Chris stood at the front steps of his parents’ big house, staring at the door like it was a prison gate.
“I just want to get this over with,” he sighed, shoulders tense.
Amanda gently rubbed his arm. “They’re your parents, honey. We want them to accept me, right? And come to our wedding?”
Chris let out a dry laugh, no humor in it. “I honestly don’t care anymore, Amanda. If they can’t accept the woman I love, then I don’t want them in our lives.”
“Please,” Amanda said softly. “We should try. What about the future? They’re family, and we want them in our children’s lives.”
Chris clenched his jaw, lips tight. He didn’t answer for a moment. Finally, he muttered, “Yeah. I guess.”
Amanda tried to lighten the mood. “So… when are you quitting your job?”
“OK, enough of that,” he said with a smirk. “Let’s just do this. We’re in it together, right?”
She smiled brightly and hugged his arm. “Always.”
The door opened, and there stood Mrs. Castillo, her face stretched into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Hello, Amanda. It’s… nice to see you,” she said, stepping aside just enough for them to come in.
Chris bit the inside of his cheek. He could see through her act. It had been years since Amanda entered his life, and yet his parents still treated her like an unwanted guest. They had always hoped he would end up with someone else.
Someone like Ciara.
Back when Chris graduated college and landed his first job, his parents had introduced him to Ciara Geoffrey. Her father sat on the board of the town’s most elite private clinic, and her family was known in every upper-class circle in the city.
The Castillos had money. Old money. His great-grandfather’s business decisions had secured their wealth, and his parents were obsessed with keeping their reputation spotless. Everything was about appearances.
But Chris didn’t care about any of that. College had opened his eyes. He met people from all walks of life, and he realized he didn’t want a trophy wife who only cared about parties and handbags. He wanted someone real.
And then, fate stepped in.
He was leaving work one day and nearly ran over a woman in the parking lot. She slapped his hood, and he jumped out to apologize, instantly captivated by her.
Amanda.
She wasn’t amused by his flirting. She rolled her eyes. But over time, she warmed up to him, agreed to a date, and that one dinner turned into forever.
When he brought her to meet his parents, it was a disaster.
As soon as she went to the restroom, Mrs. Castillo hissed, “She’s just an assistant, Chris. Why can’t you date Ciara? She’s from a good family. She adores you!”
His father added, “You need a woman from your own… class. It won’t work otherwise.”
Chris had had enough. “The two of you need to shut up. I’m not breaking up with Amanda. I don’t care if she’s not some pampered princess like Ciara.”
Amanda came back smiling, unaware of the tension that suddenly gripped the table. She later admitted she felt it in the air, but Chris explained everything. She was patient and hopeful. She believed that one day, they’d come around.
But years passed. They got engaged. And still, the Castillos only pretended to like her. They tolerated her—nothing more.
Amanda, always the optimist, kept trying. She called Mrs. Castillo to help plan the wedding. She even asked her opinion about the tablecloth colors. The one thing she hadn’t told them yet was the biggest surprise.
She and Chris were trying for a baby.
Amanda thought—maybe, just maybe—a grandchild would melt their icy hearts.
That night, they sat around the dining table. Amanda looked radiant, glowing, and full of life. But Chris was distracted. He had news—shocking, terrible news—that he hadn’t shared with her yet.
He kept glancing at Amanda. He had just gotten test results that shattered him. How could he tell her?
His parents already knew. He had shown them. And they didn’t show sympathy—just a smug acceptance. Like it was expected.
“If Amanda leaves you, let her,” his mother had told him.
Now he sat at the table, numb, while Amanda chatted politely with his father.
“So, Amanda,” Mr. Castillo said. “How’s work?”
“Oh, work’s been great, sir! We’re organizing this huge event. It’s been really exciting to help with everything,” Amanda answered, eager to please.
“That’s… fine,” Mr. Castillo said. Then he added, “When are you quitting your job?”
Amanda blinked, caught off guard. “Excuse me?”
“You’re planning to become a housewife, right?”
“I’m not quitting,” she said firmly.
“She’s going to keep working, Dad,” Chris cut in, his tone sharp.
Mrs. Castillo fake-laughed. “Yes, of course. Amanda’s a modern woman, after all.”
Amanda chuckled nervously, trying to keep the peace. “Well… maybe things will change in the future. Speaking of which… I actually have an announcement. I’m pregnant!”
For a few seconds, silence crushed the room. Amanda was smiling, expecting cheers or at least polite clapping.
Instead, Mrs. Castillo stood up so fast her chair scraped the floor.
“He’s infertile!” she shrieked. “He can’t have children!”
Chris turned pale. His mind froze. The test results confirmed it. He couldn’t father children. But Amanda had just said she was pregnant.
“YOU CHEATED ON MY SON, YOU WORTHLESS TROLLOP!” Mrs. Castillo screamed. “You’re trying to baby-trap him!”
