The moment those words escaped her lips, a surge of confusion coursed through me, momentarily eclipsing the pain gnawing at my ribs. I blinked, trying to focus through the fog of painkillers and disbelief. The woman standing before me, dumbstruck and trembling, was someone I had never seen before. Yet, there was something hauntingly familiar about the way she looked at me—as if she recognized a piece of herself in my eyes.

Marcus, oblivious to her reaction, continued spewing venom. “Brenda, what’s wrong with you?” he demanded, his voice dripping with irritation. His words barely registered as my mind raced, piecing together fragments of a puzzle I didn’t know existed.

“Ammani Washington,” Brenda repeated, her voice a trembling whisper. Her eyes, wide and searching, met mine, and in that instant, a silent understanding passed between us—one that transcended words and explanations. She turned to Marcus, her expression hardening. “You didn’t tell me her name.”

“What does it matter?” Marcus scoffed, gesturing dismissively. “Just get her to sign the papers.”

Brenda ignored him, her attention fixed solely on me. “Ammani,” she said, her voice steadier now, “I’m… I’m your sister. Your twin sister.”

A gasp escaped my lips, and the room seemed to tilt on its axis. Memories—blurred and fragmented—surfaced in my mind. A whispered conversation at a family gathering, a missing piece of my past that had always eluded me. Aunt Hattie’s stories about a child lost in adoption, a part of our family that was never spoken about in detail.

Marcus’s face twisted with confusion and anger. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Brenda ignored him, stepping closer to my bed. “Our mother… she had to give one of us up for adoption. She never told me your name, but I’ve been searching for you. I never imagined… I never thought…”

The heart monitor beeped faster, echoing the rapid pace of my heart. The revelation was overwhelming, a whirlwind of emotions threatening to drown me. “Why now?” I managed to ask, my voice barely audible.

“I didn’t know,” Brenda replied, tears glistening in her eyes. “Not until I saw your name. I took this case because Marcus approached our firm, but I had no idea… Until now.”

Marcus, realizing the gravity of the situation, tried to regain control. “It doesn’t matter. Just sign the damn papers, Ammani. We both know you’re too weak to handle the estate.”

But in that moment, I was anything but weak. Brenda, my newfound sister, stood beside me as a testament to resilience and family bonds stronger than greed and betrayal. “You’re wrong, Marcus,” I said, my voice gaining strength. “I’m not alone anymore.”

With Brenda’s help, the legal battle that ensued was fierce but ultimately victorious. Marcus’s deception was laid bare, and the estate remained secure. Brenda and I, united by blood and circumstance, vowed to protect Aunt Hattie’s legacy and each other.

In the end, the accident that nearly claimed my life became the catalyst for a new beginning—a chance to rebuild and embrace the family I never knew I had. As for Marcus, he was left with nothing but the consequences of his actions, a fitting end for someone who underestimated the strength of a woman with everything to gain and nothing to lose.