My Best Friend's Request

My mother passed away.

It was a quiet death, the kind that came gently after a long illness.

In her final moments, she clutched my hand, her voice thick with emotion as she repeated, "When I'm gone, you have to find your father."

I grew up with just her, raised solely by my mom. My father had always been a mystery, wrapped in silence.

I didn't even know his name, let alone where he came from.

But that changed in the end.

Just before my mother left this world, she whispered his name and handed me an address. He wasn't just anyone—he was the chairman of a company.

And I was nothing more than his illegitimate daughter.

She told me how she had outlasted the man's lawful wife, and, with a heavy heart, gave me a keepsake to reunite with him.

Then, she slipped away, her face peaceful, leaving this world without regret.

Afterward, I confided in my best friend, Susan Wales.

"Your father's the chairman? The Wrenn Group is a big deal!"

The moment she heard, tears streamed down her face. "I've never known what it's like to have parents. I grew up without parents," she said, her voice quaking with emotion.

Seeing her so upset, I quickly handed her a tissue to dab at her eyes.

"You don't understand," she continued, her voice breaking. "I used to scavenge for scraps to sell, just to pay for school. On holidays, I wandered the streets alone, invisible to everyone around me. Whenever I saw families together, it made me feel so jealous."

Tears spilled down her cheeks, heavy and glistening, as she looked utterly devastated.

She grasped my hands tightly. "Amber, can you let me experience what it feels like to have a father?"

"How would that even work?" I asked, puzzled by her request.

"Let me join you when you reunite with him, please?"

"Uh… I don't think that's possible…"

My mother left me only one keepsake. She said that as long as I presented it to my father, he would understand everything.

Susan noticed my hesitation and, with tears streaming down her face, pleaded, "I've never known what it's like to have parents or a family. Just let me experience it for three days, please?"

Her sobs were heart-wrenching, and I felt torn. If I refused, knowing her, she might do something drastic.

"One day. Just one day, okay?" Seeing my indecision, she lowered her expectations. "I'll call him 'Dad' for just one day, and the next day, I'll tell him everything."

Even then, it felt awkward. How could anyone call someone else's father their own?

"I… I need some time to think."

Susan wiped her tears and leaned closer. "Have you ever met him?"

I shook my head. "Never."

"Then how do you know if he even wants to acknowledge you as his daughter?"

I shook my head again. "I have no idea."

All I knew was that my mother made me promise to find him before she passed.

"That's it!" Susan's face brightened. "You're his illegitimate daughter! He's a chairman—there are probably more kids out there like you."

I'm Thomas Wrenn's Daughter

"Do you know about the rivalries that come with being born into a wealthy family?"

As I listened to Susan's animated description, I found myself captivated. "No, I don't."

With a snap of her fingers, she continued, "It's all about disputes over inheritance. You're going into this blind—who knows if he wants to acknowledge you?

"And what about your half-siblings? But if you let me help you connect with him, you can observe how your father and his family react."

Her words began to make sense, and I found myself nodding along. "You've got a point."

A satisfied grin spread across her face. "If they reject you and toss you aside, I can step in for you. That way, I get a taste of family life, and you avoid any potential traps. It's a win-win!"

"But…" I hesitated. "But I really want to meet my father."

Susan grasped my shoulders. "Easy! Your father must need a housekeeper. You could work for him!"

I pondered the situation from every angle, but something still felt off.

Yet, as Susan continued to press, my resolve began to waver.

In the end, I placed the keepsake my mother had given me into her hands. "No matter how this turns out, you have to make sure you explain everything to him."

"Don't worry; I've got this covered," she replied confidently.

I trusted Susan because she had helped me in the past.

We met after graduating from college.

At that time, I was a fresh graduate, overwhelmed by the chaos of an internship.

I joined a company where, within a month, I found myself being undermined by colleagues.

Susan was a team leader there, and she didn't hesitate to step in when she saw injustice. With her support, the harassment I faced started to fade.

When I discovered that Susan and I were alumni of the same school, our friendship blossomed quickly.

Growing up in a single-parent home, I never met my father.

While other kids called out to their fathers, I could only watch with envy. It left me somewhat reserved and self-conscious from a young age.

Now, as Susan offered to help me navigate the risks of being cast out by my father, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward her.

It felt like a lifeline for someone like me, who often struggled with social anxiety.

