When my dying mother-in-law called me late one night, I never expected her to confess a secret that would turn our lives upside down. That secret led me to a point where I had to make a difficult choice.
I’ve been married to Dawson for about ten years, and my mother-in-law never missed a chance to remind me that I wasn’t the kind of woman she wanted for her son.
A woman talking to her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney
Colette is one of those people who believe in telling the truth, no matter how bitter it is. She doesn’t care if the truth will hurt her loved ones because she believes honesty comes first.
“I wanted Dawson to marry my friend’s daughter,” she told me one day when she came over to our place. “I always thought they’d make a great couple.”
A woman speaking to her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney
Honestly, I wanted to tell her off, but I’m not the type to disrespect anyone. I always ignored her snide remarks, and that’s the only reason our relationship survived.
A few months ago, Colette was diagnosed with cancer, and the doctors said she didn’t have much time left. Before her diagnosis, we only saw each other at family gatherings and rarely spoke otherwise.
A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
So, it was surprising to see her name flash on my phone screen a week ago. Especially at 11 p.m. I was making tea when she called.
“Hello?” I answered, thinking what made her call me this late.
“Eliza…” she began in a frail voice. “I need to talk to you.”
My heart skipped a beat.
What was this about? I thought. Was everything okay?
“Colette, is everything fine?” I asked. “Where’s Martha, your nurse?”
A woman talking to her mother-in-law on the phone | Source: Midjourney
There was a long pause on the other end. I could hear her breath in a haphazard pattern, and then I heard something I wasn’t expecting.
I heard her sob.
“Colette? What happened?” I asked again.
“I… I have to tell you the truth,” Colette stammered. “Before it’s too late.”
What? I thought. I wasn’t expecting this.
So, the thing is, Colette has never shared anything personal with me during all these years. She had never considered me as a friend, and this sudden call from her was making me worried.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“The truth will ruin your life and Dawson’s, but you need to know what I did,” she continued. “Something I will never forgive myself for. I wasn’t always the person you think I am.”
“I don’t understand,” I said slowly, wondering what her words meant.
“There was someone else in my life before I married Dawson’s father,” she confessed. “His name was Wesley.”
Before I could respond, Colette revealed something even more shocking.
A grayscale photo of a couple | Source: Pexels
“Wesley and I had a child… a daughter,” she began as her voice trembled. “Her name’s Claire. She was born before Dawson. His older sister.”
I could feel my heart pounding against my chest, and I almost thought I’d fall to my knees. Dawson had a sister? Did he know he wasn’t the only child?
“What… What happened to her?” I asked, still trying to make sense of what she said.
A young woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“I gave her away,” Colette revealed and her voice sounded like she was about to cry. “I gave her because Wesley wasn’t ready to become a father. He left me, so I had to give Claire away. I’ve regretted my decision since that day. I wish I hadn’t done it.”
Hundreds of questions popped into my mind but there was one that bothered me the most. Why was Colette, out of all people, telling this to me?
“Does Dawson know?” I asked.
A man standing outside his house | Source: Midjourney
“No,” she replied. “He doesn’t know. But now, I need you to do something.”
“What is it?”
She cleared her throat before saying her next sentence.
“So, Claire… she found me,” Colette said. “And she’s dying too. She told me she needs to undergo a kidney transplant, but you know I can’t donate mine.”
I knew exactly what was coming next, but I wasn’t ready for it.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“I know it’s too much to ask for,” she continued. “But she’s my daughter, Eliza. She’s Dawson’s sister, and she needs someone to save her life.”
“She’s lying, Eliza,” a voice interrupted my thoughts. It was Dawson.
I quickly turned towards him, and I could see his face had turned red, and his eyes had anger that I hadn’t seen before.
“Hang up, now!” he yelled.
A woman looking at her husband | Source: Midjourney
I fumbled with the phone as I ended the call. How long had Dawson been listening to us talk? I thought. How can he say his mother’s lying?
“She told you I have a sister, right?” he asked. “She’s lying. There’s no sister.”
“Why would she lie about something so serious, Dawson?”
He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “She’s been manipulating people for years. She’s doing this to seek attention.”
A man talking to his wife in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“But I think she’s telling the truth,” I said. “I could hear it in her voice, and she’s always been honest with me. You know that.”
“I told you that’s not true,” Dawson said firmly. “I don’t want you talking about this again.”
Later that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about my conversation with Colette. As I replayed it in my mind, I couldn’t recall a single moment where she seemed untruthful.
She spoke with conviction, and her story made sense.
An older woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
The following day, I decided to visit Colette after Dawson left for work. I quickly got ready and drove to her house.
