28 Years Later, Adopted Girl & Father Find Out Why Nobody Wanted Her

In the Spring of 1990, an unknown figure approached the Weatherstone Orphanage. It was a very cold night, and the cobblestone streets were slick from the pouring rain. Like a scene out of a movie, lightning flashed across the sky, and the distant rumble of thunder could be heard throughout the small town.

The orphanage was nestled amongst the hills of the surrounding countryside. Made entirely out of weathered bricks, it was easy to see just how old the establishment actually was. As the figure climbed the steps towards the front door, the cries of a baby could be heard.

When the unknown person reached the front door, they quickly crouched down to lay a small bundle of blankets on the ground. Within these blankets, the crying only intensified. Even though there was nobody around, the person was visibly nervous and scanned their surroundings as though they were being watched.

They were obviously in a rush, but they still took a second to gaze at the pile they had just laid to rest on the ground. If there had been somebody around, they would have noticed a sad expression overtake the person’s face.

With that last apprehensive glance, the figure turned around and darted back down the cobblestone path. The baby continued to cry, a beacon of vulnerability in the storm that raged on.

The caretakers of the orphanage awoke to the piercing cries of the new orphan and quickly rushed to the front door to see what the fuss was all about. With apprehension, they brought the baby inside.

Connor and Elizabeth had been together for many years, and their marriage was like something out of a fairytale book. Most days were filled with plenty of love, laughter, and shared dreams of starting their own little family. However, this had never come to fruition.

While Elizabeth could not fall pregnant herself, the couple was more than open to the idea of adoption. Seemingly the perfect parents, it was safe to say that they wouldn’t have any trouble being approved for adoption.

On one cold Autumn morning, Connor opened the newspaper to see a photograph of a young child who was living within the walls of the Weatherstone Orphanage. It was an unexpected discovery, but Connor immediately felt drawn to the little girl staring back at him.

He called Elizabeth over to have a look for herself, and she agreed that they should go and meet the girl in the photograph. It was obvious that she was just as excited as he was, if not more.

The couple wasted no time in driving to the orphanage. There, they were welcomed by the sound of laughing children. However, one child in particular caught their eye — a young girl with bright blue eyes and an infectious smile — the girl from the photograph.

The caretaker introduced her as Jessica, and the couple immediately felt a connection to the little girl. They spent the next few hours interacting with and getting to know Jessica. Elizabeth and Connor both came to the realization that family was more than blood.

At that moment, they knew that Jessica was destined to be a part of their family. Brimming with a new sense of love, hope, and happiness, Elizabeth and Connor informed the caretakers that they wanted to move forward with the adoption process.

That evening, the new family of three climbed into the car and headed towards their home. Jessica, nestled between her new parents, felt happier than she could ever remember.

In the Spring of 1993, Connor and Jessica’s world came crashing down when Elizabeth suddenly passed away. Just a few months earlier, she had been diagnosed with a sudden, aggressive illness that left her with little hope.

Connor was suddenly a single parent. This was something that he could never have imagined, and he felt as though he couldn’t face parenthood without his beloved wife.

However, even though he had always planned to navigate parenthood with his wife, he knew that he had to be strong for his daughter. Silently, he made a promise to himself and his late wife that he would do everything to be the best father possible.

Every day, he tried his best to mask his grief for the sake of his daughter, even though he was carrying an unbearable sorrow. He had to be strong for her to help her have a happy childhood, even though he was heartbroken.

Even though Jessica was still so young, she was mature beyond her years. She offered Connor a sense of comfort through her innocent presence. At night, the father and daughter would discuss better times — those that had passed and those that were still to come.

Connor would share stories of Elizabeth, which always made him feel a bit better. Every day, he started to see more and more of his late wife in his new daughter. They both had the same passion for life and loving energy.

Being a single parent is no easy job. The weight of the task bore down on Connor every single day. However, he never failed to rise to the occasion. In fact, he only seemed to grow as a person with every challenge that he encountered.

At night, when he would lie alone in bed, he found comfort in the memories of his wife. Thanks to his daughter, he never truly felt alone anymore.

During December of 1999, Connor was doing incredibly well at work. He had found his passion in the bustling world of technology and worked as an engineer for a start-up company in town. Most days consisted of system testing.

However, there was an impending sense of anxiety in the office, as a new software bug, called the Y2K Bug, had begun causing problems for companies like his.

Rumors of potential glitches and system malfunctions started to spread across the office. Understandably, this led to a sense of uncertainty about the company’s future.

