My True Identity

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Troy remained outside long after the elderly woman disappeared. The sounds of laughter and music continued behind him, but he barely heard them. His attention was fixed on the envelope in his hand. "For the boy who was never supposed to be found." He read the sentence again, then again. His heart beat faster.

"Who had written it? And how did they know he would be here?"

Troy turned the envelope over. There was no name, no address. Nothing that could tell him who had brought it. Except for the faded hospital symbol in the corner. He stared at it. He had seen that symbol before. Years ago, while searching through the few documents he had from his childhood, Troy had come across an old hospital record. The document contained almost no useful information, but the symbol printed at the top had remained in his memory. He looked at the envelope again.

“This can't be a coincidence,” he whispered.

He looked toward the road and the elderly woman was gone. Troy quickly returned to the house. The moment he entered, Vanessa looked at him.

“Where did you go?”

Troy didn't answer immediately. He slipped the envelope behind his back.

“Who was that woman?” Vanessa asked.

“I don't know.”

“You don't know her?”

“No.”

Vanessa studied his face.

“But she clearly knew you.”

Troy looked away.

“I said I don't know her.”

Vanessa noticed the tension in his voice but decided not to press him.

“Are you okay?”

Troy nodded.

“I'm fine.”

But he wasn't. He looked toward the door. The woman had asked whether November 18 was really his birthday. For thirty-two years, he had believed it was. His parents had told him. His documents said so, and everyone accepted it. But now someone had appeared at his birthday party and questioned it. Troy needed answers. He walked toward the stairs.

“Troy?”

He stopped.

Vanessa's voice was softer this time.

“Whatever is bothering you, you don't have to deal with it alone.”

Troy looked back at her. For a moment, he almost told her everything. Then he remembered the envelope.

“I know.”

He continued upstairs. When he reached his bedroom, he locked the door and placed the envelope on the desk. His hands hesitated over it. For years, he had wanted someone to tell him the truth. Now that the truth might finally be within his reach, fear suddenly held him back. "What if the answer was worse than the question?" Troy took a breath. Then he opened the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper. He unfolded it slowly. There were only a few lines.

"Your name is Troy Michael."

His eyes widened. He continued reading. "But that is not the name you were given at birth."

Troy stopped breathing for a moment. He read the sentence again. Then his eyes moved to the final line.

"If you want to know who your mother was, go to St. Mary's Hospital in Ezifite. Ask for the old maternity records."

Below the message was a date. "November 18, 1994." Troy stared at it. His hands began to shake.

"November 18. His birthday. Or what he had always believed was his birthday."

He turned the paper over, and there was no signature. Only one final sentence written at the bottom.

"Do not trust everyone who claims to know your past."

Troy slowly sat down. His mind raced.

"Who had sent this? How did they know his name? Why had they mentioned his birth date? And why had they warned him not to trust people who knew about his past?"

A sound came from downstairs. Troy immediately folded the paper and placed it back inside the envelope. Someone was coming up the stairs. He waited. Footsteps stopped outside his bedroom, and a knock followed.

“Troy?”

It was Vanessa. He exhaled.

“Come in.”

She opened the door.

“You've been up here for a long time.”

“I needed some air.”

Vanessa looked at him.

“You're lying.”

Troy said nothing. She noticed the envelope on the desk.

“What is that?”

Troy quickly picked it up.

“Nothing.”

Vanessa frowned.

“Nothing doesn't usually make you look that frightened.”

Troy stared at her. He wanted to tell her. But the final warning on the paper echoed in his mind.

"Do not trust everyone who claims to know your past."

“I'll explain later,” he said.

Vanessa's expression changed.

“Later?”

“Yes.”

She nodded slowly.

“Okay.”

She turned toward the door. Then she stopped.

“Troy.”

“Yes?”

“Whatever you're hiding, I hope you know you can trust me.”

She left. Troy waited until he heard her footsteps disappear. Then he looked at the envelope again F.or the first time in his life, he had a real clue about his birth. A hospital, a date, a warning, and possibly a new name. He picked up his phone and searched for the hospital. "St. Mary's Hospital, Ezifite." The name appeared on the screen. Troy stared at it. "Ezifite". His childhood hometown. The place he had spent years trying not to remember. But before he could investigate the hospital, Troy needed to understand one thing.

"Why had someone wait for thirty-two years to tell him the truth?"

He looked at the photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Peter on his desk. For the first time, a disturbing thought entered his mind. Maybe his foster parents had not been the only people who knew the truth. Maybe someone had been watching him all these years. And if that's true,

"why had they waited until now to come forward?"