Zoe was a hardworking nurse who often depended on her mother-in-law, Denise, to take care of her little boy, Leo. Denise was a woman who could make anyone feel small just by the way she spoke. After her husband had passed away, she returned to her old job as the head librarian at the local library. She found comfort in her work and the weekly book club meetings she organized.
Even though Denise could be a bit overbearing, Zoe truly appreciated her help. With her husband, Andrew, working all sorts of unpredictable hours at his law firm, Denise often came over to watch Leo when Zoe had late-night shifts. Denise would often say, “It’s a grandmother’s duty to help,” and despite her changing moods, she was always reliable and never complained.
But recently, Zoe noticed something strange. Leo was acting differently whenever Denise came around. He would hold onto Zoe’s leg longer when she tried to leave or run to hide when he heard Denise’s car pull up in the driveway. At first, Zoe thought it was just a phase or some sort of separation anxiety that young children often experience.
But one evening, just before Zoe was about to head out for her night shift, Leo suddenly burst into tears and pleaded, “Mommy, please don’t leave me with Grandma!”
Alarmed, Zoe knelt down beside him and asked softly, “What’s wrong, Leo? Grandma always brings you treats, remember?” She tried to make him smile, but Leo glanced toward the door with wide eyes and whispered, “Grandma’s been acting weird.”
Zoe’s heart started to race. “What do you mean, sweetie?” she asked gently, trying to stay calm.
Leo hesitated, then said that Denise had been chasing him around the house with something in her hand, trying to put it in his mouth. He described the object as a cotton swab and said that Denise kept insisting she needed his saliva for a “test.” The thought of it terrified Leo, who was still scared of anything medical after a recent accident that had left him with a broken arm.
Zoe felt her worry turn into anger. Why would Denise need a test, and why was she doing it behind her back? Furious, she marched down the hall to the guest room where Denise was staying. “What are you doing with Leo?” she demanded.
Denise looked startled for a moment, but then she straightened up and said, “I’ve been wondering about Leo’s blonde hair. It doesn’t match anyone in the family. I needed to know if he was really Andrew’s son.”
Zoe was stunned. “You were trying to test my child’s DNA without telling me?” she shouted, her voice filled with hurt and disbelief. Denise admitted she had been trying to prove something without involving Zoe or Andrew. Feeling betrayed, Zoe asked Denise to leave. She needed time to process what had just happened and to comfort her frightened son.
In the days that followed, things between Zoe and Andrew became tense. Denise had already called Andrew and planted doubts in his mind. After a long conversation, Andrew finally said, “Maybe we should just do the DNA test and settle this once and for all.”
Zoe, feeling angry and betrayed, agreed but added a condition. “Fine,” she said firmly, “but you take a DNA test too. If your mother is willing to doubt Leo’s parentage, we should check yours as well.” If Denise was going to cast doubt on Leo, she should be ready for the same scrutiny.
Andrew was taken aback by Zoe’s demand but eventually agreed. A few days later, the results arrived. The tests confirmed that Leo was indeed Andrew’s son. But there was another surprise—Andrew’s test revealed that his own biological father was not who he thought it was!
Andrew was shocked and struggled to make sense of this news. Meanwhile, Zoe was still hurt and decided to keep her distance from Denise, finding it hard to forgive her mother-in-law’s actions.
Eventually, Andrew decided to confront Denise. “Is this true?” he asked, his voice shaking with a mix of confusion and anger. Denise took a deep breath and admitted, “Yes, I had an affair a long time ago.”
Andrew felt his world come crashing down around him. He decided he needed time away from his mother to focus on his family with Zoe and Leo.
Denise’s guilt, buried for decades, had driven her to project her insecurities onto Zoe and Leo. But Zoe and Andrew were determined to move forward. They were ready to leave Denise’s drama behind and focus on their son, their family, and their future.