One morning, an emergency meeting was called to discuss the impact of this bug and what it meant for the employees. The air was thick with tension as Connor and his colleagues piled into the room.

The company executives delivered less-than-ideal news. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the Y2K Bug, they had decided to lay off a number of staff members in order to streamline the business. This included members of Connor’s department.

Connor sat in disbelief, anxious about his future. A wave of apprehension swept over him. However, his main concern was Jessica and what this meant for her. How was he going to explain to his only daughter that her father could no longer provide for her?

That evening, Connor did his best to explain the situation to Jessica. He wanted to reassure her that he would find a new, better job that would bring in the same — if not more — money than before. More so, he didn’t want her to think that anything would change.

She was still his number one priority, and he would always make time to spend with his little girl. The next day, he immediately began looking for new work opportunities by contacting former colleagues that he had once worked with.

He remained optimistic that the opportunities would begin to present themselves, even though things moved slowly at the start of his new job hunt. However, his dedication to his daughter remained as strong as ever, and he knew that he would not let her down.

The clock was ticking down to the new millennium. On New Year’s Eve, Connor and Jessica stood together under the night sky, excitedly watching the fireworks show. Connor looked at his daughter and knew that he would do anything for her.

In the Summer of 2003, Jessica was on the cusp of her teenage years. Most of her days were spent playing outside and riding bikes with her friends. Like most children, she was blissfully unaware of the sacrifices that her father made for her.

Life was anything but easy for Connor. However, seeing how happy his daughter was made all of the work well worth it.

Since being fired from his previous position, Connor had taken up two different jobs in order to maintain the same income. On top of this, he had a part-time weekend job. Mornings began incredibly early for Connor, and he would often get home after dark.

However, he always made time to spend with his daughter. You could say that he actually had four jobs, as parenthood is no easy feat.

On some days, Connor made sure to get home before Jessica. This way, when she opened the front door, he would be there with a warm smile, eager to hear about her day. He was very good at masking his fatigue, even though it was so prominent.

Behind the walls of their house, Connor ensured that Jessica’s life remained as simple as possible. He never wanted the complexities of his work stress to influence her childhood or happiness.

Behind closed doors, however, Connor was struggling. His life was one major balancing act. With two full-time jobs, one part-time job, and a daughter, he hardly had any time for himself.

On the weekends, he wanted to spend as much time with Jessica as possible. Over time, he became a master of multitasking, seamlessly integrating his career responsibilities with the responsibilities of being a single parent.

In the Spring of 2013, Connor sat in the crowd of proud parents, lovingly gazing at his daughter as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma. He was overcome with a sense of pride, love, and nostalgia as his little girl was all grown up.

Jessica had graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Connor had known from the moment that he laid eyes on her that she was destined for greatness, and she had never let him down.

After the ceremony, Connor and Jessica spent a few minutes walking in silence along the campus pathways. Even though they weren’t saying anything, they knew exactly what the other person was thinking.

Jessica was suddenly overcome with courage. Turning to her father, they both came to a sudden halt. Her expression was earnest but tinged with vulnerability.

Connor knew what was coming. Jessica knew that Connor was not her biological father, and he had long awaited the day that she would ask where she really came from.

However, that didn’t make the moment any less heartbreaking, as Connor simply didn’t have any answers for his daughter.

The question hung in the air. Jessica looked at her father expectantly, but Connor didn’t know what to say. He thought back to the day he first met his daughter and tried to remember anything substantial that the caretakers might have told him.

The truth was that nobody, other than the mysterious figure that dropped Jessica off at the orphanage all those years ago, knew her backstory. Before Connor could reply, a bell chimed in the distance, signaling the end of the conversation.

When they returned home that day, the weight of Jessica’s question continued to hang in the air, plaguing her father. That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, he found himself sitting alone in the living room, contemplating his next move.

Connor had always wondered why his daughter had ended up at that orphanage in the first place, but he never had to face the problem head-on. She was his daughter, and he was her father… There was nothing else that really mattered to him.

He had never dug deeper into Jessica’s past or sought answers as to where she came from. The only thing that he knew was that he was happy that she ended up at the orphanage. This was because it meant that he could adopt her. He didn’t want to think about what his life might have looked like if Jessica wasn’t in it.

However, now that she wanted answers herself, he felt bad for not paying closer attention to the details when they were right in front of him. He should have asked more questions. Suddenly overcome with guilt, Connor rummaged through old photographs, documents, and certificates, hoping to find something that might help him answer his daughter’s question.

