“Mum said the lad’s not mine.”
“I want a DNA test!”
John stood at the doorway, his stern expression showing he was serious.
Mary was busy washing up and thought the running water had made her mishear.
Turning the tap off, she asked, “What did you say?”
“I want a DNA test for our child.”
“Why?” Mary asked, drying her hands.
“Because I think the boy’s not mine.”
Well, that was a surprise. Their son, Jack, was already four. John wasn’t going to win Father of the Year, but he had always been warm towards their son. He spent time with him, bought him toys, and sometimes even stayed in with him so Mary could go out.
Never before had John expressed any doubt about being Jack’s father. There was no reason to question it. Mary and John got married six years ago, and a year later, Mary found out she was pregnant. They had a happy year, and Mary definitely had no one else in her life then. So why now?
“Can I ask, what made you decide this?” Mary inquired.
John sneered and shot a hostile look her way.
“There you go! Trying to talk me out of it. If you had nothing to hide, you wouldn’t be worried!”
It all seemed like nonsense.
Mary and John didn’t have a love story worthy of fairy tales, but she believed love was mutual respect and fidelity. If you felt comfortable and respected, what more was love?
Yet, never in all their years of marriage had John humiliated her like now. There had always been mutual respect, but now he was openly accusing her.
“I’m not trying to talk you out of it,” Mary said calmly. “I’m just curious why, four years after Jack’s birth, you suddenly think he’s not yours?”
“He doesn’t look like me!” John argued, thinking he made a solid point. “I’m blond, and everyone in my family is fair. But Jack’s got dark hair and brown eyes!”
“Have you forgotten I have dark hair and brown eyes?” Mary pointed out. “And he looks just like my dad, which you’ve noticed yourself!”
“I don’t see it,” John denied, though just six months ago, he commented on Jack’s resemblance to his granddad. “But he looks like your colleague!”
“Which one?” Mary asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You know, Mark from work!”
Mary couldn’t help chuckling. Before having Jack, she worked in a furniture store where there was a porter named Mark. Jack bore no resemblance to him, aside from the dark hair.
“John, this is ridiculous,” Mary said, shaking her head. “You know I’ve never been unfaithful.”
“My mum and sister warned me you’d deny it! I’m doing the test, whether you like it or not!”
Ah, so that’s it. Everything fell into place.
Mary was the type who got along with everyone—kind, easygoing, and helpful. She had a strong sense of self that stopped people from walking all over her. She would speak up when needed and was never a sycophant.
Her relationship with her mother-in-law was rocky from the start. Initially, John’s mum seemed lovely—a gracious hostess who praised Mary and often mentioned how lucky John was to have her. Mary felt fortunate in her choice of mother-in-law. Many friends had horror stories, but she counted herself lucky—until she found out this woman was two-faced, badmouthing Mary when her back was turned. Calling her stupid, a poor homemaker, and unattractive, when Mary was objectively very pretty, was particularly hurtful.
Naturally, Mary confronted her. At their next visit, she laid it all out, firmly asking her mother-in-law to make up her mind about her.
That’s when the woman’s true, unpleasant nature came out. But Mary solved that easily: she stopped interacting with her. John visited with their son, but Mary kept her distance.
John’s sister was just as bad, enjoying gossip and blame games. Everyone else was always at fault—her husband left due to her affair, she was sacked for theft, and her electricity had been cut off for non-payment. Initially, Mary tried to get along with her, but her conscience wouldn’t let her endorse the lies. Truth, after all, is rarely popular.
It turned out mum and sis had been poisoning John’s mind, and they’d finally succeeded.
Mary decided to give John a chance to think it over. She sat down at the table and asked him to sit too.
“John, it’s no secret your family doesn’t like me, and now they’ve fed you nonsense that could destroy our marriage.”
“If you’ve nothing to hide,” John replied indifferently, “then we’ll do the test.”
“Fine,” Mary agreed, “on one condition.”
“And what’s that?” John smirked.
“When the test proves Jack’s yours (which it will), you’ll pack up, move in with your mum, and we’ll divorce.”
“What?” John’s forehead furrowed.
“Because I won’t live with someone who doesn’t trust me without a shred of reason. If your mum’s words mean more to you than mine, so be it. But you’ll never find a more faithful wife.”
John hesitated, and Mary hoped he’d come to his senses. But it seemed his family had brainwashed him. After a pause, he insisted, “We’re doing the test. End of.”
“Okay,” Mary nodded.
Maybe John’s family had convinced him Jack wasn’t his, or he didn’t take Mary seriously. Either way, the DNA samples were collected the next day.
The test took a week. During that time, Mary and John didn’t speak. Mary noticed John was also distant with Jack.
She was eager for the results, determined to shove the proof in John’s face. Mary had made up her mind; if he’d genuinely doubted her fidelity, she might have understood. But they were fine until his mum intervened. What next? More of her schemes to ruin their relationship? Mary wouldn’t stand for it.
When the results arrived, Mary called John over and showed him the email without looking at it herself. She already knew the outcome.
John studied it for ages before finally grinning.
“Looks like Jack’s mine! We should celebrate!”
“Yes, we should,” Mary agreed. “Not your fatherhood—that was clear as day—but our divorce.”
“What divorce?” John frowned in disbelief. “Mary, you serious? I had doubts! You know how many men raise kids that aren’t theirs?”
“I don’t know and don’t care,” Mary snapped, “but I know I’m done living with someone who doesn’t think for himself, who’s willing to hurt his family over hearsay, and who ignored his son for a week for no reason. Goodbye, John.”
John made considerable efforts to save their family. He apologized and vowed never to listen to his family again.
But Mary was resolute. This incident, minor as it seemed, revealed the true character of the man she’d been living with and the father of her child.
She felt for any future partner John might have. With family like his, it wouldn’t be easy, though maybe he’d learned something. But probably not. People don’t change, after all.