Following the address my mother had given me, Susan and I made our way to my father's house.

As we arrived, we both gasped. "Wow…"

Before us stood a grand mansion radiating wealth and privilege.

My mother and I had spent our lives in a rundown rental, constantly battling the presence of mice and cockroaches.

Yet, despite our struggles, my mother never once asked my father for a dime.

The amount of money she had could be counted on one hand.

"I'm Thomas Wrenn's daughter. Let me in."

Susan sprang into action, pulling out the keepsake my mother had given me. "This is a keepsake from my mother. Show it to my father, and he'll know it's me."

The security guard at the entrance paused, exchanging glances with his colleague.

But as gatekeepers of a mansion, they had seen their fair share of drama.

"Notify Mr. Wrenn quickly," one said, dismissing any further hesitation.

Once we handed over the keepsake, it took barely ten minutes for my father to appear.

He rushed over, clutching a sachet hand-stitched by my mother.

Susan's shoulders began to tremble, and she burst into tears.

When my father spotted me, his expression froze for a moment.

Then, slowly, a look of pure joy spread across his face.

The Joyful Reunion

My father slowly reached out as if to touch my face. "You… You're…"

"Dad! I'm right here!" Susan's voice cut through the moment, her feet stomping in frustration behind me.

His eyes widened in surprise, and for the first time, he truly noticed Susan. Glancing between the two of us, he asked, "Which of you is Miranda's child?"

Susan's expression shifted, and she suddenly collapsed to the ground in a flood of tears.

"Mom, you left too soon! How am I supposed to survive on my own? Dad doesn't even want to acknowledge me! Even on your deathbed, you were still thinking about him!"

"What? Miranda is gone?"

The news hit him hard. His face fell, and shadows of sorrow clouded his eyes.

He let out a heavy sigh, lost in thought. "Get up, child. Please, get up. Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

He lifted Susan into his arms, their reunion unfolding with an emotional embrace before the grand mansion.

"I've spent my life struggling with Mom, barely scraping by. We'd have one meal and then go hungry. I always wanted to find you, but she wouldn't let me. Now that she's gone, I have no one left. Only then did she allow me to seek you out."

Gently, my father stroked Susan's hair. "You're here now, and that's what matters. From today on, anything you want, I will give to you."

Susan nestled into his embrace, a smug smile lighting up her face.

As I watched their joyful reunion, a sharp pang of unease twisted inside me.

After their emotional exchange, my father finally turned to me. "And who is this?"

Susan pointed at me. "Oh, this? This is the girl who came to apply for the housekeeper position. I only met her at the entrance."

A jolt ran through me.

Just like that, Susan had rewritten the story, pretending she didn't know me at all.

She began to cry again, her tears flowing like a seasoned actress. It was hard not to feel sympathy for her.

"I thought she was here to reunite with you too, Dad! I thought I wouldn't be your only daughter!" she sobbed, her voice trembling as if she were truly heartbroken.

Thomas couldn't bear to see his daughter in tears. He quickly stepped forward to comfort her. "You're my only daughter. I've only ever loved your mother. No one else matters—you're my one and only!"

As he spoke, he gently wiped Susan's tears with his sleeve.

"Don't cry, my precious girl. It breaks my heart to see you like this. I know these years have been tough for you and Miranda.

"Here's what I'll do: I'll buy you ten houses and give you a car. No more hard times for my little girl! Everything will be in your name!"

His words sent a thrill through me, but Susan beamed with uncontained joy.

I opened my mouth to tell my father the truth, but I hesitated. I remembered Susan's promise—she only needed one day to experience this life, and then she would return my father to me.

So, I swallowed my urge to speak.

"Dad, uh… Do you need a housekeeper at home?"

Susan shot me a look, silently pleading with my father not to keep me around.

My fists clenched tightly. I couldn't believe she was going back on her word.

My father turned to me, his gaze softening with an unexpected warmth.

Then, slowly shaking his head, he murmured, "It's… it's uncanny how much you look like her."

He then asked, "Are you married?"

I looked at him and shook my head.

"Then stay," he urged.

The moment he said that, Susan stumbled, her composure cracking for a second.

"Dad!" she protested, stamping her foot in frustration.

Thomas was puzzled, confusion flickering in his eyes. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

I shot a glare at Susan, gritting my teeth in silent anger.