FATHER OF A BASTARD SOM ASKED FOR A DIVORCE PLUS 50 MILLION

Chapter 8

"Mom... one of the twins is not biologically mine," Michael said, his voice trembling as the heavy words finally left his tongue.

He looked at Helen, expecting to see shock, pity, or the gentle understanding she had always offered him over the years. He had always believed she was a reasonable, kind-hearted woman who truly cared for him.

Instead, Helen’s brow furrowed tightly. Her posture went rigid, and a panic fell over her face.

"What kind of madness are you speaking, Michael?" Helen snapped, her voice surprisingly sharp. "Baseless rumors! How could you believe such filthy lies?! Susan is my daughter. You two have had a wonderful marriage for five years. She loves you! How could she ever cheat on you?!"

Michael felt a sting of frustration. "It’s not a rumor, Mom! I have evidence!"

He picked up the folded white paper from the glass coffee table and pushed it directly into her hands.

"Look at it!" Michael demanded, his hands shaking. "I didn't believe it at first either! I thought it was a nightmare! So I didn't just run it once—I took the samples to multiple judicial agencies, anonymous labs, independent clinics! Every single result came back identical, Mom! Maya is my daughter. Leo is not!"

Helen took the paper, her fingers trembling slightly as her eyes scanned the official lab seals and the bold text at the bottom. The color slowly drained from her face, making her look years older. She stared at the document, then lifted her eyes to study Michael’s face.

Michael let out a bitter, lifeless laugh. "I’ve already confronted Susan about it."

Helen’s voice dropped into a tense, cautious tone. "And what did she say?"

Michael sighed heavily, burying his face in his hands before looking back up. "She refuses to admit it. She just yells, deflects, and calls me crazy! But the truth is sitting right there on that table, Mom. I’m begging you... please help me get justice. I haven't told a single soul outside this room. I kept it a secret because I respected this family!"

Helen set the paper down on her lap, smoothing her silk blouse. Her tone hardened back into a protective shield. "Michael, there must be a mistake. Susan would never do this to you. You're letting your imagination run wild."

Anxiety tightened around Michael's throat. He leaned forward, searching her eyes. "A mistake?! Multiple lab tests don't make the same mistake, Mom! Why are you defending her when the proof is right in front of you?!"

As he watched the subtle, guarded shift in Helen's eyes, a terrifying thought suddenly crept into Michael's mind. Cold sweat drips his back.

Does she already know? Michael thought, his stomach churning with nausea. Did she know all along?!

"Mom..." Michael whispered, his voice dangerously low. "Why won't she just come clean? If she loves someone else—if she laid in bed with the real father of that boy—why doesn't she just admit it and go be with the man she truly loves?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Helen said sharply, standing up from the sofa so fast her knees wobbled. A faint flicker of doubt and panic crossed her face, but she quickly hid it behind her phone screen. "This is getting out of hand."

She dialed a number, pressing the phone to her ear. "Susan! Get to the estate right now. Your husband is here making insane accusations!"

Before hanging up, Helen immediately dialed another number. "Carrick, drop your fishing gear and come home immediately. We have a crisis."

Twenty minutes later, the front door slammed open with a deafening bang.

Susan swept into the living room, her high heels clicking loudly against the polished marble floor. Her eyes immediately locked onto Michael, burning with pure rage.

"Michael! What the hell are you doing here?!" Susan yelled, striding straight up to him and shoving her hand toward his face. "What kind of poison are you feeding my mother?!"

Michael stood up to face her, refusing to back down. "I'm not feeding her poison, Susan! I'm telling her the truth! Why don't you save us all the theater and explain how one of our children doesn't share my DNA?!"

"Because both children ARE yours!" Susan shrieked, her face turning red. "I have told you a thousand times!"

"You're lying!" Michael roared back. "The science doesn't lie!"

"I am sick and tired of your insane paranoid delusions!" Susan screamed. She grabbed the paternity test report off the table, gripped it with both hands, and ripped it into pieces. She threw the shredded paper directly into Michael's face. "There! Is that clear enough for you?!"

Michael didn't even flinch. He let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Tear it up all you want, Susan. I have dozens of certified copies saved at my office and in my vault. Tearing up a piece of paper doesn't change reality!"

"You are slandering me in my own parents' house!" Susan turned to Helen, her voice pitching up into a desperate, theatrical cry. "Mom, don't listen to a single word he says! Do you know what he did in the hotel room? He handed me divorce papers and demanded ONE BILLION DOLLARS in compensation! He doesn't care about the kids, Mom! He's just after our family's money! He's trying to extort us!"

Helen’s head snapped toward Michael, her eyes wide with outrage. "One billion dollars?! Michael! Is this true?!"

Michael was fuming, his blood boiling so hot he couldn't even think straight. Seeing how effortlessly Susan twisted the narrative to make him look like a greedy gold-digger tore away the last shred of his patience.

"You think I'm after your money?!" Michael shouted back at Helen, not even bothering to defend himself. "Fine! You want to talk money?! One billion isn't even enough anymore! After everything your daughter put me through, one billion is a bargain! I want more!"

"YOU DISGUSTING LEECH!"

A thunderous roar echoed from the hallway.

Before Michael could turn around, a heavy, calloused hand flew across the air and slammed violently into his left cheek.

BAM!