Three Days Before Our Wedding, My Fiancé Forced Me Into a Car and Tied My Legs Together. When I Asked Why He Was Doing This, He Replied, “Your Mother Paid Me $50,000 to Bring You Here.” But When I Discovered Why My Mother Had Really Paid Him, My Knees Nearly Gave Way…

I needed time.

I needed answers.

And above all, I needed everyone to understand that my life belonged to me.

The Question I Had Been Afraid to Ask

After a long silence, I turned toward Sarah.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Why did you choose the name Emily?”

Sarah’s face crumpled.

For the first time, she smiled through her tears.

“I called you Emma at the hospital. I wanted to name you after my grandmother. But when Margaret adopted you, she chose Emily. She wrote to me once, telling me that you were healthy and that she had chosen a name she loved.”

She glanced at Margaret.

“I thought Emily was beautiful. So I learned to love it, too.”

I looked at my mother.

“You wrote to her?”

Margaret nodded.

“Once, shortly after the adoption. I wanted her to know you were safe. I told her you were growing well and that I would give you every opportunity I could.”