Chapter 7: The Truth Behind the Test Result
The paper shook in my father’s hands.
I had never seen him look that afraid.
Not when he discovered I had left school.
Not when he found out his money was gone.
Not even when he realized the woman he married had deceived him for years.
But now…
Now he looked like he was about to lose something he had spent his entire life protecting.
“Dad?””
He didn’t answer.
My stepmother stood behind him with a satisfied expression.
That was when I knew.
Whatever was written on that paper, she believed it would destroy us.
My father slowly lowered the envelope.
“Where did you get this?””
My stepmother crossed her arms.
“Does it matter?””
“Yes.””
His voice was quiet.
Too quiet.
“Because if you are lying again…”
She interrupted him.
“I’m not.””
She looked at me.
“The truth hurts, doesn’t it?””
I stared at her.
“You knew this would hurt him.””
She smiled.
“I knew he deserved to know.””
“No,” my father said.
Everyone looked at him.
“You wanted to hurt her.””
My stepmother’s expression changed.
For the first time, she looked caught.
My father turned the paper over.
“Who ordered this test?””
She didn’t answer.
“Who?””
“It doesn’t matter.””
“It matters.””
His voice grew louder.
“You have lied about money. You lied about my calls. You lied about my daughter.””
He stepped closer.
“And now you bring me a piece of paper and expect me to believe you?””
My stepmother looked away.
“I knew you would react like this.””
“Because you know what you did.””
She shook her head.
“You’re still protecting her.””
“Yes.””
My father looked at me.
“Because she is my daughter.””
Those words almost broke me.
Even with that paper in his hand.
Even with doubt hanging between us.
He still chose me.
But I could see the pain in his eyes.
He needed answers.
Not because he loved me less.
Because he loved me enough to face the truth.
“Dad,” I whispered.
He looked at me.
“I need to see it.””
I nodded.
He handed me the paper.
My hands trembled as I opened it.
The words blurred at first.
Then I saw the name.
My father’s name.
My name.
And the result.
But something felt wrong.
The date.
I looked closer.
“Dad.””
He turned.
“The date.””
“What about it?””
“This test was done six years ago.””
My father froze.
My stepmother’s face changed slightly.
Six years.
Six years ago, I was still in middle school.
Six years ago, my father had never questioned anything.
“Why didn’t you tell him then?”” I asked.
My stepmother didn’t respond.
My father looked at her.
“That’s a good question.””
She stayed silent.
“You had this for six years?””
Her eyes hardened.
“I was waiting for the right time.””
“The right time?””
“Yes.””
She stepped closer.
“The right time when you finally realized Lily wasn’t perfect.””
My father stared at her.
Then he laughed.
A sad, broken laugh.
“You didn’t want the truth.””
She frowned.
“What?””
“You wanted a weapon.””
The words hit harder than shouting.
My stepmother looked away.
My father took the paper back.
“We’re going to verify this.””
She smiled.
“You don’t trust it?””
“I don’t trust you.””
The silence afterward was brutal.
Ryan stood near the doorway, watching everything.
He looked smaller than before.
Not the confident boy with the expensive motorcycle.
Just a son realizing the person he trusted had done terrible things.
“Mom,” he said quietly.
She turned.
“What?””
“Did you know?””
Her expression softened.
“Ryan…”
“Did you know she was lying?””
He swallowed.
“About Lily?””
My stepmother didn’t answer.
That was his answer.
Ryan looked devastated.
“You told me she didn’t care about Dad.””
My father looked at him.
“What did she say?””
Ryan looked embarrassed.
“She said Lily only wanted your money.””
My heart hurt.
Because those words explained why Ryan had always treated me like I was a stranger.
My stepmother had poisoned everyone around her.
My father walked inside.
“We’re going to the lab tomorrow.””
My stepmother followed.
“You don’t have to.””
“Yes, I do.””
“You already know the answer.””
He stopped.
“No.””
He turned around.
“I know one thing.””
Everyone waited.
“I know I raised Lily.””
My stepmother smiled bitterly.
“Blood matters.””
My father looked at me.
Then back at her.
“Love matters more.””
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
I lay in the guest room my father prepared for me.
The room was simple.
Clean.
Safe.
Everything I had missed.
But my mind kept returning to the paper.
What if the result was real?
What if everything changed?
Around midnight, I heard a knock.
“Lily?””
It was Ryan.
I sat up.
“Come in.””
He stood by the door.
For a long time, neither of us spoke.
Finally, he said:
“I’m sorry.””
I didn’t know what to say.
“I should have asked.””
I looked at him.
“You saw me struggling.””
He lowered his head.
“I know.””
“You knew I stopped going to school.””
“I thought Mom was helping you.””
I laughed quietly.
“Helping me?””
He closed his eyes.
“I was stupid.””
For the first time, I saw him not as my stepbrother.
But as another person manipulated by the same lies.
“I found something else,” he said.
My heart tightened.
“What?””
He pulled out his phone.
“I checked Mom’s old emails.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
“Because I wanted to know how long she planned this.””
He handed me the phone.
There was an email from six years ago.
The subject line made my blood run cold.
Lily’s Future.
I opened it.
The first sentence said:
If the girl leaves for college, she will take everything from us.
I kept reading.
And then I saw the final line.
The line that revealed this had never been about money.
May you like
It had always been about something much darker.
I cannot let her discover who her real father is.