The Only Betrayal Before the Wedding: How a Comment About Weight Changed Everything.
Emily had been unfaithful to her husband only once, just before their wedding. He called her fat and said she wouldnt fit into her wedding dress. Stung by the insult, she went out with her friends to a club, drank too much, and woke up in a strangers flat with a blue-eyed man she barely remembered. The shame was unbearable. She never told Thomas, forgave his cruel words, and threw herself into dieting. She gave up alcohol, tooespecially when she soon discovered she was expecting, and abstinence came easily.
Their daughter arrived right on timea beautiful blue-eyed girl Thomas adored. For five years, Emily told herself everything was finethat the childs eyes came from his fathers side, and her curls? Well, curls happened. She tried to erase the memory of that stranger whose name she couldnt recall. But something in her heart whispered the truth. Perhaps that was why she excused Thomass late-night messages, his constant business trips, his endless complaints about her cooking and looks. Their daughter needed a family, and she worshipped her fatherwhat man didnt stray?
“Where would you even go?” her mother said when Emily once confessed her doubts. “Weve no room hereyour grandmothers in the spare bed, your brothers brought his wife home. I told you not to put the flat in his mothers name! Now youre stuck with a leaking roof over your head.”
So Emily endured. But it changed nothing. One day, Thomas left anyway. He claimed hed met someone else, wept as he swore hed always be a father to little Grace, but couldnt deny his heart. His mother, whod doted on the girl, muttered after the divorce:
“Get a paternity test. Why pay maintenance if shes not even yours?”
Emily was stunnedshed thought she was the only one harbouring such suspicions.
“Have you lost your mind?” Thomas snapped. “Grace is mineany fool can see that.”
His mother hadnt expected what happened next. A year after the split, Emily needed hospital care for appendicitis, and there, in the surgeons face, old doubts crumbled.
“Forgive me,” he said, “but have we met?”
Emily shook her head vigorously, praying he wouldnt remember. But he did. The next day, he teased her in front of the nurses:
“Promise you wont run off this time?”
She flushed scarlet and vowed to leave as soon as possible. But she hadnt counted on one thingthose few days in hospital gave Edward time to ensure she no longer wanted to run.
She said nothing about Grace, only hinted she had a daughter, carefully avoiding any mention of fatherhood.
Edward understood the moment he saw the girl. He fretted, bought her a doll, asked Emily endless questions about how to behave.
“You see,” he explained, “when my sister and I were young, our mother fell in love with a mantruly loved him. But my sister rejected him, and in the end, Mum sent him away. I dont want that. I want to be a proper father to your little girl.”
His words left Emily speechless. When he paused, staring at Grace, the truth was plainhe knew.
“What difference does it make?” Emily thought. “One day, shell have to be told.”
Hardened by marital strife, she braced for accusations and rage. But Edward, alone with her, simply held her tight and whispered, “What a miracle.”
At first, Grace seemed to accept him. But when Emily tentatively asked if shed mind him moving in, the girl burst into tears:
“I thought Daddy was coming back! Let Edward live somewhere else.”
Emily persuaded her eventually, but Edward was crushed.
“Shes my daughter! You have to tell them.”
“Thomas wont survive it. Neither will Grace. To her, hes her fatherto him, shes his only child. His new wife cant have children, his mother told me.”
Edward was hurt; Grace threw tantrums. Emily worked tirelessly to keep peace, setting rules to navigate between loved ones: she alone took Grace to Thomas, ensuring the men never met; left Grace and Edward alone to bond; balanced between them like a referee. Even on Mothers Day, she rehearsed Graces greetings, terrified the girl might provoke Edward into confessing.
Later, when Emily discovered she was expecting again, fear consumed her. Would this child look like Grace, exposing the lie? Would Grace resent the baby and Edward more? Would he seize the chance, in the delivery room, to tell her the truth?
She arranged for her mother to take Grace during the birththough the house was already crowded with her brothers two children. But fate intervened: her mother was hospitalised with gallstones the day before. Her stepfather refused a third child; her brother and his wife worked long hours. Emily resolved to leave Grace with Thomasbut he was away on business, and his mother was out of the question.
“You dont trust me with my own daughter?” Edward said, wounded.
The birth was hardera caesarean, jaundice keeping her in hospital, and at home, disaster. Edward claimed all was well, but Grace refused to speak to her, leaving Emily frantic. “Hes told her,” she thought.
Worse, shed confided in neighbours, who urged honestysecrets always surfaced, they warned, and lies demanded payment. Hormones and their whispers drove her to call Thomas.
“I need to confess something.”
“What?”
Silence. Words failed her.
“This is about Grace, isnt it?”
“What about Grace?” she gasped, though it was exactly what shed meant to say.
“Shes not mine. Ive known for years.”
“He told you?”
“Ive known since she was one. I took a test. Before the army, doctors said Id never have children. I hopedprayedfor a miracle. Then doubts crept in. My mother So I checked.”
“But why?”
Her mind reeled at his years of silence.
“What choice did I have?” he said. “Shed done nothing wrong. Dont you dare tell her! I didnt stay quiet just for you to take her from me now.”
So much for a quiet life.
On discharge day, Emily watched Grace and Thomas nervously. They were behaving oddlyexchanging glances, saying little.
“How were things without me?” she asked as the baby slept and Grace drew pictures.
“Fine. She didnt need guarding. We got on perfectly once you were gone.”
“You told her?”
“Of course not! You forbade it.”
“Then why is she so quiet?”
Edward smiled knowingly.
“Ask her yourself.”
Emily found Grace bent over a drawing, tongue poked out in concentration. Three adults, two childrenall in red crayon.
“Whats this?”
“Cant you tell? You, Daddy, Edward, me, and little William.”
“Lovely.”
Grace nodded. “Mumcan someone have two dads?”
Emilys stomach dropped. He *had* told her.
“Sometimes, yes,” she said carefully.
“Then can I call Edward Dad too? Hes nice. We built a Lego castle and watched fish. There was a funny shopkeeperan old man with a hat. He asked who my dad was. I didnt know what to say, since he meant Edward. So I said the doctor. Its cool having a doctor for a dad. I asked Edward, but I wanted to check with you.”
Emilys heart swelled. She saw the trap shed built for herself. Thomas had already forgiven her; Edward would too. But if Grace ever learned the full truth The choice was hers now: honesty or waiting for fate to intervene. She hugged her daughter tight.
“Of course you can. I think Edward would love that. But maybe dont tell Daddy just yet”
