THE LIES THAT BUILT MY FAMILY

3

Chapter three

Elena Hawkins was a woman many men wanted. She managed to keep a good figure even after she was over forty.

 Men had always wanted her. Rich men wanted her. Powerful men wanted her.

 Even men who were already married tried to get her attention, but Elena had chosen Philip.

 At least, that was what Philip had always believed.

 He had always believed that she had chosen him because she loved him.

 But now, sitting across from her, he wasn't sure about anything anymore.

 Elena continued staring at him after his question.

 “How many men are you sleeping with?”

 Philip waited for an answer, but she remained silent. Elena just sat chewing her food like none of what he said mattered..

 He let out a bitter laugh. “You don't even want to answer me?”

 Elena folded her arms. “What exactly do you want me to say?”

 “The truth.”

 “I have been truthful with you.”

 Philip shook his head. “No, you haven't.”

 Elena frowned.

 Philip took a deep breath before continuing. “Do you know how many hospitals I went to?”

 She stared at him, "You went behind my back?" 

 “I didn't just do one paternity test, Elena. I did it in different hospitals.”

 Her expression changed slightly.

 “I thought the first result was wrong,” Philip continued. “I thought maybe there had been a mistake. I thought maybe the hospital had mixed up the samples.”

 He laughed bitterly. “So I went to another hospital.”

 He paused for a moment.

 “The result was the same.” he said. “I went to another one.”

 His voice became heavier.

 “The same result.”

 Elena's face remained calm, but Philip could see that she was becoming uncomfortable.

 “I went to another hospital again,” he continued. “And another one. I kept doing it because I refused to believe that all three children I had raised were not mine.”

 He stared directly at her. “But every single result was the same.”

 Elena looked away.

 Philip clenched his fists under the table.

 “I wanted to believe that there was some kind of mistake. I wanted to believe that the doctors were wrong. I wanted to believe that maybe the samples had been mixed up. But how many hospitals could make the same mistake?”

 He shook his head. “So I finally accepted the truth.”

 Elena said nothing.

 Philip leaned closer. “None of them are mine.”

 The silence between them became heavy.

 “I spent nineteen years believing I was a father,” Philip said. “I watched Ethan grow up. I watched Daniel grow up. I watched Ryan grow up. I paid their school fees. I bought them clothes. I protected them. I made sacrifices for them.”

 His eyes became red. “I did everything I could because I believed they were my children.”

 Elena slowly looked at him.

 “And I thought doing all of that would be enough for you.”

 She frowned.

 “I thought being a good husband would be enough. I thought loving you would be enough. I thought protecting you and standing beside you would be enough.”

 Philip laughed sadly. “Apparently, it wasn't.”

 “Philip…”

 “No. Let me finish.” He raised his hand. “You don't know how many times I put you before myself.”

 Elena remained silent.

 “I remember the day I caught you with Alex.”

 Her eyes widened slightly.

 “Yes, Alex. Your supposed best friend.” Philip's voice became bitter. “I walked into that room and saw the two of you together.”

 Elena immediately looked away.

 “You remember it, don't you?”

 “Philip, that happened years ago.”

 “I know.”

 “Then why are you bringing it up now?”

 “Because I stayed.”

 Elena looked at him and relaxed into her chair. 

 “I could have left you that day.”

 “But you didn't.”

 “No, I didn't.”

 Philip shook his head.

 “I told myself you would change. I told myself that maybe you had made a mistake. I told myself that maybe you were sorry.”

 He stared at her.

 “I loved you so much that I decided to forget it.”

 Elena suddenly slammed her hand on the table.

 “Enough! I thought you were joking. That it was the alcohol talking. What the hell is this?" 

 Several people in the restaurant turned toward them.

 Philip remained calm.

 “You are getting on my nerves, Philip!” Elena snapped. “Do you know how insulting this is? You are sitting here accusing me of sleeping with men and trying to disgrace me in public.”

 “I am not trying to disgrace you.”

 “You are!”

 Her voice became louder.

 “You are my husband. You should be protecting my name instead of destroying it.”

 Philip stared at her. “Your name?”

 “Yes!”

 “You are worried about your name?”

 “Of course I am!”

 Elena stood up. “I have a reputation to protect.”

 Philip slowly reached into his pocket. “You want proof?”

 Elena looked at him.

 Philip brought out the neatly folded paternity test papers and unfolded them. He pushed it across the table towards her. 

 “Read it.”

 Elena stared at the papers.

 “Read it!”

 “I don't need to.”

 “You do.”

 She refused to take them but Philip placed them on the table.

 “Three tests, Elena. Three different hospitals.”

 He pointed at the papers. “Ethan isn't mine, Daniel isn't mine and Ryan isn't mine.”

 Elena's face tightened. “You are drunk or something.”

 “I am not drunk.”Philip's voice echoed through the restaurant. “And I am not stupid.”

 Elena looked away.

 Philips inhaled, “Say something. Tell me I'm wrong.”

 Elena didn't answer.

 “Tell me those results are fake.” Philip's heart sank.

 He had wanted her to deny everything. He had wanted her to tell him that the doctors had made a mistake.

 But she couldn't even do that.

 His voice became quieter. “Why?”

 Elena looked at him.

 “Why did you do this to me?”

 She opened her mouth, but Philip didn't give her the chance to speak.

 “I want a divorce.”

 Elena froze.

 For a few seconds, she simply stared at him but then she laughed.

 Philip frowned. “What is funny?”

 Elena shook her head. “You.”

 “Me?”

 “Yes, you.”

 She picked up her handbag. “Why don't you go somewhere and let out some steam? I know you are joking.”

 Philip stared at her in disbelief. “Joking?”

 “Yes.”

 “I just asked you for a divorce.”

 “And I heard you.”

 “Then why are you laughing?”

 Elena smiled, “Because you don't mean it.”

 Philip's eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”

 “Because you have never been able to leave me.” She turned around. “You will calm down, come home and forget all of this.”