Chapter 10: The Secret Behind Michael’s Birth
The name on the document belonged to someone I never expected to see.
A man named Thomas Reed.
I stared at the page.
My hands went numb.
Michael noticed immediately.
“Mom?””
I couldn’t answer.
The woman from the records department looked between us.
“Is everything okay?””
I folded the paper quickly.
“Yes. Thank you.””
But nothing was okay.
Not anymore.
Outside the hospital, Michael stopped walking.
“Who is Thomas Reed?””
I looked at him.
“I don’t know.””
It was the truth.
At least, the truth I understood.
But deep down, a memory was beginning to return.
A memory from twenty years ago.
A memory I had buried because I thought it no longer mattered.
Before Daniel.
Before marriage.
Before motherhood.
I had known Thomas.
Not well.
But enough.
He was a friend from college.
A kind person.
Someone who always believed I could do more than I believed myself.
Then life changed.
I met Daniel.
Thomas moved away.
And years later, I found out I was pregnant.
With Michael.
I never questioned anything.
Because Daniel was there.
Daniel held my hand during appointments.
Daniel cried when Michael was born.
Daniel told everyone in the hospital that he was the luckiest man alive.
So why was Thomas Reed’s name attached to Michael’s medical file?
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
I sat on the edge of my bed staring at old photographs.
Michael as a baby.
Michael learning to walk.
Michael losing his first tooth.
Every memory I had was real.
Every moment was real.
A knock came at my door.
“Mom?””
I looked up.
Michael stood there.
“I need to ask you something.””
I nodded.
“Okay.””
He stepped inside.
“Is Dad right?””
The question hurt more than anything else.
“About what?””
“That there’s something you never told me.””
I looked at my son.
The person I had protected my entire life.
“I never hid anything because I wanted to hurt you.””
“But did you hide something?””
I stayed silent.
And that silence answered him.
Michael sat down.
“I’m not angry.””
I looked surprised.
“You’re not?””
“No.””
He looked at the floor.
“I’m scared.””
Those words broke my heart.
Because he sounded exactly like the little boy who used to come to my room after nightmares.
I reached for his hand.
“Michael, before I tell you anything, I need to understand it myself.””
He nodded.
“Okay.””
The next morning, I contacted Thomas.
I didn’t know if he would answer.
I didn’t know if he even lived nearby.
But when the phone rang, my heart started racing.
A man answered.
“Hello?””
I closed my eyes.
“Thomas?””
Silence.
Then:
“Maria?””
His voice changed immediately.
“You found out.””
I froze.
“What?””
Another pause.
“I knew this day would come.””
My stomach tightened.
“Thomas, what is happening?””
He sighed.
“I was hoping you’d never have to deal with this.””
“Deal with what?””
His voice became quiet.
“The truth about Michael.””
I gripped the phone.
“Tell me.””
“Not over the phone.””
“Then meet me.””
He agreed.
We met at a quiet park the next afternoon.
Thomas looked older.
Gray hair.
Tired eyes.
But he still had the same gentle expression.
The moment he saw me, he looked emotional.
“I’m sorry.””
I hated those words.
Everyone was sorry.
Sorry after years of silence.
Sorry after damage was done.
“Why is your name on my son’s medical file?””
Thomas looked down.
“Because I was there.””
“Where?””
“The day Michael was born.””
My breathing stopped.
“What?””
He swallowed.
“Maria, you knew something was wrong during the pregnancy.””
I frowned.
“No.””
“Yes.””
He looked at me.
“You had doubts.””
I remembered.
A hospital visit.
A doctor asking questions.
A test.
But Daniel had been beside me.
He told me everything was fine.
Thomas continued.
“The doctors wanted additional testing because of a medical concern.””
“What concern?””
Thomas hesitated.
“Blood type.””
The world seemed to slow.
“What?””
“Daniel’s blood type didn’t match the possibility of him being Michael’s biological father.””
I stared at him.
“No.””
The word came out automatically.
“No, that’s impossible.””
Thomas looked heartbroken.
“Maria…”
“No.””
I stood up.
“Daniel was his father.””
Thomas didn’t argue.
He just said:
“Biologically, he wasn’t.””
The park suddenly felt silent.
My entire life was splitting into two versions.
The life I knew.
And the truth I never saw.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?””
Thomas looked away.
“Because Daniel found out before you did.””
My blood ran cold.
“What?””
“He saw the results.””
“And?””
Thomas took a deep breath.
“He begged me not to tell you.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
His answer was the one I feared most.
“Because he said he would lose everything.””
I thought about Daniel’s obsession.
The custody battle.
The lies.
The need to control Michael’s relationship with me.
Suddenly, everything looked different.
He wasn’t trying to protect a father-son bond.
He was trying to protect a secret.
Before I left, Thomas handed me an envelope.
“What is this?””
“Something Daniel never wanted you to see.””
I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Written by Daniel.
May you like
The first sentence made my heart stop.
*I know Michael isn’t my son, but I will make sure Maria never takes him away from me.*
