I Returned Home from Work to Find My Adopted Twin Daughters, 16, Had Changed the Locks and Kicked Me Out

Thirteen years ago, I adopted my late husband’s secret twin daughters after his fatal car crash revealed his double life. I gave them everything, but at sixteen, they locked me out of my home. One week later, I discovered the shocking reason for their actions.

The morning Andrew died began like any other. The sun had just started peeking through my window, painting everything in a soft, golden light that made even my shabby countertops look almost magical.

It was the last normal moment I’d have for a long, long time.

When the phone rang, I almost didn’t answer it. Who calls at 7:30 in the morning? But something, intuition maybe, made me pick up.

“Is this Ruth?” A man’s voice, formal, hesitant.

“Speaking.” I took another sip of coffee, still watching the steam dance.

“Ma’am, I’m Officer Matthews with the Police Department. I’m sorry to inform you, but your husband was in an accident this morning. He didn’t survive.”

The mug slipped from my hand, shattering against the linoleum. Coffee splashed across my bare feet, but I barely felt it. “What? No, that’s… no… not my Andrew!”

“Ma’am…” The officer’s voice softened. “There’s more you need to know. There was another woman in the car who also died… and two surviving daughters. Records in our database confirm they’re Andrew’s children.”

I slid down the kitchen cabinet until I hit the floor, barely registering the coffee soaking into my robe.

The room spun around me as ten years of marriage shattered like my coffee mug. “Children?”

“Twin girls, ma’am. They’re three years old.”

Three years old. Three years of lies, of business trips and late meetings. Three years of another family living parallel to mine, just out of sight. The jerk had been living a whole other life while I’d been suffering through infertility treatments and the heartache of two miscarriages.

“Ma’am? Are you still there?”

“Yes,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure I was. Not really. “What… what happens to them now?”

“Their mother had no living relatives. They’re currently in emergency foster care until—”

I hung up. I couldn’t bear to hear more.

The funeral was a blur of black clothes and pitying looks. I stood there like a statue, accepting condolences from people who didn’t know whether to treat me like a grieving widow or a scorned woman.

But then I saw those two tiny figures in matching black dresses, holding hands so tightly their knuckles were white. My husband’s secret daughters.

One had her thumb in her mouth. The other was picking at the hem of her dress. They looked so lost and alone. Despite the hurt of Andrew’s betrayal, my heart went out to them.

“Those poor things,” my mother whispered beside me. “Their foster family couldn’t make it today. Can you imagine? No one here for them except the social worker.”

I watched as one twin stumbled, and her sister caught her automatically like they were two parts of the same person. Something in my chest cracked open.

“I’ll take them,” I heard myself say.

Mom turned to me, shocked.

“Ruth, honey, you can’t be serious. After what he did?”

“Look at them, Mom. They’re innocent in all this and they’re alone.”

“But—”

“I couldn’t have my own children. Maybe… maybe this is why.”

The adoption process was a nightmare of paperwork and questioning looks.

Why would I want my cheating husband’s secret children? Was I mentally stable enough? Was this some form of revenge?

But I kept fighting, and eventually, Carrie and Dana became mine.

Those first years were a dance of healing and hurting. The girls were sweet but wary as if waiting for me to change my mind. I’d catch them whispering to each other late at night, making plans for “when she sends us away.”

It broke my heart every time.

“We’re having mac and cheese again?” seven-year-old Dana asked one night, her nose wrinkled.

“It’s what we can afford this week, sweetie,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “But look — I put extra cheese on yours, just how you like it.”

Carrie, always the more sensitive one, must have heard something in my voice. She elbowed her sister.

“Mac and cheese is my favorite,” she announced, though I knew it wasn’t.

By the time they turned ten, I knew I had to tell them the truth. The whole truth.

I’d practiced the words a hundred times in front of my bathroom mirror, but sitting there on my bed, watching their innocent faces, I felt like I might throw up.

“Girls,” I started, my hands trembling. “There’s something about your father and how you came to be my daughters that you need to know.”

They sat cross-legged on my faded quilt, mirror images of attention.

I told them everything about Andrew’s double life, their birth mother, and that terrible morning I got the call. I told them how my heart broke when I saw them at the funeral and how I knew then that we were meant to be together.

The silence that followed felt endless. Dana’s face had gone pale, her freckles standing out like dots of paint. Carrie’s lower lip trembled.

“So… so Dad was a liar?” Dana’s voice cracked. “He was cheating on you?”

“And our real mom…” Carrie wrapped her arms around herself. “She died because of him?”

“It was an accident, sweetheart. A terrible accident.”

“But you…” Dana’s eyes narrowed, something hard and horrible creeping into her young face. “You just took us? Like… like some kind of consolation prize?”

“No! I took you because—”

“Because you felt sorry for us?” Carrie interrupted, tears streaming now. “Because you couldn’t have your own kids?”

“I took you because I loved you the moment I saw you,” I reached for them, but they both flinched back. “You weren’t a consolation prize. You were a gift.”

“Liar!” Dana spat, jumping off the bed. “Everyone’s a liar! Come on, Carrie!”

They ran to their room and slammed the door. I heard the lock click, followed by muffled sobs and furious whispers.

