After My Parents Died, My Aunt Took Their Money and Gave Me Away – 20 Years Later, I Got Hired as Her Housekeeper

That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept seeing her face.

The following week, when her booking came up again, I made a decision.

When I arrived, she greeted me the same way she always did, with a tight smile and a complaint ready on her tongue.

"You're late," she said.

"Apologies, ma'am. Traffic."

"Excuses," she muttered. "Start in the living room. The mayor's wife is dropping by again."

"Yes, ma'am," I said. Then, as I set down my supplies, I added, "By the way, I brought you something."

Her brows rose, suspicion flickering in her eyes. "For me?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said evenly. "Just a little surprise. I thought you might appreciate it."

She sniffed. "We'll see about that."

I smiled faintly and turned away, my heart pounding.

Because this time, I wasn't just there to clean.

I was there to confront the ghost of my past.

***

When Diane came downstairs an hour later, she looked composed as ever. But that changed the moment she saw the coffee table.

A small, framed photograph sat at its center.

It showed a man and a woman seated on a picnic blanket with their arms around a smiling three-year-old girl in a yellow sundress.