Chapter 91 – The Truth Comes Out

The hospital waiting room had gone quiet. The kind of quiet that sits between heartbeats and carries the weight of everything left unspoken.

Sarah stood near the wall, arms crossed over her chest, eyes fixed on the hallway where Ryan had been wheeled away hours ago. Her entire body was tense, like she was holding herself together with nothing but sheer will.

Richard stood a few feet away, pacing. He hadn't said much since arriving—just asked about Ryan, stood quietly with Evelyn, and then drifted toward the far corner of the waiting area, lost in thought.

Anna sat on the couch, her head leaning on Evelyn's shoulder, still wearing Ryan's blood-stained sweater. Savannah was next to her, holding her hand. Ben stood off to the side, arms folded tightly, looking at the floor.

The silence couldn't hold forever.

Sarah finally turned to Richard. Her voice cracked. "We have to tell them. We can't wait anymore."

Richard hesitated, then nodded slowly.

Evelyn looked up, alarmed. "Tell us what?"

Sarah swallowed hard and looked toward the group.

Ben frowned. "What's going on?"

Richard stepped forward and took a breath. "There's something you all need to know. About Ryan."

Anna sat up straighter, suddenly on edge. "What do you mean?"

Sarah closed her eyes, just for a moment, as if gathering strength. Then she opened them and faced her son's closest friends—and the girl he had loved.

"When I was sixteen," she began, "I got pregnant. I was scared. Alone. I was told by the boy's family to end the pregnancy. But I didn't. I left the town and raised Ryan on my own."

She glanced over at Richard, whose jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

"That boy," Sarah whispered, "was Richard Morgan."

The words hit like a wave crashing against stone.

Evelyn's face went pale.

Anna's mouth opened, but no words came out.

Ben took a step back.

Savannah's hand tightened on Anna's arm.

"No," Anna finally whispered, shaking her head. "No, that's not possible."

Richard stepped forward now, gently. "It's true. I didn't know Sarah kept the baby until recently. When she came back… I saw him. I saw myself in him. And I asked her. She told me the truth."

"But…" Anna's voice broke. "That means… he's… he's my—"

"Half-brother," Sarah said softly.

The room fell into stunned silence.

Anna's face twisted with disbelief. "We didn't know. We didn't know! We—he… we didn't know!"

"We know you didn't," Richard said gently. "And that's why he broke up with you. To protect you."

Anna's eyes filled with tears. "He said it was all just an experiment. That I was nothing. That I didn't matter."

Sarah's face crumbled. "He lied to protect you. Because he couldn't bear the idea of you hurting like this."

Evelyn finally found her voice. "Why didn't you tell her? Either of you?"

"Because it was already too late," Richard said quietly. "You know her, Evelyn. If she knew, it would've destroyed her. She loved him."

Anna let out a sob and stood, pacing frantically. "I kissed him. I—I loved him. We were—God! We were going to spend the whole summer together. We made plans. And now he's in there, fighting for his life, and I didn't even get to say goodbye properly."

Ben sat down heavily. "I thought he was just being cold. That he didn't care. I didn't know…"

"No one did," Sarah said. "I tried to protect him. I've spent his whole life trying to protect him."

Savannah stood up, wiping her eyes. "So he gave her up. Just like that. For her. For all of us."

Sarah nodded slowly.

"That's who he is," Jack added softly, stepping forward. "Ryan doesn't talk much. But when he loves someone, he'll burn himself to keep them warm."

Anna collapsed back into her chair, tears falling freely now. "I wish he'd told me. I wish—anything but the way he did it."

"I told him not to," Sarah whispered. "Because I was afraid of exactly this."

"And now he's in there," Anna said, her voice trembling. "And we don't know if he's going to wake up."

Richard's voice cracked. "He will."

Everyone turned to look at him.

"He has to," Richard said. "Because I haven't had the chance to be his father yet. I haven't told him I'm proud of him. I haven't earned his forgiveness. I don't even deserve it. But I still need him to wake up."

No one spoke after that.

The silence wasn't empty anymore.

It was full of grief. Love. Truth.

And hope.

For Ryan.

For a second chance.

For healing.