I was shocked when I noticed the same birthmark on my niece, Sofia, that I had seen years ago on my husband, David. It made my heart race, and a sense of dread washed over me. But before I let my mind run wild with thoughts, I knew I had to find the truth. And I decided the only way to get the real answers was to do a secret DNA test.
It was a beautiful afternoon under the cedar tree, the breeze cool and calming as I held baby Sofia close to my chest. Although she was my sister-in-law Fiona’s child, I loved her as if she were my own daughter.
David had always painted a picture of a distant, estranged family. So, when Fiona and Sofia moved into the neighborhood, I was caught off guard. But their presence was something I hadn’t expected to feel so joyful about.
We had spread out a blanket, enjoyed a lovely picnic, and laughed together. But when Fiona jokingly offered to take Sofia back home, I shook my head playfully. “No. You should clean up a little first. We are fine here,” I said, clutching Sofia tighter as she squirmed in my arms.
Fiona’s laugh was like music to my ears, and I smiled, even though I was trying to shake off the unsettling thoughts creeping into my mind. Minutes later, as we settled in, I noticed Sofia becoming more restless. Without missing a beat, I gently laid her on the picnic rug and began changing her diaper.
But when I opened her diaper, I found it still perfectly clean. I was confused for a second, but as I looked at her tiny back, something caught my eye—an unusual birthmark. It was a mark I could swear I had seen before—on David’s back.
I froze, my heart thudding in my chest. The birthmark was so similar to the one on David that for a moment, I couldn’t move. The moment felt like it stretched on forever, but then I quickly finished changing Sofia and cradled her in my arms. I stared at her little face, feeling an overwhelming mix of confusion and suspicion.
As I continued our picnic, the connection between David and Fiona began to unravel in my mind. Their closeness, which had always seemed innocent before, now felt like a puzzle piece falling into place.
But I didn’t say anything. I decided to observe more before jumping to any conclusions. I couldn’t let these thoughts get the best of me, at least not yet.
Later that night, in the quiet of our home, I tried to carry on with my usual routine, pretending that nothing had changed. But as I helped David dry off after his shower, something inside me snapped. I couldn’t stop looking at the birthmark on his back. It was too identical to Sofia’s. The realization hit me hard, and my stomach twisted with a mix of anger and hurt.
David noticed my hesitation and chuckled. “You should’ve warned me that the royal treatment would only last for a few seconds,” he teased, unaware of the storm brewing inside me.
His lightheartedness only made things worse. The thought that David had been hiding something from me for all these years was too painful to bear. I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed the truth.
That night, I whispered to myself as I lay in bed, “I need to know if Fiona is his mistress.” The thought of it hurt, but I had to find out.
The next time Fiona visited, I forced myself to act like everything was normal. I even ran over to pick up Sofia, feeling the weight of her in my arms as I tried to push the thoughts of betrayal out of my mind.
Fiona laughed, “At this point, Sofia and I might as well move in with you!”
“Of course. We are family,” I said, though my words felt hollow. Fiona didn’t seem to notice, thankfully.
When Fiona wasn’t looking, I found the opportunity to secretly collect DNA samples. I took a bit of Sofia’s saliva and a strand of David’s hair, even though he raised an eyebrow when I pulled it from his head.
“Relax. I just helped you pull something out of your head,” I joked, though I could feel my own hands shaking.
The decision was made. I was going to get the truth. I submitted the samples for testing, impatient for the results to arrive as quickly as possible. The waiting was unbearable, and every visit Fiona made with Sofia only made my suspicions grow stronger. Her attempts at casual conversation began to feel like mockery, and her presence was suffocating.
One afternoon, Fiona tried to talk to me, but I pretended to be sick and lay on the couch. I tried to tune them out, but the sound of David and Fiona laughing together made my nerves fray.
Then, David said something that pushed me to the edge. “Sofia is going to be two soon. I wonder what her first words will be,” he said, smiling at Sofia. “Carmen, what do you think?”
