„Robert, 32 years old, married and a father, has successfully balanced work and family life comfortably with his wife, Candice, and their five-year-old son, Samuel, affectionately called ‚Sam.‘
Robert and Candice have been happily married for eight years. Initially, they both worked, but over the past five years, Robert has been the sole provider for their family while Candice has been a stay-at-home mother.
While Robert worked five days a week until 7 p.m., Candice took care of the house and their son perfectly.
However, things took a mysterious turn when Robert noticed a change in Sam’s behavior towards Candice.
Every time she tried to kiss or hug him, he would do his best to avoid her.
Robert sensed something was wrong. He didn’t understand why his son felt so distant when it came to his mother.
A few days passed, and Robert decided to talk to Sam.
„Sam, why have you been avoiding your mother lately?“ Robert asked one day when Candice was out of the house running errands.
„Mom changed. She has a secret and doesn’t want to share it with me,“ Sam replied, his face reflecting confusion and sadness.
„What do you mean? What secret?“ Robert asked, fearing his son’s answer.
„When you’re at work, she often cries in her room. When I went in and asked why she was crying, she yelled at me and told me to leave.
She was holding a photo in her hand, but as soon as I entered, she put it in the green box and hid it under the mattress,“ Sam explained.
Robert was shocked. He couldn’t help but wonder what was making his wife so sad and what Sam was talking about in that green box.
„How many times have you heard your mother cry?“ Robert was eager to learn.
„This week, she has almost cried every day. She thinks I don’t pay attention, but I always hear her and see her swollen eyes.
But now, she locks her bedroom door, and when I come to the door and ask what’s wrong, she acts like nothing happened. I don’t like it, Dad. You need to do something,“ he said, worried.
„Don’t worry, son. Your mother probably has a reason. I’ll talk to her,“ reassured Robert Sam. But deep down, he was worried because he had no idea what was wrong with his wife.
The two briefly talked as Sam went to his room to play with his toys.
Although he knew his action wasn’t appropriate, Robert couldn’t help but look under the mattress and search for the green box that made his wife sad.
He found jewelry and a photo.
The photo showed a happy family, but what caught Robert’s attention was the resemblance between the man in the photo and Candice.
At this point, Robert’s thoughts went to dark places.
Could Candice be cheating on him? Why did she have this photo of this family, which Robert had never seen or heard of before?
With the photo in hand, Robert decided to confront Candice.
„Candice, do you have a secret lover?“ he asked directly, his voice trembling.
„What? Rob, what are you talking about?“ Candice responded defensively.
In search of answers, Robert insisted and showed Candice the photo he held in his hand. „Who is this?“
Candice’s response was immediate and revealing. „Oh no… I never wanted this to come out,“ she confessed, the weight of her secret finally revealed.
Robert’s thoughts raced as he tried to understand. „So, you admit to cheating on me?“
„No! No, I didn’t cheat. Okay, I’ll tell you the whole story, but please, don’t tell anyone,“ she begged.
After taking a deep breath, she began to tell her story.
„Before my grandmother died, she gave me this photo,“ Candice revealed, overwhelmed with emotion. „My grandmother said I had to decide for myself what to do with it.
„She revealed that my mother cheated on my father with her lover. When she got pregnant, there were twins: me and my brother. Her lover wanted to be the father, but she loved my father and wanted to stay with him.
„For this reason, my mother and her lover secretly agreed to each adopt one child and raise them in different families. My mother told my father that I belonged to him, and he had no reason to doubt her.“
Before dying, Candice’s real father went to her grandmother and told her the truth and gave her the photo of his grandson.
„You know, my parents have been together for over 35 years. It would destroy him if he found out about my mother’s betrayal.“ The pain of keeping this secret was evident.
„At the same time, I have a brother, and I want to meet him.“ Her desire was palpable, but so was her fear. „I don’t know what to do because if I contact him, it will eventually hurt my mother and father.“
Robert was shocked by this revelation.
„So, is that your twin brother in the photo?“ Robert asked. „Yes,“ Candice replied. And yes, the resemblance between her and the man in the photo was striking.
Robert hugged her and said, „I’m so glad you told me. We’ll figure this out together. And whatever you decide about contacting your brother, I’ll support you.“
Candice broke down in tears, relieved to have finally shared her burden with her husband.“
