I’ve been loyal to Ben since day one—through two layoffs, helping him build his business, and putting up with his mom treating me like an outsider at every family gathering. Karen never liked me. I wasn’t from a “professional” family. I wanted to elope instead of throwing a huge wedding. She never said it outright, but I always felt her judgment.
When I gave birth to our son—dark hair, dark eyes, same cleft chin as Ben—I thought things would finally settle. Maybe now I’d feel like part of the family.
Instead, I got blindsided.
Karen visited once, then vanished for weeks.
Then one night, Ben sat me down.
“Babe… my mom thinks we should get a DNA test.”
I stared, waiting for a joke. He didn’t laugh.
“Do you think we should?” I asked.
He hesitated.
“It wouldn’t hurt just to have clarity, right?”
It felt like a slap.
I didn’t yell. I didn’t cry.
I just said, “Sure. Let’s do it. But only on one condition.”
A DNA test upended Billy’s life. He’d always been an only child, doted on by his parents, until the test revealed a close match: a brother named Daniel. Shocked, Billy confronted his father, who admitted to having an affair years ago, but begged Billy not to tell his mother.
Billy reached out to Daniel, and they met, discovering shared memories from their early childhood. Daniel revealed that a fire had killed their biological parents, and Billy had been adopted to cover up the tragedy. Billy found documents confirming Daniel’s story—his adoptive parents had covered their tracks to avoid a lawsuit.
Devastated, Billy confronted his parents, packed his things, and moved in with Daniel, who welcomed him. Though his life had been a lie, Billy found solace in the bond with his brother, grateful for the connection despite the pain.
