Zoe, a dedicated nurse, often relied on her mother-in-law, Denise, to babysit her son, Leo. Denise, a woman of authority and a head librarian at the local library, had always been a bit overbearing, but Zoe appreciated her help, especially with Andrew, her husband, having unpredictable hours.
Recently, however, Leo began reacting strangely whenever Denise was around. He would cling to Zoe, hide when he heard Denise’s car, and burst into tears, begging not to be left with her. Zoe initially thought it was separation anxiety until one evening Leo revealed why he was so terrified. He described Denise trying to force a cotton bud into his mouth, claiming she needed to collect saliva for a test. Leo was terrified, especially since he was still traumatized from a recent accident and had a fear of anything medical.
Furious, Zoe confronted Denise, who admitted she was suspicious about Leo’s blonde hair—a trait no one in the family shared. Denise had taken it upon herself to administer a DNA test without Zoe’s consent, driven by her doubts about Leo’s paternity. Shocked and hurt, Zoe asked Denise to leave, needing time to comfort Leo and process what had happened.
An upset little boy | Source: Midjourney
Tension grew between Zoe and Andrew as Denise’s doubts began to affect their relationship. Despite initial hesitation, Andrew agreed to do a DNA test to resolve the issue, but Zoe added a condition—Andrew would also take a DNA test to verify that his father was indeed his biological father. If Denise wanted to question Leo’s paternity, she should be prepared to face the same scrutiny.
Andrew, though surprised by Zoe’s demand, agreed. The results confirmed Leo was indeed Andrew’s biological son, but the test revealed an unexpected twist—Andrew’s biological father was not the man he had always believed him to be. The shock was profound, as Andrew learned that Denise had had an affair in her youth, which led to the revelation that his perceived father was not his biological father.
Struggling with this new information, Andrew chose to distance himself from Denise to focus on his family with Zoe and Leo. Denise’s long-held guilt and insecurities had led her to project her doubts onto Zoe and Leo. With the truth revealed and the trust shattered, Zoe and Andrew decided to move forward, focusing on their son and leaving Denise’s drama behind.
