked badly.
"I don't even know what to feel…"
Basit immediately moved closer to her.
Rihannat cried harder.
"I want to reject this…"
Her shoulders shook violently.
"But…"
She looked toward Mrs. Collins who was crying uncontrollably.
"How do I ignore this kind of pain?"
The room became emotional again.
Mrs. Collins slowly approached her carefully, almost fearfully.
As though she was scared Rihannat would disappear again if she moved too fast.
"I know this is difficult," she whispered tearfully.
"I know."
She stopped before her.
"But whether you accept us now or not…"
Her voice trembled deeply.
"We never stopped loving you."
Rihannat cried harder instantly.
For the first time in years, Mrs. Collins finally stood before the daughter she had watched disappear with her own eyes.
And for the first time in years…
That broken family finally had hope again.
@OlukoyaZainab