Discovering the Illegitimate Daughter of My Wife

1

So, are you ready for a divorce?

When Jack pointed out the thoughts in Zachary’s heart, he trembled all over.

How to express it? The current mood can’t be simply described with the three words “thinking of divorce.”

Zachary closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and downed the remaining half cup of strong liquor.

The crowd outside the open-air stall was bustling, and the light bulb above emitted a golden glow. Zachary fell silent for a while, his eyes reddened.

Zachary is a kind person.

He rarely loses his temper.

But this time, he was truly hurt.

Jack understood Zachary and didn’t say much. He just accompanied Zachary, drink after drink, until dawn when the owner of the open-air stall came to remind them it’s time to close.

Zachary was already drunk. In the past, he knew his limits because Sarah didn’t like him drinking too much and always nagged about it.

Speaking of Sarah.

That deceitful Sarah.

Supported by Jack, Zachary cursed Sarah loudly on the deserted street.

A voice from a nearby residential building came, “Crazy, go home and shout, playing with emotions at this age!”

Zachary sneered coldly, as if mocking himself.

Yes, he never thought that at almost 40, he would find out he had been deceived by his bedside companion for so long.

He now understood that age and time couldn’t reduce his pain by a bit.

From getting married at 25 to now, 12 years, Sarah never told him, apart from having a daughter with Zachary, she had a child before marriage.

Zachary lay in Jack’s car, recalling the impact of these past few days.

2

Zachary was actually quite dull, or he wouldn’t have just realized it now. It was this time that Sarah was too hasty.

The night before last, she paced around the house, tightly holding her phone without relaxing for a moment. Even though it was already autumn, sweat still trickled down her forehead.

Zachary asked her, “You’re wandering around like this, making me anxious.”

Sarah looked at Zachary with a frown, showing a rare worried expression. After a moment, she went into the room to pack up her clothes, saying, “You know Liu Jie from where I used to work, right? Her daughter had a car accident, and I thought I should go check on her.”

Zachary said, “Go ahead, but why pack your clothes?”

Sarah clicked her tongue and said, “Liu Jie is out of town, and I need to accompany her for a few days until she comes back. She has always taken care of me. You stay at home and take care of the kids. No need to send me off.”

Zachary didn’t pay much attention to these things usually, but this time, his heartstrings tightened.

Other people’s business, why was Sarah so anxious?

Sarah left, and Zachary followed right behind her. Sarah took a taxi, indicating a sense of urgency; usually, Zachary didn’t drive her, and she took the bus.

Zachary drove at a distance. To his surprise, the place where Sarah got off wasn’t a hospital at all; it was a residential complex.

Sarah almost ran in. If not for her haste, she could have seen Zachary across the street with her sensitivity.

It was an old residential building area. Sarah entered Building 7, and the dimly lit corridor was filled with a strong smell of urine. She didn’t notice Zachary in the darkness behind her.

Sarah went to the third floor, skillfully unlocked the door with her keys, and Zachary listened on the second floor hallway.

Suddenly, Sarah screamed and started crying.

Zachary rushed upstairs. The door was ajar, and when he pushed it open, he saw Sarah struggling to pull a girl lying on the ground. The girl’s facial features were twisted in pain, curled up, and there was a medicine bottle nearby.

Upon seeing Zachary, Sarah, without time for surprise, shouted, “Please, save her, quickly!”

Zachary was probably stunned for two seconds, then went up without saying a word and carried the girl.

Downstairs, running, into the car, in the midst of his own panting, Zachary heard the girl muttering something in a faint voice.

Sarah couldn’t stop crying.

When they arrived at the hospital, the girl was sent in for gastric lavage.

Sarah slumped in a chair, and no matter what Zachary asked, she didn’t answer.

Zachary got angry, punched the wall, and Sarah lifted her eyes, saying in a hoarse voice, “She’s my daughter.”

Zachary’s heart ached.

Until the girl was pushed out, it was already slightly dawn. After a night of turmoil, Zachary and Sarah hadn’t closed their eyes.

