Chapter 5: The Paper That Changed Everything
I stared at the paper in my hand until the words stopped looking real.
DNA TEST RESULTS.
Those three words sat at the top of the page like a warning.
Like a door I should never have opened.
My fingers trembled.
James noticed immediately.
“Claire.””
I looked up.
His face had changed.
The anger was gone.
The confusion was gone.
Only fear remained.
“Give it to me,” he said quietly.
I didn’t move.
Because some part of me already knew.
Whatever was written on that paper would not just hurt me.
It would hurt him.
And that was the one thing I couldn’t bear.
Lauren watched from across the room.
She wasn’t smiling anymore.
She looked almost relieved.
Like she had been waiting months for this moment.
“Where did you get this?”” I asked.
My voice barely sounded like mine.
She folded her arms.
“I told you. I didn’t create this.””
“That wasn’t my question.””
She looked away.
“Someone sent it.””
“Who?””
She hesitated.
That hesitation was the answer.
“Lauren.””
My sister took a breath.
“Ethan.””
The name hit me like a memory I had buried.
Ethan Cole.
My college boyfriend.
The person I dated before James.
The person I hadn’t spoken to in six years.
The person I thought was completely out of my life.
James looked at me.
“You never told me he contacted you?””
“Because he didn’t.””
I looked back at Lauren.
“When did he send this?””
She didn’t answer.
My father stepped forward.
“Claire, before you read it, you need to understand something.””
I looked at him.
“You knew about this?””
His eyes dropped.
“I knew Lauren had received something.””
My chest tightened.
“You knew there was a DNA test involving my daughter, and you didn’t tell me?””
“I didn’t know if it was real.””
“Neither did you know if it was fake.””
Dad looked ashamed.
“I was trying to protect you.””
“No.””
The word came out sharper than I expected.
“You were trying to protect the family.””
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone knew I was right.
For years, my family had been built around one rule:
Don’t upset Lauren.
Don’t challenge Lauren.
Don’t make Lauren feel abandoned.
And somehow, I was always the one expected to understand.
James gently took the paper from my hand.
“I’m going to read this.””
I watched him unfold it.
The room became silent.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
I searched his face for an answer.
But he gave me nothing.
“James?””
He looked up.
“Claire…”
My heart dropped.
“What?””
He handed the paper back.
I looked down.
The first line was clear.
The test was between Emma Walker and Ethan Cole.
The probability of paternity was listed.
99.99%.
I couldn’t breathe.
“No.””
The word escaped before I could stop it.
James closed his eyes.
“Claire…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“This is wrong.””
Lauren spoke softly.
“That’s what I thought too.””
I looked at her.
“You?””
She nodded.
“I didn’t believe it.””
“Then why did you keep it?””
Her expression changed.
And for a second, I saw the sister I remembered.
The scared little girl who used to crawl into my bed during thunderstorms.
The girl who used to tell me everything.
“Because I was angry.””
The honesty surprised me.
“I was angry at you. I was angry at everyone. And when I found out there was something that could take away your perfect life…”
She stopped.
I finished the sentence.
“You wanted to use it.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.””
Nobody defended her.
Not even Mom.
I looked at James.
He was staring at the floor.
The man who had spent nine months away fighting for our country.
The man who had returned home and immediately loved a baby he believed was his.
The man who had stood up for Emma without hesitation.
“I swear,” I whispered.
He looked at me.
“I never knew.””
His face softened slightly.
“I know.””
That hurt even more.
Because he believed me.
Even now.
After seeing that paper.
“I never cheated on you.””
“I know.””
“I didn’t know Ethan contacted anyone.””
“I know.””
I grabbed his hand.
“James.””
He squeezed mine.
But before he could say anything, my father’s phone buzzed again.
Everyone looked at it.
Dad checked the screen.
His face changed.
“What?””
Mom stood.
“What is it?””
Dad slowly turned the phone toward us.
“It’s Ethan.””
My entire body went cold.
“Why would he be calling you?””
Dad didn’t answer.
Because the message on the screen was already visible.
*I need to tell Claire the truth. Lauren doesn’t know what really happened.*
I looked at Lauren.
Her face lost all color.
“What does that mean?”” I asked.
She stepped backward.
“I don’t know.””
But she did.
I knew she did.
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And when Ethan’s second message appeared, the secret became even darker.
*The DNA results were real. But the story behind them is not what Lauren thinks.*
