When Marcus first saw his newborn baby, his world shattered. Convinced his wife, Elena, had been unfaithful, he was ready to leave. But just before he did, Elena revealed a secret that changed everything, leaving him to question their love and whether it was strong enough to keep them together.
Marcus had been overjoyed when Elena announced they were expecting their first child. After trying for a while, the thought of becoming a parent filled him with excitement. However, during a discussion about the birth plan, Elena dropped a surprising request.
“I don’t want you in the delivery room,” she said, her voice steady yet firm.
The words hit him hard. “What? Why not?”
Elena avoided his gaze. “I just need to do this part alone. Please understand.”
Though he struggled to comprehend her request, Marcus loved Elena deeply and wanted to respect her wishes. Yet, a knot of unease began to grow within him.
As her due date neared, that unease intensified. The night before her induction, he found it difficult to sleep, sensing that everything was about to change.
The next morning, they arrived at the hospital. He kissed Elena goodbye as they wheeled her into the maternity ward.
Hours passed as Marcus paced the waiting room, drinking too much coffee and constantly checking his phone. Finally, a doctor appeared, his expression serious. Marcus’s heart sank.
“Mr. Johnson, you need to come with me,” the doctor said.
A thousand worst-case scenarios flashed through Marcus’s mind as he followed. Was Elena okay? What about the baby?
When he reached the delivery room, relief washed over him as he saw Elena, exhausted but alive. But then his gaze fell on the bundle in her arms.
Their baby had pale skin, wisps of blonde hair, and bright blue eyes.
“What is this?” he could barely manage to ask.
Elena looked up, her eyes filled with fear and love. “Marcus, I can explain—”
But he was too overwhelmed with rage and betrayal. “Explain what? That you cheated on me? That this isn’t my child?”
“No! Marcus, please—”
He cut her off. “Don’t lie to me! That is not our baby!”
Chaos erupted as nurses rushed in to calm him, but the pain was unbearable. How could she do this to him? To their family?
“Marcus!” Elena’s sharp voice broke through his anger. “Look at the baby. Really look.”
Reluctantly, he glanced down as Elena turned the baby, revealing a crescent-shaped birthmark on her ankle—the same birthmark he had.
All his fury evaporated, replaced by confusion. “I don’t understand.”
Elena took a deep breath. “There’s something I should have told you. I discovered I carry a rare recessive gene that can result in a child with these features, regardless of the parents’ appearances.”
“I didn’t tell you because the odds were so slim,” she said, her voice shaking. “I never thought it would matter.”
Marcus sat down, his head spinning. “How…?”
“You carry the gene too,” she explained gently. “Both of us passed it on to her.”
Their daughter slept peacefully, unaware of the turmoil her birth had caused.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Elena whispered, tears streaming down her face. “I never imagined this would happen.”
Though anger bubbled within him, looking at his exhausted wife and their tiny baby softened his heart.
He wrapped his arms around them. “We’ll figure this out,” he promised. “Together.”
Continue reading on next page…
