Mary had always understood her sister’s pain and respected her boundaries, especially since Esmerelda was older and had experienced their family trauma more directly. At the time, Mary was too young to remember much, but Esmerelda, at nine, had lived through it all.
Now, though, Mary felt torn. Part of her wanted to confront her sister one last time before going against her wishes and taking the DNA test. But after their tense phone exchange, Mary knew she had no choice. Esmerelda’s refusal only deepened Mary’s curiosity. What could be so terrible that Esmerelda was hiding it so fiercely?