“I cant believe it! My best friend is Alexs father! For over four years, Ive raised my son, never suspecting he wasnt mine.”
Emily and Victor had loved each other since school. After graduation, Victor enrolled in an aviation university in another city. Emily couldnt get in. They called each other every day.
When Victor started flying, Emily grew jealous of the beautiful flight attendants. She visited him to make amends, and they spent a perfect night together, whispering sweet nothings. But in the morning, she saw a message from a stewardessasking when his next flight was, saying she felt safer flying with him.
Of course, jealousy took over. Emily stormed out in tears.
Victor was offered a job abroadgreat prospects, excellent pay. He hesitated to tell Emily hed be leaving in a year. But three weeks later, she announced she was pregnant.
Victor proposed. They married in a lavish ceremony, half the town in attendance. The overseas job was forgottenhis wife refused to go.
After the wedding, they moved to London. When their son was born, they took out a hefty mortgage on a flat. Victor worked tirelessly to pay it off.
“If only Id taken that job! I wouldnt be stuck at work every hour! Id have climbed the career ladder by now!”
“Oh, sure, Vic! While Im here with the baby, youd be gallivanting with air hostesses?” Emily snapped.
“You exhaust me with your jealousy! If Im with you, Im with *you*! No one else!”
The fights were endless. After every flight, shed pounce, checking his phone, searching for evidence. After three years, Victor quit his flying job to become an instructor. On weekends, he drove a cab.
For peace, he abandoned his dream. He tried to be the perfect husband and father.
One day, Victor missed a mortgage payment. To sort it out, he needed the contract. Emily wasnt home, so he dug through their files. He found the contractand something else. A paternity test.
“What is this?”
The results: Child: Alex Victor Thompson. Alleged father: Andrew Michael Bennett. Probability of paternity: 99%.
“I cant believe it! My best friend is Alexs father! All these years”
Stunned, Victor didnt know how to confront Emily.
“Hi, darling! Were home!” Emily kissed him, but he didnt react.
“Alex, lets eat. Then well go to the park.”
“Sweetheart, whats wrong?” Emily laughed nervously.
“Dinner first. Then Alex and I are going out.”
She didnt understand.
“Vic, did something happen at work? Another trip? Talk to me!”
“I dont want to.” He stood and walked away.
Emily wept as she followed him.
“Are you joking? Im your *wife*! Explain yourself!”
“You kept this from me? I gave up everything for you! For *us*! When was the last time I saw my mother? My friends?”
Emily stared, bewildered.
“Does he know? How could he? Theres no way”
Two months passed. Victor couldnt bear to speak to her. But how could Andrew have hidden this?
The truth was, Andrew had always fancied Emily. He never hid it. Yet, months before their wedding, hed married someone else, knowing Emily would never be his. At every party, he danced with *her*, not his wife.
Victors mother once said, “Emily, you and Andrew wouldve made a lovely pair!”
Emily had laughed it off. “Dont be silly! Im married to *your son*! We have a child! We love each other!”
“You love him, I see. But why dance with Andrew? Why ask *him* for help, not your husband?”
“Hes always working. Andrew never says no.”
“Emily I love my son. I dont want him deceived. Somethings not right.”
“Youre imagining things!”
Victors mother had noticedAlex had a birthmark on his neck, just like Andrews. As he grew, the resemblance became uncanny. She took the test herself.
Late one night, she confronted Emily.
“I *knew* it! How could you betray my boy? Does Andrew even know he has a son?”
Emily begged. “Please! Dont ruin our lives! It was a mistakeone stupid night! Wed fought, I was drunk Andrew said to forget it ever happened. When I saw the pregnancy test, I *thought* it was Vics! Your mother showed me the results when Alex was six months old! I hid it, tried to forget! Andrew envied Victhis is *his* fault! Please, dont tell Alex!”
Victors mother left in tears.
Emily, panicking, stuffed the test results in a drawer, praying Victor would never look.
One evening, she decided to confess. But when she got home, Victor was gonehis things vanished. On Alexs bed lay a new remote-control car.
“Mum, wheres Dad?”
“Hes away, love.” She sobbed on the balcony.
She called him, voice trembling. “Vic, lets talk! Please!”
“No. Im done. Ill always love AlexIll support him. But I cant live with you. You lied for *years*. I gave up everything for you. You destroyed my trust. If not for Alex, Id never speak to you again.”
“Wait! Dont hang up!”
Alex missed his dad, so Victor took him for weekends. Emily begged to explain.
“Remember that fight over the stewardess? I went out with friends, got drunk Andrew was there. I dont even remember how I ended up at his place. I was too ashamed to tell you. Then I thought the baby was yours. Andrew swore me to silencehe was getting married! When your mother showed me the test I hid it. Its *his* fault! He resented you! Please, forgive me!”
“No. Never again.”
Victor returned to flying. Months later, he filed for divorce. He sent Alex gifts from every country, sent money. Andrew never learned the truthhe moved abroad with his wife.
One reckless night had ruined everything. Trust shattered, love gone. Victor lost his best friend and his wife.
Emily lived comfortablya big flat, plenty of money, a nice car. Alex went to the best school. She visited spas, salons. She had everythingexcept love.
She tried to win Victor back, but he refused. He struggled to trust again. Eventually, he achieved the success hed always dreamed of.
Life is strange. Was Emily right to keep the secret? What would *you* have done?
