Chapter 3
I turned to Zac and sent him a message. [Find a way to get a toothbrush or a cup that Charles has used recently. I need his DNA sample.]
Zac's reply was even simpler: [Got it. Three days.]
After wrapping up all that, I logged back into the email account and started typing up my second reply to the doctor.
This time, I didn't mention Evelyn's report at all.
First, I expressed my deep respect for his dedication and apologized for my earlier abruptness.
Then, I changed the subject.
I explained that the reason I was so invested in this case was that it was directly tied to a project I was working on, funded by a leading Bellmont genetics lab.
I invented an intimidating, scientific-sounding genetic disorder and said we'd discovered this defect tended to appear in certain populations, and showed a strong correlation with a particular male genetic sequence.
I added, with concern, that my distant relative Evelyn had a rather tangled romantic history, and I was genuinely worried her unborn child might be at risk of inheriting this disorder.
To put my supposed worries to rest and for the sake of my big 'research project', I asked if he could help me out with a quick DNA comparison.
I told him I'd send over the 'high-risk male DNA sample' from overseas.
All he needed to do was check if that sample matched the baby's genetic profile or rule it out. Simple as that.
I made it sound like it was all for the sake of medical research and the baby's health. And I hinted that if we found something significant, his name would be listed as a co-author on our team's paper, which would be published in The Lancet.
I also attached a forged draft invitation to a top-tier medical conference in Evermont.
And I added in passing that if our collaboration went smoothly, our team would be happy to sponsor his trip to Evermont for the conference and invite him as a special guest speaker.
Fame and fortune, double temptation.
No way he'd pass this up.
After sending the email, I leaned back in my chair and watched the pigeons outside the window.
Nothing cracked faster than the human heart when it was pushed too far, especially when that heart's already overflowing with greed.
*****
Over the next couple of days, Zac kept sending me his usual reports.
Charles and Evelyn's life officially entered the countdown to their wedding.
They went to try on wedding dresses. Evelyn wore a pure white gown, her baby bump showing, her face overflowing with happiness.
Charles stood beside her, his gaze overflowing with love.
Margaret was beaming with joy, holding Evelyn's hand like she was admiring a priceless gem.
They had even thought of a name for the child. If it was a boy, they would call him Noah Bennett.
It was to honor their love and wish for lifelong peace. How ironic.
*****
On the third morning, I received two pickup notifications.
One was sent by Chloe, containing Margaret's hair.
The other was sent by Zac, containing a toothbrush used by Charles.
The two packages would be sent through different channels to two different genetic testing centers in Rosemont.
Almost at the same time, the doctor's third email landed in my inbox.
He said yes.
I could feel his passion for science and his excitement about teaming up.
He sent me a lab address and told me to mail the samples there.
He even reminded me to keep the biological samples chilled.
The fish was hooked.
I wrapped up the toothbrush sample Zac gave me with extra care.
I went with the priciest, fastest international courier for biological samples.
I used the address the doctor gave me.
I put down a made-up Bellmont lab as the sender.
After all that, I finally felt a wave of exhaustion I hadn't felt in ages.
But even more than that, there was an icy exhilaration running through me.
Charles, Margaret, and Evelyn started this game with betrayal and humiliation.
So let me give you an ending that'll haunt you for the rest of your lives.
*****
The days spent waiting for the results felt endless and strangely peaceful.
I followed my language class schedule to the letter, attending classes, doing homework, keeping up with everything.
My Evermont language was improving fast; I could already make small talk with the café owner downstairs about the weather and coffee beans.
It almost felt like I really was another ordinary student in Evermont.
But only I knew that beneath that calm surface, a trap was quietly closing in around me.
I got an update from Chloe too.
Margaret's DNA results had come back.
I told her to send the report over, encrypted.
Meanwhile, Zac's daily updates kept coming in.
Charles and Evelyn's wedding invitations were being sent out.
They had gold trim, with their names in shiny gold lettering.
It was all so flashy and extravagant, as if they were desperate to broadcast it to everyone.
In their shared friend group, people were showing off the invitations almost every day, with their congratulations.
Those words of blessing were like needles, pricking the heart of the naive Julia I once was.
But now, as I looked at those photos and messages, my heart was unmoved.
I was just enjoying the last hurrah before the curtain falls.
Zac's report also brought up something interesting.
Charles's company had entered the race for a big project.
To land the deal, he was running himself ragged with client dinners and endless drinks, barely keeping up.
Evelyn, maybe because of the pregnancy, had her moods all over the place.
Zac caught them having heated arguments in the underground garage more than once.
Evelyn would tearfully confront Charles, demanding to know if he still loved her and why he couldn't be there for her.
Charles would lose his temper, slam the door, and storm out every time.
Margaret, stuck in the middle, always backed her son, no questions asked.
She'd tell Evelyn that men need to put their careers first, and she should be more sensible, not make things harder for Charles.
Evelyn, even though she felt wronged, didn't dare cross her soon-to-be mother-in-law, so she just swallowed her feelings and kept quiet.
How ridiculous.
Their so-called earth-shattering "true love," the kind they claimed was worth betraying everything for, just crumbled the second real life got messy and stressful.
Evelyn thought she'd won, thought she'd finally landed the guy.
But she had no clue that what she really got was a man who'd ditch his feelings in a flash if it meant chasing success, just like he threw me away.
*****
On the tenth day, I got an email from an encrypted Bellmont address.
It was the genetic comparison report between Charles and the fetus.
I took a deep breath and opened the attachment.
It was a professional report, over ten pages long, packed with dense genetic sequences and data.
I scrolled straight to the conclusion on the last page.
The conclusion was short, just one line. [After comparison, the Y-chromosome STR profile of the submitted sample does not match the fetal genetic sample. Charles is not the biological father.]
I stared at those words again and again, unable to believe it.
Then I laughed.
I laughed so hard that tears nearly streamed down my face.
Honestly, I'd suspected this all along. Every step I took was based on that gut feeling.
Still, with the cold, hard truth right in front of me, the ridiculousness and irony hit me so hard I almost lost it.