“She’s been asking for you,” the nurse told me as I entered Colette’s house. I hurried toward Colette’s bedroom.
“Oh, Eliza!” Colette’s face lit up. “You’re finally here!”
“I want to know everything, Colette,” I said. “Please tell me everything about Claire so I can help her.”
A woman visiting her mother-in-law | Source: Midjourney
For the next hour, Colette laid it all bare. The love affair, the daughter she gave up, and the weight of the secret that had consumed her. But just as I was about to leave, she grabbed my hand.
“Here, take this,” she said, handing me a piece of paper. “This is Claire’s address.”
I looked down and saw an address scrawled in Colette’s handwriting.
“There’s one more thing,” she whispered. “Dawson knows.”
“What?” I gasped.
But before she could explain, the front door slammed open.
A doorknob | Source: Pexels
It was Dawson.
“What are you doing here, Eliza?” he demanded.
“I just came to see her,” I replied calmly. “And she told me about your sister.”
“I told you she’s lying!” Dawson shouted. “She’s insane. Why don’t you get it?”
“But Dawson—” I began, trying to reason with him.
“Let’s go home,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the house.
At that point, I was convinced Colette was telling the truth. I was determined to find Claire but couldn’t tell Dawson. I knew he wouldn’t let me.
A man looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
So, I drove to the address the following day after Dawson left for work. It was about an hour away from our house.
Upon reaching there, I found myself outside a beautiful cottage. I went ahead and rang the bell.
A few minutes later, a woman opened the door. She had the same eyes and lips as Dawson and seeing her made me certain that Colette hadn’t lied.
“How may I help you?” she asked as she looked at me from head to toe.
A woman standing at her doorstep | Source: Midjourney
“Hi, Claire,” I began. “I’m Eliza. Dawson’s wife.”
Her expression shifted instantly. She stared at me with eyes wide open, as if I were an unexpected and unwelcome guest.
“You’re Dawson’s wife?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “I came here because Colette gave me your address and said you… you’re sick. That you needed help.”
Her gaze dropped to the floor, and she opened the door wider, gesturing for me to come in.
I entered the house and followed her into the living room.
A cabinet with a mirror | Source: Pexels
It was a cozy space with worn-out furniture, but something about it made me feel at home.
“I never thought anyone from my mother’s family would ever visit me,” she said, sitting on the couch. “I reached out to her months ago but never expected a response. Not after what she did…”
“I understand,” I nodded slowly. “Dawson never told me about you, but Colette said he knew. Is that true?”
Claire looked at me for a few moments before recalling a bitter memory.
A woman sitting in her living room | Source: Midjourney
“He found out when we were teenagers,” she revealed. “Colette told him in a fit of guilt one day, and then he came to see me. He was angry, and I think he blamed me for everything. He never returned after that.”
I was stunned. Dawson had known about his sister all along and had kept it from me. Even now, knowing she was dying, he wasn’t willing to help.
A close-up of a man’s face | Source: Midjourney
“I’m so sorry for what happened, Claire,” I managed to speak. “I guess he blamed you because he was just a kid.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“So, what happens now?” I asked while fidgeting with my fingers.
“I don’t know,” she shrugged her shoulders. “I never thought you’d come here.”
“I’m here to help you, Claire,” I said, sitting up straight. “I’ll get tested to see if I’m a match.”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“But you don’t have to—”
A woman talking to another woman | Source: Midjourney
“I do,” I interrupted. “You’re family. Whether Dawson acknowledges it or not, you need us, and I can’t just walk away.”
“Thank you, Eliza,” she hugged me tightly. “Thank you so much.”
Later that night, I told Dawson about my visit and tried to help him see how much his sister needed us.
“I didn’t want you to know,” he said as tears trickled down his cheeks.
A man looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
“I didn’t want anyone to know because I was ashamed of what my mother had done. I avoided Claire because she reminds me of how cruel my mother can be.”
“I know it’s difficult, babe,” I held Dawson’s hands. “But it’s all in the past and right now, fate’s giving you a chance to be there for your sister. You could save her life.”
That was the first time I saw Dawson break down and cry like a child.
A man sitting with his face buried in his hands | Source: Midjourney
He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed. He cried for the sister he lost, the mother he resented, and the life he had been forced to confront.
In the end, Dawson agreed to visit Claire with me.
Rebuilding their relationship wasn’t easy, but Dawson eventually agreed to get tested to see if he was a match for the kidney transplant.
A man in his house | Source: Midjourney
As we wait for the results, I hope Dawson and Claire get to live their lives together like they should have. I hope they truly understand how good it feels to have a sibling who understands you and stands with you through thick and thin.
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