PART 2 — THE APOLOGY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

Then one of the detectives walked back onto the stage carrying a sealed brown evidence box.

He leaned toward Principal Morrison and whispered something.

The principal’s expression changed instantly.

He looked directly at me.

“Miss Hayes…”

“We’ve just recovered something from the registrar’s archive.”

He slowly lifted an old adoption file bearing my name.

“There is someone else who has been searching for you for the past sixteen years.”