Sarah confessed everything.

When she was 16, ignorant, she met the father of this child in vocational school. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t find a more precise term. Because they were young, they tasted forbidden fruit.

When she found out she was pregnant, the guy, as expected, wanted to leave without any surprise. The only conscience he showed was leaving behind a few hundred bucks, enough for her to have an abortion.

And all the consequences were left to the inexperienced Sarah.

Helpless, her parents took her to the hospital. Surprisingly, Sarah’s uterus was still immature, and abortion was not recommended.

In a confused state, Sarah gave birth to the child, a girl.

Originally, they had agreed to send the child far away, but she couldn’t bear to do it. In the end, she gave the child to a distant aunt. The aunt was getting old, single, and wanted a child.

Sarah’s life gradually returned to normal. She worked outside, met Zachary, and everything seemed fine.

At the age of 25, she married Zachary, and she was still sending money to the child. Of course, all of this was not disclosed to the innocent Zachary. She didn’t know how long she could keep it a secret, but it was better not to say as much as possible.

Later, when the aunt passed away, the child could only stay at the school. Sarah felt even more distressed and brought her to the city, renting a small room for her to live in. For so many years, everything was peaceful.

But when the child grew to 21, her special upbringing made her introverted. Coupled with graduating and not finding a job for a while, experiencing a breakup, and several blows, she began to feel desperate. She sent a text message to Sarah, saying she was unhappy.

Sarah, anxious and sensing something was wrong, thankfully arrived in time. With tears in her eyes, she said to Zachary, “Thank you, and I’m sorry. You can scold or hit me if you want. It’s my fault.”

Zachary also felt like crying. The Sarah in front of him was no longer just his wife; she was the mother of his daughter and… a liar. If she had been honest when they got married, he might not be so agonized now. After 12 years, he couldn’t face how much of what Sarah said in this marriage was true or false. How could one not feel a chill!

With swollen eyes, Sarah said to Zachary, “I have to stay here; she can’t be without me.”

The girl was out of danger and was sleeping peacefully at the moment. Zachary looked at her pale face, somewhat resembling Sarah. Without saying a word, he left the hospital. He had to go home. There was his daughter at home, and he didn’t want Athena to wake up without any adults around.

3

On the way back, Zachary felt restless. He stood at the doorstep, took a deep breath, and when he exhaled, a smile appeared on his face.

Opening the door, Athena was already sitting in the living room, dressed and eating bread. Her obedient appearance made Zachary’s eyes sore.

Pouting, Athena half-jokingly said, “I woke up, and there’s no one at home. Dad, did you go on a date with my mom? Where’s my mom?”

Zachary smiled, sat on the sofa with his back to Athena, trying not to let her notice his abnormality because Athena, this child, was sensitive.

“I’m sorry, you slept early last night, and I didn’t have time to tell you. Your mom’s friend’s daughter was admitted to the hospital, so we went to see her. Your mom might take a few more days to come back.”

“Oh…” Athena replied, finished her breakfast, and went to school.

Zachary breathed a sigh of relief, fearing Athena would ask too much, and he couldn’t hold up.

After a while, the suppressed emotions overwhelmed him again. He could barely bear it himself; how could Athena accept it? She was not yet 12 years old. What would this somewhat assertive girl do when she found out?

Zachary dared not think about it.

After sorting out his emotions, Zachary more or less accepted this reality. But things always resurfaced when you thought they were over, as if fate enjoyed stimulating you until it broke you.

Zachary came to the hospital again. When he encountered Sarah’s former boyfriend, the girl’s father, in the ward, he felt that the psychological defense he had just built had collapsed again. Wasn’t this man supposed to have left a long time ago? Sarah was there too. This time, there was no avoidance or hesitation. Sarah, as if having seen through the world overnight, said, “The child is still confused. She insists on seeing her dad. Zachary, I’ll explain to you later.”

The man hurried in, looked at Zachary coldly, as if Zachary were the outsider. Zachary was truly at a loss, standing on the side.

