I never thought that my life would turn into a nightmare only seen in films. But here I was, standing in a doctor’s office, clutching the edge of my chair as the walls around me seemed to shrink.
It all started when one of my twin sons, Artyom, developed a stubborn fever. Medication wasn’t helping, so my wife, Olga, and I decided to take both boys for a check-up. The doctor ordered standard analyses, including genetic screening to rule out hereditary diseases. It seemed like a routine procedure at the time – until the next day when I went to get the results alone.
Dr Ivanov sat opposite me with a grim expression on his face.
Mr Sokolov, I need to ask you a question,’ he said in a cautious tone.
I grinned nervously.
A question? Of course, ask.
How long ago did you adopt your twins?
I froze.
What? You must be confused. They’re my own children.
The doctor sighed heavily and put his hand on my shoulder, looking sympathetically into my eyes.
‘I’m sorry, but the DNA results say otherwise. You are not their father.
The air caught in my lungs.
It’s impossible.
My mind whirled. Maybe a mistake in the lab? Or…did Olga cheat on me? That guess made me feel cold inside, but it seemed like any logical explanation.
Dr Ivanov took a deep breath.
There’s something else.
I had prepared myself for the worst.
What could be worse than this?
His next words would haunt my nightmares.
Your DNA pattern matches theirs… but not as a father. Those boys are your half-brothers.
Everything inside of me shattered.
Half-brothers.
Which meant…
I swallowed hard and jumped up so the chair slid to the floor.
Are you saying… that my father is their father?
Dr Ivanov nodded.
I stumbled out of the office, unable to listen any further. It was as if the world had shrunk into a narrow corridor. As I drove, I was barely aware of where I was going, just gripping the steering wheel tighter to keep in touch with reality. When I got home, my hands were shaking so badly that I had to take several deep breaths before I opened the door.
Olga was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner.
She smiled when she saw me.
You’re back early. How are the tests going?
It hurt me to hear the warmth in her voice. My heart was pounding in my chest.
Olga… did you sleep with my father?
The knife fell out of her hands, hitting the tabletop loudly.
She turned pale.
W-what?
You heard me,’ my voice was ice cold. – You slept with my father?
Her eyes filled with tears.
I-’ She swallowed convulsively, as if she was short of breath.
Don’t lie to me,’ I warned her.
Her body trembled. She collapsed into a chair, covering her face with her hands.
I didn’t know! – came out through her tears. – I swear I didn’t know …
I squinted.
What do you mean?
She inhaled convulsively, brushed away her tears, and looked at me with reddened eyes.
It was before we met. I’d just finished university, was working in a bar. I met a man… charismatic, older than me. He introduced himself as Vladimir, said he was here for work for a few days. We dated for a while… nothing serious.
Vladimir.
My father’s name.
She continued, barely audible:
Then I met you. You were kind, reliable, the kind of man I wanted to be the father of my children. When I found out I was pregnant, I hoped it was you. I never would have thought-’ She burst into tears again. – I swear I didn’t know he was your father.
I felt like the ground was falling away from under my feet.
My father was sleeping with my wife…even before she was my wife.
I remembered all the moments I’d spent with the boys – their first steps, how I’d taught them to ride a bike, the nights I’d sat beside them, soothing them after nightmares. They weren’t mine…but did that make a difference?
I still loved them. I still raised them.
But my father…
I clenched my fists. I needed answers.
Where are the boys? – I asked.
In their room…’ she whispered.
I turned round, ran out of the house and rushed to my parents’ house.
My father was in the garden, as if nothing had happened, tinkering with the grill. When he saw me, he frowned.
Something wrong, son?
I threw the test results in front of him.
Explain this.
He looked at the papers, fixed his glasses, and silently skimmed the lines. Then he sighed heavily and put the sheets back down.
I was afraid it would ever come out…..
Anger swept over me.
You knew?!
He slumped his shoulders.
Not right away. But when the twins were born, I got suspicious. The timing, their faces… I thought about telling you, but… what would it have changed? You were happy. You loved them.
I stepped forward, clenching my fists.
You let me believe they were mine!
They are yours, he said firmly. – Not by blood, but in everything that really matters.
I hated that he was right.
I turned around and walked away before I did something I might regret.
Consequences
It took me weeks to realise everything. I lay awake nights thinking my life was a lie. But then I’d hear the twins laughing, one of them climbing into bed with me after a bad dream, and realise: damn it, I’m their father.
As for Olga…it wasn’t easy. But I believed her when she said she didn’t know. The pain of betrayal wouldn’t subside, but I couldn’t hate her for something she hadn’t done on purpose.
And Dad? I haven’t spoken to him since. Some wounds take too long to heal.
But one thing I’ve learnt for sure is that family isn’t DNA. Family is who stays, who loves, who’s there for you no matter what.
And no piece of paper can change that.
What would you do if you were me? Let’s discuss in the comments! Don’t forget to like and share if this story shocked you as much as it did me.
Based on true events. Names and places have been changed to maintain confidentiality.
