I unfolded the paper with trembling hands—it looked like a handwritten will, unsigned and undated. Layla crossed her arms smugly. “Mom wrote this. She said you weren’t really her daughter. You were adopted. She never made it official, but… well, blood is blood.”

The lawyer took the paper, adjusted his glasses, and sighed. “This isn’t legal. And frankly, it doesn’t change anything.”

Layla scoffed. “She’s not even—”

He held up a hand. “Let me finish.”

He opened the official envelope and began to read. “I, Margaret Ellison, leave the entirety of my estate, including the house, savings, and belongings… to my daughter, Sarah.”

Layla gasped. “What?!”

He continued. “Sarah gave up everything to care for me. Layla… well, she gave up nothing.”

Tears filled my eyes. “But… why?”

He handed me another letter—Mom’s real handwriting.

It read: “You may not look like me, but you were always my heart.”

Lesson: Family isn’t about blood—it’s about love, sacrifice, and showing up when it matters most.