From his backpack, the man took out the girl’s clothes, phone, and some miscellaneous items, saying to Sarah, “I rushed back overnight, went home, brought these over. Is there anything else missing? I’ll go buy it.”

Home, he used the word “home.” For Zachary standing at the door, the three of them standing together did seem to form a closer relationship.

Suddenly, he remembered the night when the girl clung to his back and vaguely called him dad.

Sarah sorted things out and gestured for Zachary to come out. In the corridor, perhaps due to the lighting, Zachary felt that Sarah had aged a lot.

Sarah bit her lip. Zachary patted her shoulder, comforting, and said, “Speak.”

Sarah said, “When the child’s foster mother left, she was only ten. I had just given birth to Athena and couldn’t take care of her. My parents were unwilling to take her in. Sometimes I wanted to confess to you, but I couldn’t open my mouth. At that time, he found me somehow, learned that I had given birth to a child, and, being divorced with no children, he said he wanted to live with this child. I knew he had no money, and seeing me in a dilemma, he insisted on relying on me. I hated him, but thinking that having an adult was better, he was not bad to the child, and she accepted him. And it went on like this. He went on a business trip a few days ago; otherwise, with him around, things probably wouldn’t have happened… I didn’t tell you last night, afraid you’d think too much.”

Zachary asked, “Do you often go there?”

Sarah lowered her eyelids and said, “After all, he’s a man, rough. So, occasionally, I go there to tidy up, wash the child’s clothes. But there’s really no communication between us. If it weren’t for the child, I wouldn’t bother with him!”

Zachary covered his face with both hands, rubbed it, and muttered to himself coldly, “Sarah, oh Sarah, can I trust you?”

Sarah tentatively approached Zachary and asked, “I know you must be cursing me in your heart, but my life has been hard too. If I had told you back then, would you still have married me? Can you forgive me…”

Zachary stepped back a few steps, glanced at the man and the girl in the ward, and left a sentence, “Let’s talk later.”

4

Zachary was truly bewildered. He sat on the sofa, looking at the dusty house that hadn’t been cleaned in two days. The construction site behind them produced a lot of dust. Sarah used to wipe every nook and cranny tirelessly, her busy figure appearing in every corner of the house.

Sarah, as Zachary’s wife, he now nostalgically recalled every word, every smile, and every move she made. But Zachary was unsure if Sarah still had secrets to hide. Because he wasn’t sure, he needed to ask.

Zachary went back to the building where the girl lived. After some casual inquiries, the mysterious old lady next door said that normally, the girl and her dad lived here. The dad seemed to dote on his daughter a lot but couldn’t earn much money. The house was bought by her mom. Her mom seemed to work out of town and rarely came. When she did, she wouldn’t speak to the man, treating him like air.

So, it turned out that this house wasn’t rented by Sarah; she bought it. Sarah hadn’t been completely transparent about it. Zachary, at this point, wasn’t easily surprised. He wasn’t a nitpicker, and perhaps Sarah had a hold on this aspect of him.

Over the years, he brought home the money he earned, and Sarah’s money was not his concern. He trusted her so much, thinking she saved all the money. Now, looking back, the big chunk of money remained untouched, but her salary and some unnoticed small amounts were accumulated to buy a house for their elder daughter.

The old house’s location wasn’t prime, and it was small, but she could afford it. Reflecting on last year, Zachary wanted to upgrade to a larger house, but Sarah refused. She said her money was for Athena, suggesting Zachary should earn for a couple more years to buy a house himself, no rush.

Zachary found it ironic. Apparently, for all these years, Sarah had been using the money from this home to support that home.

5

In just a few days, Zachary’s once carefree life was shattered by Sarah. To be honest, when Sarah revealed that it was her daughter in that moment, Zachary’s immediate thought was divorce. He was furious. However, upon reflection, he realized that Sarah was also a pitiful person.

Many women, after giving birth, simply ignore the mistakes of their youth, trying to avoid them. But Sarah didn’t. Juggling the care of him, Athena, and another girl, she must have lived these years with great caution. Zachary softened. He felt aggrieved, and Sarah had her difficulties. He wanted to forgive her and accept her.

