I Went Into the Forest With My Father. Suddenly, He Grabbed My Hand and Said, ‘Finally, We’re Alone. Come Here, Let Me Kiss You. I’ve Wanted to Do This for So Long.’ I Pulled Away in Terror. But My Father Stepped Closer, Took Me by the Shoulders, and Whispered, ‘Don’t Be Afraid, Sweetheart. Your Mother Will Never Know What Happened Between Us.’ I Started Trembling. And When He Said, ‘I’ve Been Waiting 19 Years for This Moment,’

I looked at my father.

“What have you two been hiding from me?”

My father sat down on the bench.

Tears filled his eyes.

“Emily, sit down. It’s time you knew everything.”
My father opened the velvet box.

Inside was a gold ring.

I stared at him in horror.

“Dad… what is this?”

He picked up the ring.

“It belonged to a woman I loved very much.”

I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet.

“Who was she?”

My father remained silent for a long moment.

“Your mother.”

I looked at him in confusion.

“But Mom is alive.”

“I’m talking about your biological mother, Emily.”

I froze.

“What…?”

My father lowered his head.

“You weren’t born to Margaret. You were born to a woman named Catherine.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

He continued:

“Catherine was my first wife. We were very young. She passed away a few days after giving birth to you.”