Connor then opened his wife’s old journal. He leafed through the book in search of anything that she might have jotted down during the time of Jessica’s adoption. His wife was always more observant than him.

His eyes moved sadly across the pages of faded ink as he imagined his wife sitting in the living room, writing those exact words. Each entry showed just how much love, hope, and passion Elizabeth once had for life.

On one page, he found an entry that caught his attention. His wife had written something that hinted at their daughter’s origins. He didn’t know where she had gotten this information from. Maybe she had asked for more details when Jessica was adopted.

Elizabeth described a storm-laden night and an unknown figure dropping off a crying baby at the door of the orphanage. Connor couldn’t help the tears that began forming in his eyes. It was hard to imagine his very own daughter being abandoned in the pouring rain, even if he knew that this action would eventually lead her to him.

He read each word with a mixture of determination and sorrow. However, he understood now that it was time to discover where his daughter had really come from because she deserved answers.

With that in mind, he jumped in his car and headed for Weatherstone Orphanage. If the answers he was looking for were anywhere to be found, it was there.

Once he arrived, the caretakers welcomed him with open arms. Their faces were weathered from time, but other than that, things remained much unchanged.

He explained to them his quest and how the only information he was able to gather came from his late wife’s old journal. The caretakers listened carefully and were clearly more than willing to help in any way that they could.

The caretakers shared countless tales of children who had passed through the orphanage, but none that really provided Connor with any clues as to why his daughter might have ended up there.

After weeks of visiting the orphanage, his hope slowly turned into frustration. Initially, he had thought that one quick trip would provide all the answers that his daughter needed. He was wrong.

One day, after visiting the caretakers at the orphanage, he decided to spend a few moments outside in the field. He was exhausted, and his efforts had led him nowhere.

As he sat there, contemplating his next move, an old, dilapidated bench caught his attention. Instantly, a flicker of recognition flashed through him as though he had just unlocked a long-forgotten memory.

Connor slowly approached the bench, hoping to find anything relating to the night that his daughter was left at Weatherstone Orphanage.

There, inscribed into the rotten wood, he caught a glimpse of a single word that made his heart drop — ‘Jessica.’ This bench, hidden beneath the tree on the orphanage grounds, held some sort of significance in Jessica’s story.

He brushed away some more leaves, hoping to find something else. Among the random dates, names, and drawings, a quote also caught his attention. ‘Follow the storm to find the calm. Seek the truth where lightning strikes twice.’

The words stirred a sense of purpose within Connor. He wasn’t going to stop until his daughter had answers. She deserved to know where she came from and who her biological parents really were.

The words ‘where the lightning strikes twice’ repeated over and over again in his head. The skies darkened around him, and the distant sound of thunder could be heard. In the distance, he could see flashes of lightning, and before he could stop, he ran towards the storm.

Once he reached the top of a hill, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. An old oak tree was in front of him, its ancient branches outstretched as though welcoming him forward.

As Connor approached the tree, he suddenly noticed a small wooden box hidden amongst the roots. The box was weathered with age. It had clearly been there for many years, just waiting to be opened.

He lifted the wood and was shocked by what he found inside — dozens of letters and journal entries, each recounting stories that involved Jessica in some way. However, what really caught his attention was the handwritten letters… his wife’s handwriting.

There were even photographs of his daughter… fleeting moments in which she was oblivious to her onlooker. However, the most important information came in the form of his wife’s final diary entries.

Connor immersed himself in what she had to say. He could never get enough of his wife’s writing… she really did have a gift. Rain continued to pour around him, but he simply didn’t care about anything but the words of his wife.

In the entry, Connor read of a stormy night in which someone had made the ultimate sacrifice — giving up their daughter so that she could have a better life. He couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for Jessica’s birth mother.

Elizabeth wrote about how she would do anything in order to provide Jessica with this better life so that this sacrifice was not made in vain. Connor had spent his whole life doing everything in his power to be there for Jessica. If Elizabeth had seen just how good of a father he really was, she would have been so proud.

Elizabeth then went on to write directly to Connor. She pleaded with him not to give up in the search for more answers. He had to find out exactly why Jessica’s birth mother had given her up for adoption, as it was a part of their story.

Connor never planned on giving up, but now that his late wife was pleading with him, he saw no other option. He would not stop until he could provide Jessica with the answers that she so desperately wanted.

