Could it be… my husband fathered a child outside our marriage?
I collapsed onto a chair, my eyes fixed on the baby. His forehead, his eyes—they were undeniable resemblances. My throat tightened as my mother-in-law held the infant with quivering arms.
— Mom… what’s happening? — I pressed.
Tears welled in her eyes as she confessed:
— This child… belongs to John. We weren’t going to hide it forever, but his father said, “Wait for the right time.” We never thought you’d come so suddenly…
My world shattered. His travels, his excuses… all a façade for this horrible truth.
“And the baby’s mother?” I asked, my voice cracking.
She lowered her gaze:
— She abandoned the baby and disappeared… Poor John has been struggling alone, so…
She didn’t finish before the gate creaked open. Familiar footsteps echoed. My husband entered, suitcase in hand, his face paling when he noticed me.
“What are you doing here?” he stuttered, his expression shifting as his eyes landed on the baby in his mother’s arms.
I leapt up, fury blazing:
— Your so-called “business trip to England”… was that just a cover so you could secretly care for your ille:gitimate son?
The room turned suffocating. My mother-in-law clutched the baby, my father-in-law froze at the door, while sweat beaded on my husband’s forehead.