The next few years were a minefield. Sometimes we’d have good days when we went on shopping trips or cuddled together on the sofa for movie nights. But whenever they got angry, the knives came out.

“At least our real mom wanted us from the start!”

“Maybe she’d still be alive if it wasn’t for you!”

Each barb found its mark with surgical precision. But they were entering their teens, so I weathered their storms, hoping they’d understand someday.

Then came that awful day shortly after the girls turned sixteen.

I came home from work and my key wouldn’t turn in the lock. Then I spotted the note taped to the door.

“We’re adults now. We need our own space. Go and live with your mom!” it read.

My suitcase sat by the door like a coffin for all my hopes. Inside, I could hear movement, but no one answered my calls or pounding. I stood there for an hour before climbing back into my car.

At Mom’s house, I paced like a caged animal.

“They’re acting out,” she said, watching me wear a path in her carpet. “Testing your love.”

“What if it’s more than that?” I stared at my silent phone. “What if they’ve finally decided I’m not worth it? That I’m just the woman who took them in out of pity?”

“Ruth, you stop that right now.” Mom grabbed my shoulders.

“You’ve been their mother in every way that matters for thirteen years. They’re hurting, yes. They’re angry about things neither of you can change. But they love you.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because they’re acting exactly like you did at sixteen.” She smiled sadly. “Remember when you ran away to Aunt Sarah’s?”

I did. I’d been so angry about… what was it? Something trivial. I’d lasted three days before homesickness drove me back.

Five more days crawled by.

I called in sick to work. I barely ate. Every time my phone buzzed, I lunged for it, only to be disappointed by another spam call or a text from a concerned friend.

Then, finally, on the seventh day, I got the call I’d longed for.

“Mom?” Carrie’s voice was small and soft, like when she used to crawl into my bed during thunderstorms. “Can you come home? Please?”

I drove back with my heart in my throat.

The last thing I expected when I rushed through the front door was to find my house transformed. Fresh paint coated the walls, and the floors gleamed.

“Surprise!” The girls appeared from the kitchen, grinning like they used to when they were little.

“We’ve been planning this for months,” Dana explained, bouncing on her toes. “Working at the mall, babysitting, saving everything.”

“Sorry for the mean note,” Carrie added sheepishly. “It was the only way we could think of to keep it a surprise.”

They led me to what used to be their nursery, now transformed into a beautiful home office. The walls were soft lavender, and there, by the window, hung a photo of the three of us on adoption day, all teary-eyed and smiling.

“You gave us a family, Mom,” Carrie whispered, her eyes wet. “Even though you didn’t have to, even though we were a reminder of everything that hurt. You chose us anyway, and you’ve been the best mom ever.”

I pulled my girls close, breathing in the familiar smell of their shampoo, feeling their hearts beat against mine.

“You two are the best things that have ever happened to me. You gave me a reason to keep going. I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

“But we do know, Mom,” Dana said, her voice muffled against my shoulder. “We’ve always known.”

Jennifer Lopez Snaps Selfies and Poses on Bow of a Boat in Italy During Solo Summer Vacation

Amidst marital difficulty, the singer has been enjoying a holiday overseas sans husband Ben Affleck.

People, grab your sun hats because Jennifer Lopez is having the time of her life while on a summer vacation by herself in the gorgeous countryside of Italy! Jenny from the Block is out here taking selfies and enjoying the Mediterranean sun, so forget about the drama, marital problems, and rumor mill that never stops spinning.

Jennifer Lopez is vacationing in Italy and is truly living the good life! On Thursday, the 54-year-old Atlas star was spotted relaxing topside on a Mediterranean yacht with pals. Oh yes, my dear reader, she was living the high life as she made her way down a rocky beach pathway (not a single Instagram filter in site!) to get on a tiny dinghy that would take her to her floating paradise.

Imagine J. Lo sporting a gorgeous little woven purse, matching heels (because why not? ), gold accessories, and a white one-piece swimsuit. She was sitting on the chairs, taking pictures of herself and posing as though she ruled the Mediterranean.

It’s more than just a lighthearted spectacle. Lopez postponed her concert tour, according to Live Nation, on May 31 in order to spend more time with her kids, relatives, and close friends. How about putting the important things first? Affleck is currently in the United States, managing their seven children and focusing on his most recent endeavor, The Accountant 2.

Her trips around Italy are now legendary. Lopez is a holiday pro, from sun-kissed days on yachts to glitzy evenings in Milan. She was spotted showing off her abs only last Tuesday while sporting a cream-colored bandeau top and matching shorts. Italy truly knows how to make a girl feel special!

It’s not her first time to Italy, either. The celebrity has long been a fan of the nation, praising its charm and attraction in a number of interviews. Among her famous Italian adventures include her 2022 honeymoon with Affleck, which included trips to Milan and Lake Como, and a 52nd birthday celebration on a boat off the Amalfi Coast.

What could possibly top a picture-perfect vacation snapshot? Just a friendly reminder that you can subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on all these celebrity scandals and amazing vacations. Who doesn’t enjoy hearing about celebrities on a daily basis?

Lopez seems to be in a lyrical relationship with Italy. She waxed poetic in a 2023 interview with Travel + Leisure about the significant influence her summertime adventures in Italy had on her.

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