Chapter 7 - The Real DNA
The next morning, I took Owen to an accredited hospital lab.
I told him why.
"This isn't because I doubt you're my son."
He sat beside me in the waiting room.
"Then why do it?"
"Because somebody is using a fake test to hurt you. I want a real one."
He nodded.
Then he asked, "What if it says I'm not?"
The question nearly broke me.
I leaned forward.
"Then you are still my son."
His eyes filled.
"But the trust—"
"I don't care about the trust."
He looked at me for a long time.
Then he whispered, "Okay."
Results came back the following afternoon.
Probability of paternity: 99.9998%.
David filed it immediately.
The fake report collapsed.
Then the hospital pathologist noticed something strange in the original paperwork.
The fake sample labeled JACK BENNETT had a blood type.
AB negative.
Mine is O positive.
Anyone with my medical records could have known that.
Someone chose a donor who guaranteed exclusion.
David called FamilySure's former manager.
After two hours and the threat of a subpoena, she gave us a name.
The donor sample came from Grant Keller.
"Why use Grant?" I asked.
"Convenience," David said. "He knew he'd be excluded."
"And Walter Briggs accepted it."
"Yes."
That evening, Rachel brought the kids home for clothes.
Emma walked into the kitchen and looked at the empty stool where Owen had stood.
"Is Owen leaving?"
I crouched.
"Why would you think that?"
Her eyes went to Melissa.
Melissa said sharply, "Emma."
I held up a hand.
"Let her answer."
Emma's lip trembled.
"Mom said after the judge meeting, Owen would live somewhere else and we'd get a bigger house."
The room went dead quiet.
Theo started crying.
Melissa closed her eyes.
I asked Emma, "Did Mom say where Owen would go?"
She shook her head.
Then Owen came downstairs.
Emma ran to him and wrapped both arms around his waist.
"I'm sorry."
He looked confused.
"For what?"
She cried harder.
"Mom told me not to share food with you because you weren't staying."
Owen looked at Melissa.
May you like
Then he asked the question none of us were ready for.
"Did you ever love me?"