Amanda’s face went white. “What? No! Chris and I… we’ve been trying for months. That’s not possible. There must be a mistake!”
Mr. Castillo stood slowly and wiped his mouth. “Leave this house. Now. If you come near my son again, we’ll get a restraining order.”
Amanda turned to Chris, tears filling her eyes. “Chris… say something. Please.”
But Chris just stared at his plate. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak.
Mrs. Castillo stormed over, grabbed Amanda by the hair, and dragged her to the door.
“GET OUT!” she shrieked.
Amanda screamed and pulled at her own hair, trying to stop the pain. “CHRIS! CHRIS!”
But the door slammed.
Days passed like fog. Chris moved out of their apartment. On the kitchen counter, he left the medical report and a note:
“I was worried and got tested. I’m infertile. I hope you find happiness… but it won’t be with me.”
Amanda stared at the paper for hours. She knew it was wrong. There was no one else. She was sure Chris was the father.
She tried calling. No answer. She went to the Castillos’ mansion, and the police showed up.
“Fine!” she shouted, tears streaming down her face. “I’ll raise this baby alone! One day you’ll see the truth—but it’ll be too late!”
Amanda gave birth to a beautiful baby boy—Paul. He looked exactly like Chris, from his blue eyes to the shape of his nose. Every time Amanda held him, she was reminded of the man who didn’t believe her.
“They don’t know what they’re missing,” she whispered during a midnight feeding. “Let them eat cake in their mansions while we make real memories.”
Chris tried to move on. He went back to work. He even agreed to dinner with Ciara, and surprisingly, it went okay. His parents were thrilled. He didn’t care anymore.
He let his mother plan the engagement, the wedding, everything. He was empty inside. He figured this was his life now.
Until one day… everything changed.
He was walking downtown when someone bumped into him.
“Oh! I’m sorry—” the woman started.
He looked up.
“Amanda,” he breathed.
She froze. “Hello.” She turned quickly. “Bye.”
“Wait!” Chris grabbed her hand, accidentally knocking her phone to the ground.
“Jeez, I’m sorry,” he muttered and bent to pick it up.
The screen lit up. A baby boy smiled back at him.
“Give me that,” Amanda snapped, snatching her phone. “You don’t deserve to look at him.”
“Him?” he whispered.
“Yes. My son. Mine. Alone.”
Chris stared. The baby looked… like him.
“I guess it didn’t work out with the father,” he said bitterly.
“Yeah,” Amanda replied. “It didn’t.” She turned and walked away.
But something nagged at him. Her words. Her look. Her pain.
A few days later, Ciara dragged him to her mother’s house to plan the wedding. He was barely listening.
Then Mrs. Geoffrey chirped, “Oh, I can’t wait for the babies you and Ciara will have!”
Chris frowned. “Babies? I’m infertile. You should know that. Your husband did my test.”
Mrs. Geoffrey froze. “Oh… that was just the plan.”
Chris narrowed his eyes. “Plan?”
Her face drained of color. “I-I mean… it was a mistake… maybe IVF could—”
Chris stood up. “Goodbye. I hope you two rot in hell.”
He got the truth from his mother on the drive to Amanda’s place.
Yes, the test results had been fake. The lab technician had been paid. It was all a setup—so he’d leave Amanda and go back to Ciara.
Chris slammed the phone down.
“You will never see me again.”
He went to Amanda’s apartment and let himself in with the spare key. She wasn’t home, but the place looked the same. In the baby’s room, he saw blue walls, clouds painted by hand, tiny shoes lined up on a shelf.
In their old bedroom, he sat on the edge of the bed and broke down.
How would she ever forgive him?
Amanda came home and screamed when she saw him.
“GET OUT! I’M CALLING THE POLICE!”
“Amanda! Please! It’s me! It’s Chris!”
She hit his shoulder. “You’re insane! I almost grabbed a knife!”
“I had to see you. I know the truth now. They tricked us.”
And he told her everything.
“I guess I’m not surprised,” Amanda said slowly. “But it still hurts.”
Chris nodded. “I should’ve believed you. I’m so sorry.”
Amanda blinked back tears. “You were an idiot. But… at least now it makes sense.”
“Can you forgive me?”
“Life’s too short for grudges.”
“Can I be in his life?”
She looked down. “I don’t know. It’s been hard. I don’t know if we can ever go back.”
Chris’s voice broke. “Even if we can’t, I promise I’ll do everything I can to make this right. You and Paul… you’re my family.”
Amanda wiped her face. “Well… first, you need to meet Paul.”
She paused.
“And then… we need to sue Mr. Geoffrey.”
Chris laughed through his tears.
He had a lot to fix. But maybe, just maybe… this was the beginning of something better.
What can we learn from this?
- Always get a second opinion. Medical mistakes can happen.
- Listen to your partner. Let them explain.
- Trust is fragile—but love, when real, is worth fighting for.