“I don’t know. It could be ‘poo-poo’ for all we know,” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
David chuckled, pushing his chest out proudly. “I think it could be ‘dada.’”
That was it. My temper flared, and I stood up, pointing a finger at both of them. “That’s enough! Tell me the truth, Sofia is your child!” I shouted. “Don’t even try to deny it. I saw the birthmark on your back, and I saw it on hers!”
I felt the anger drain out of me, leaving only sadness. My voice trembled as tears welled in my eyes. “Every time I try asking about Sofia’s father, I never get answers. Just tell me the truth!”
I expected them to deny it or defend themselves, but they just sat there in stunned silence, their faces blank with surprise, like they hadn’t thought I would find out. My heart ached. I couldn’t stay in that room any longer. I ran out of the house.
David tried to follow me, but Fiona stopped him. I got in my car and drove away, desperate for space to think. I ended up in a hotel, hoping distance would clear my mind, but all I could feel was the sickness in my stomach, the weight of betrayal pressing down on me.
As I made my way to bed, a thought froze me in place. Could I be pregnant? The idea hit me hard, and the thought of carrying a child after everything that had happened terrified me.
The next morning, I bought a pregnancy test. “I’ll take any brand,” I said quickly, trying to get in and out of the pharmacy.
Back in the hotel room, I anxiously waited for the result. When I saw two lines, confirming I was pregnant, the weight of it all crashed down on me. I didn’t know what to do. David’s constant calls didn’t help; I felt trapped, isolated in a situation I couldn’t escape.
I decided to return home, face David and Fiona, and get the answers I so desperately needed. Fiona greeted me at the door, smiling. “Carmen, I’m glad you’re back. There’s so much we need to—”
I brushed past her, uninterested in her words. My mind was made up. I packed quickly, determined to leave this mess behind.
David shouted as I grabbed my things. “Listen to me, Fiona is my sister!” he pleaded, but I barely listened.
I shrugged. “Even if she is. It’s not unheard of,” I muttered as I continued packing.
David blocked my path, desperation in his eyes. “If you don’t believe me, how about a DNA test?”
“I already took one in secret,” I replied coldly.
Fiona appeared in the doorway just then, making me even angrier. “Don’t bother saying anything. I saw the birthmark. I KNOW THE TRUTH!” I yelled, tears streaming down my face.
Then, Fiona did something that completely shocked me. She turned around and showed me her back. “I have the same birthmark,” she said quietly. “It’s a family trait.”
The words were like a punch to the gut. She explained that Sofia’s father had been a commissioned officer who died just before Sofia was born. “I can’t help but hate him a little for leaving, and it makes me feel guilty,” Fiona said softly.
David added, “I only treat Sofia like my own because Fiona wanted a male figure in her life.”
I still had doubts, though. Fiona had never been at our wedding, and there were pieces of the story that didn’t quite add up. David explained, “Sofia was sick around the time of our wedding, and I later asked Fiona to move closer so she wouldn’t be alone.”
Eventually, Fiona accepted the results of my secret DNA test. “I don’t mind. As long as this misunderstanding is cleared up,” she said calmly.
We went to the institution to get the official results. My heart pounded as the doctor handed us the papers. The first test had been wrong. The second test confirmed that David was not Sofia’s father.
David laughed in relief. “It’s good to know the first test was wrong,” he said.
“Even if the second test had said David was the father, I would’ve insisted on another one,” Fiona said, rising to leave.
Back home, my guilt and anxiety melted away as I apologized to David and Fiona. “I made you doubt me. I should have told you about Sofia’s father,” Fiona said as she hugged me tightly.
Months later, after I had given birth to a baby boy named Zack, I was still reeling from everything that had happened. One day, I looked out the window to see a lot of cars parked outside our house.
“I didn’t know your family was this excited about a new baby,” I whispered to David, holding Zack in my arms.
David laughed, wrapping his arms around me. Together, with Fiona standing behind us, we prepared to meet the rest of our family. And for the first time in a long while, everything felt right again.
