𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒. ❪ 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗏𝖺𝗆𝗉𝗂𝗋𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖺𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 ❫

𝐱𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢. ALL IN THE FAMILY

"Aren't you the one always talking about second chances? She's our mother, Janelle."

"No, she's your mother. Not mine," I spat through gritted teeth.

Once again, I have left my brother, speechless. He tried to talk, but no words came out. I don't blame him. If he or Stefan would've dropped a bomb like that on me, there's no telling how I would react.

"I knew this conversation would come up eventually; I just didn't know how to tell you," I said quietly.

"Tell me what?" Damon asked as he tried to remain calm, but his emotions were already all over the place.

"We both know that our father was never exactly a faithful man. So after Lily had you, he had an affair with Sophia, and I was the result of his carelessness," I confessed.

"Sophia?" Damon questioned. "Our nanny?"

"That was the only way she could remain in my life. Giuseppe gave her an option, bind my magic, or she would never be allowed to see me again."

"Magic?" Damon paused. "Wait, you mean —"

"Sophia was a Phoenix. Which means I was born one," I explained. "You and I were just kids, when I first learned to use my powers — we didn't know any better. But Sophia had to bind my magic if she didn't want to risk exposure."

"Does that mean you knew what was gonna happen when they turned you?"

"I had no idea," I answered, truthfully. "It wasn't until after that they told me. I wasn't the one who found them; they found me. They said every spell has a loophole and the one Sophia cast to take away my powers, undid itself after she died."

My mother, my birth mother, died just before my seventh birthday. I was young, and my father lied to me. He said she found another family to look after when in reality he forced her to leave because Stefan had just been born. But that didn't stop me from finding out his twisted secret.

Even in death, my father's lies found its way to the surface.

But Sophia still found ways to see me throughout my childhood. Every year for Christmas, she would sneak me out of the house, and we'd watch the snow fall together. Those were the only memories I have of my mother.

This is why I never liked talking about my family. Partially because I didn't even know the whole story, and I wasn't even sure what parts of my life were even real anymore.

I've talked to Sophia. I conjured her spirit after the coven found me. We talked for hours, and I finally knew who my family was.

I broke out of my thoughts, remembering that Damon was still there. The expression on his face held a mix of hurt and disbelief.

"Damon," I tightly held his hand, "this doesn't change anything, I'm still your sister."

"How can you even say that? This changes everything," Damon emphasized, and I frowned. "How long have you known about the affair?"

"I found out just after we parted ways in New York."

"30 years? You've kept this hidden from me for over 30 years?!" Damon angrily shouted, making me flinch.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"How do you think Stefan's gonna feel when he hears about this?" he asked.

"He already knows," I nervously chewed on my bottom lip. "I told him before I left Mystic Falls with Klaus."

"So this whole time, neither of you decided to say anything to me? Were you even planning on telling me?" he asked.