With this newfound sense of purpose, Connor returned home with the letters that he had found. He then sat down with his daughter and explained everything that he had just discovered — the photographs, the bench, and the detailed stories from the caretakers.

However, he also admitted that he knew nothing of her past before her being dropped off at the orphanage. Jessica sat in silence, listening to every word her father had to offer. She couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. Why was everyone making such a fuss over her?

After discovering the letters from his wife, Connor started looking into any lead that he could find that might offer some sort of information regarding Jessica’s birth parents and why they gave her up for adoption. He knew that the backstory would be anything but simple, as Elizabeth had gone through so much effort in keeping it hidden.

He paged through hundreds of records and contacted dozens of people who might have had some sort of connection to his daughter in a past life. However, every lead that seemed to have some potential ended up useless.

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months. Connor was starting to lose hope — when he discovered something shocking. Four other families had tried to adopt Jessica. However, they all pulled out at the last minute, and Connor was determined to find out why.

He quickly got in touch with each of the families, and they all said the exact same thing. Just before they were due to sign the adoption papers, they received threatening messages from an unidentified person, warning them against adopting the child.

Connor was more than shocked by this revelation. Who had been threatening them, and why were they so against Jessica being adopted? Was something bad going to happen to his small family since he adopted her? He would never regret his decision, but he was worried that the threats could have actually been directed at his daughter.

Connor was now as motivated as ever to uncover more of the truth. He probed deeper, hoping to find some sort of commonality among the threats received by the other families. Would this finally help him identify the shadowy figure?

Time passed, and the trail seemed to go cold. However, spirits were still high in the household, as Jessica was on the cusp of another major milestone — her wedding. She had met a man named Alex a few years earlier, and the pair quickly fell in love.

Connor was excited about the wedding. In fact, it almost kept his mind off of his mission. However, one night, he received a mysterious phone call that quickly brought him back to reality. He answered the shrill ring of his cell phone.

An unknown voice spoke on the other end of the line. The voice was dark and mysterious, sending chills down Connor’s spine. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,” the voice said, “The wedding seems to be the perfect occasion.”

Connor had no idea who this was and tried to decipher whether or not the voice sounded threatening. He then hung up, leaving Connor with more questions than ever before. Whoever he was, he was obviously planning on coming to the wedding, which might be a recipe for disaster.

The wedding took place a few weeks later. The ceremony was perfect, and the guests enjoyed the reception. Everyone danced and cried, all while enjoying the delicious food and cake. Connor, however, looked around constantly — awaiting the arrival of a strange man with a deep, mysterious voice.

Just as he was starting to relax, an intimidating, unknown figure stepped out from behind the crowd. He locked eyes with Connor and began making his way towards him. Connor’s heart dropped as he instantly knew that this had been the mysterious caller.

The man reached Connor. “Connor,” he spoke, “I’m sorry for the cryptic call, but I believe that there is a debt owed.” Connor began sweating. “You see, I am Jessica’s biological father, and I can see that you have done a great job raising our daughter.”

Connor’s breath caught in his throat. The man then went on to explain how Jessica’s biological mother had given her up for adoption, as she had been involved in a life of crime and wanted better for her daughter.

The man had been a part of one of the most notorious crime families in the country. However, he was arrested and sent to prison before his wife gave birth to Jessica. Not wanting her baby to end up entangled in the same life of crime as her, she reluctantly left her on the doorstep of Weatherstone Orphanage.

Once he discovered that his daughter had been given up for adoption, he also decided to better his ways. Now that Jessica was all grown up, he wanted to repay Connor for all that he had done. He pulled out a briefcase full of money and handed it over to Connor.

“This is for all of the sacrifices that you have made over the years.” Before Connor could say anything, the man turned and walked away. Connor was stunned. He took a few moments to think over what had just happened before finding his daughter in the crowd.

She looked so happy, which made him happy. After all these years, he could finally explain to his daughter where she came from and why she ended up at that orphanage. More so, he could now rest assured knowing that all of her financial needs were taken care of.

After the wedding, Connor sat down with his daughter and explained what had happened. She was just as shocked as he had been. Even though nothing had really changed, both father and daughter felt lighter without the burden of the unknown hanging over their heads.

Jessica was forever grateful to her father for all that he had done for her, including going through so much effort in order to find out where it was that she came from. Plus, she now had the answers to the questions she had had since she was a child. And it didn’t make her love her dad any less.