Chapter 1

"Mrs. Carter, the report says your son is actually his father's younger brother," the doctor said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It means your husband and your son share the same parents. They're brothers."

*****

When the paternity test report was handed to me, my fingers were icy cold, and the paper was so smooth that it nearly slipped from my grasp.

I stared down at those lines of text. I knew every word, but together, they looked like some cryptic alien language.

It read: [According to the paternity test, sample A (David Carter) and sample B (Lucas Carter) are confirmed to be full siblings.

[Sample C (Richard Carter) and sample B (Lucas Carter) are biologically father and son.]

David was my husband, Lucas was my five-year-old son, and Richard was my father-in-law.

David and Lucas were full siblings.

My mind was buzzing, like a swarm of bees all flapping their wings at once. Full siblings? What the hell did that mean?

Suddenly, I looked up at the doctor in the white coat across from me. He pushed up his glasses and avoided my gaze.

"Mrs. Carter, to put it simply," he said in a flat, emotionless voice, like he was just reading the weather forecast, "sample A and sample B are full siblings, and sample C is sample B's biological father."

I opened my mouth, but my throat was so dry that I couldn't get a word out.

"Sample A is your husband, David Carter, and sample C is your father-in-law, Richard Carter, right?" he confirmed. "The report shows your son is actually his father's younger brother."

Younger brother.

David's younger brother.

Richard's son.

My husband and my son were brothers.

This was insane. How ridiculous and disgusting.

A cold wave rushed through me, making my whole body numb. I jumped to my feet, the chair screeching against the floor. The report slipped from my hand, drifting to the floor.

"No way." My voice was so sharp that even I barely recognized it. "This can't be happening. Did you mess up the samples? Did you mix them up?"

The doctor was probably used to this kind of reaction. He said calmly, "Our institution is authoritative, and our procedures are strict.

"The samples are triple-checked, so the chance of error is less than one in a million. If you have any doubts, you can go to another institution for a retest."

Another institution?

I bent down to pick up that thin sheet of paper, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. David's name, Lucas's name, and Richard's name were on it, plain as day.

It was like a vicious joke, carefully planned to mess with my life.

My phone buzzed in my bag. A low, insistent hum that felt like another kind of reminder. I pulled it out, and the name of my mother-in-law, Helen Carter, flashed on the screen.

I took a deep breath, answered the call, and stayed silent.

"Emily." Helen's voice was as gentle as ever, even with a hint of warmth. "Did you pick up Lucas from school? Come over for dinner tonight. Richard caught a huge fish today. He's making it steamed, just the way you like it."

I listened to Helen's voice, staring at the report in my hand.

Richard, my father-in-law. He was my son's biological father.

My stomach churned, and I covered my mouth, fighting the urge to throw up.

"Emily? What's wrong? Are you having trouble with the connection?" Helen asked from the other end.

I heard my own voice, dry and scratchy like sandpaper. "Helen, I've got something to deal with. I'll be home a bit later."

"What is it? Is it serious? Do you need any help?"

"No, it's fine," I said quickly, almost biting my tongue. "Just some work stuff. I'll come back after I finish."

After hanging up, I stood in the freezing hallway of the testing center, staring out at the city packed with cars. The sunlight was almost blinding, making my eyes ache.

David and I had been married for seven years.

After three years of dating and four years of marriage, we finally had Lucas.

Getting pregnant was hard, keeping the baby was even harder, and giving birth felt like I barely survived.

Back then, David held my hand, his eyes red with worry, and said, "Emily, this is our only child. I never want you to suffer like this again."

After Lucas was born, David doted on him like he was a treasure.

Richard was absolutely thrilled. After he retired, he spent nearly all his time with Lucas. He'd hold Lucas with such patience and affection. Everyone in the neighborhood praised him as the best grandpa around.

Best grandpa around.

I leaned against the cold wall and slowly slid down to the floor.

The report was crumpled in my hand.

If all this was real, who did Lucas really belong to?

What actually happened at the hospital the day I gave birth?

Did David know?

Did Helen know?

Did Richard know?

A terrifying thought slithered into my mind like a venomous snake, then sank its fangs deep.

What if David knew?

What if he'd known all along?

The thought sent a chill through my whole body.

I pushed myself up against the wall, my legs still wobbly. I carefully folded the report and tucked it into the innermost pocket of my bag. I zipped it up, like sealing away a bomb that could go off at any second.

I couldn't panic. Not now, at least.

I needed to know the truth. All of it.

Until then, I couldn't risk raising any suspicions.

*****

On the drive home, I went slow. My mind was a mess, memories and voices all tangled up in my head.

I remembered the first time David held Lucas, so careful, with that goofy new-dad grin on his face.

I remembered Richard buying Lucas his first toy car, squatting down to play with him, so patient.

I remembered Helen running around during my postpartum days, making soup, taking care of the baby, making sure I was okay in every way.

We looked like the perfect family.

What if it was all just a lie?

What if, under that picture-perfect surface, there was something twisted and disgusting?

I gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white.