
****CHAPTER ONE - THE SUDDEN ENCOUNTER***“Mum, you don’t have to come with me to the market. Your health isn’t good, and you need rest. The doctor already advised you not to stress yourself, but I don’t know why you won’t listen.” Dylan looked at his mother’s pale but beautiful face and couldn’t help but nag her. Still, she insisted on going to the local market for groceries.Rosemary smiled weakly but firmly. “Come on, Dylan. I hardly visit your grandma. Since I’m here today, I want to get the ingredients with you and cook for her—it's been a long time.”“But Mum, you can stay with Grandma while I rush to buy the ingredients,” Dylan urged.“Rose, listen to your son and rest at home with me,” said Elizabeth, Rosemary’s mother.“Ah, Mom, I’ll be fine. Let me just come along,” Rosemary replied happily.Dylan sighed, seeing how determined she was despite her poor health. He had no choice but to compromise. “Okay, you can come, but promise to tell me immediately if you feel unwell.”“I will, I promise,” she said, smiling like a child who just won candy.They said goodbye to Grandma, and Rosemary left happily with Dylan.***“Oh my God! Where is my shoe? Dad, did you see my shoe?” Mabel shouted, near tears. Henry, who was engrossed in reading a newspaper, looked up.“What’s wrong?” he asked.“I can’t find my shoe! Have you seen it?”“Oh! I saw little Ben playing with it earlier. Check under the bed.”After what felt like an endless search, she found the shoe among Ben’s toys. Quickly putting it on, she ran off to the market. Having wasted so much time, she hurried and accidentally bumped into a woman in her mid-40s.“I’m so sorry, ma’am! It wasn’t intentional,” Mabel apologized.Rosemary was stunned when she saw the teenage girl apologizing, especially because the girl’s sleeveless gown revealed a birthmark on her right arm. She froze.Dylan noticed his mom’s stunned expression as she quietly muttered, “My little... min... min…”“Mum, what are you saying?” Dylan asked.“My baby, Dylan. Where is she? That’s my little Minmin. Didn’t you see the birthmark? She’s your twin sister!” Rosemary’s voice trembled.“Little Minmin, where are you? Mom is here!”Dylan was shocked. “Her twin sister? But I was told she died at birth—how is she here?”“Mom,” Dylan called out, “Let’s go. Stop getting yourself worked up. I know you’ve always wanted a daughter and wished my twin sister was alive, but she’s gone. You have to move on.”“No, I know what I saw. That’s my daughter,” Rosemary insisted.“She’s not. Please, move on, Liv... Mom!”Suddenly, Rosemary fainted. Dylan caught her before she hit the ground, then quickly called his elder brother Daniel, a medical doctor.“Hello, Dan. Get your staffs ready—I’m bringing Mom to the hospital.”“What happened? Is she okay?” Dan asked.“She fainted. I’ll explain everything at the hospital. I’ll be there in less than an hour.”Dylan focused on the road while Daniel called family members to keep them updated.*******************Meanwhile, Mabel quickly rushed to Madam Annie’s shop where she worked part-time. When she arrived, Madam Annie wore a frowned face. “Where are you going, young lady? You’re late again this week! What did I tell you about coming late? It seems like you don’t care about this job anymore!” Madam Annie shouted, her tone sharp. “I’m so sorry, ma’am,” Mabel pleaded. “It won’t happen again.” She begged profusely, fearing to lose the job that helped pay for her dad’s leg surgery and her tuition fees. “It better not happen again, or you’re losing this job, do you understand?” “Yes, ma’am,” Mabel replied quickly and hurried to her duty post to attend to customers. ***At the hospital, Dylan found his brother Daniel waiting outside with hospital staff. Madam Rose was carried inside, and Dan immediately began a full checkup. Just as Dan was about to come out, Vincent (Madam Rose’s husband), and their two sons, Xavier and Lancelot, along with Dylan, rushed towards him, nearly knocking him over. “How’s my wife?” Vincent asked anxiously. “How’s Mum?” Dylan, Xavier, and Lancelot asked together. “Mom is fine,” Dan assured. “Let’s go to my office—I have something to tell you.” He gestured to a nurse to watch over their mother while he led them away. “Mom is stable for now,” Dan began, “but she needs a heart transplant.” “No way! A heart transplant? Just months ago, you said she was fine and just needed her medication! How did it come to this?” Dylan asked sharply, clearly upset. “Calm down, Dylan, and let him explain,” Xavier said, turning to Dan. “Why does Mom need a heart transplant now? You said she’d be fine.” Dan sighed, looking at their worried faces. “I did say she would be fine if she took her meds continuously, but now her condition has worsened. The transplant is the only option left. From my observation, something must have caused her stress or excitement earlier today, which took a heavy toll on her heart.”