But that was at the beginning. He didn’t expect that Sarah would buy a house for their eldest daughter, perhaps out of guilt. He reluctantly understood, but why let that man move in too? If that man had any responsibility, why didn’t he buy a house and take care of his daughter himself? When she was young, it was understandable, acting as a parent. Now that the daughter is grown, he shouldn’t be clinging on. In Zachary’s opinion, Sarah would have been better off telling him from the beginning that they were raising two daughters. He just felt Sarah was foolish.

After venting his frustrations, Jack drove Zachary home. He still hadn’t figured out how to talk to Athena. Seeing the bathroom light on, Athena should be awake. Zachary leaned against the bathroom door and asked, “Athena, are you up? It’s Sunday today, why are you up so early?” Athena replied softly. Just as Zachary turned around, Athena called him again, sounding a bit uneasy, “Dad, where’s my mom?” Zachary’s heart sank and he replied, “Your mom hasn’t come back yet. Is something wrong?” “Call my mom for me!” Athena was getting anxious. The alcohol seemed to have sobered Zachary up in an instant. He knocked on the door and asked, “What’s the hurry?” “Don’t bother! I want my mom!” Athena said with a teary voice, and Zachary turned the doorknob a few times, but the door was locked from the inside.

Did Athena already find out? Zachary was a bit panicked. Trembling, he called Sarah, comforting Athena at the same time, “Whatever happened, don’t do anything foolish. Open the door, let’s talk.” Athena retorted, “Oh, just ask my mom to come back. I don’t want to talk to you!”

When Sarah rushed back, Zachary was still waiting outside the bathroom door. “Athena, mom’s back.” While knocking on the door, Sarah shot a blaming look at Zachary, thinking he must have said something to Athena. “Dad’s not allowed in!” Athena shouted, opening the door a little. Sarah squeezed in. Zachary couldn’t see anything and paced outside. Sarah shouted, “Zachary, go back to the room first.” Zachary was a bit bewildered. After more than ten minutes, Athena, with a hesitant expression, followed Sarah out. Sarah said, “It’s nothing, just that the girl has grown up.” Zachary suddenly understood. So, Athena had her first period, and she was too embarrassed to tell him. She was scared in the morning and urgently called for her mom.

When Sarah and Athena went downstairs to buy sanitary pads, Zachary finally saw that Sarah’s coat and pants were covered in dust and asked, “What happened?” Sarah bent down to pat off the dust, saying, “It came too suddenly, and I fell.” The mother and daughter went out, leaving Zachary sitting alone in the study, feeling a bit emotional. As a man, he couldn’t replace the presence of a mother for his daughter. Now and in the future. This was his dilemma. For himself, divorce could relieve the resentment in his heart, but for Athena, it only meant adding another broken family. Without her mom, would Athena go to extremes like her half-sister, born to the same mother but a different father?

The yearning for family bonds, the difficulty of severing blood ties, is sometimes irrational. Sarah’s concern for her eldest daughter, the eldest daughter’s reacceptance of the father who reappeared after ten years, Athena’s dependence on Sarah, and Zachary’s worry for Athena — all these intricately woven connections are rooted in the inseparability of flesh and blood.

It is these connections that make it challenging for Sarah to completely free herself from that man. In fact, apart from his lack of capability, it seems that the man has not caused trouble, perhaps another reason Sarah can tolerate him. For Zachary, forgiveness for Sarah is elusive, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love her. Caught in the middle, there is a lot of helplessness.

Before knowing the truth, Zachary never felt she was irresponsible. Her genuine love for herself and the family was tangible and couldn’t be feigned. Now, she is still not neglectful. He can see it. Sarah’s past was set long ago, and his knowledge won’t change who she is. In practical terms, as long as he sets aside his pride and talks openly, there isn’t much that he cannot accept.

Although he cannot guarantee how long this love will last, divorcing now would be a momentary satisfaction. He wants to take responsibility, for Athena and for himself. The prerequisite for all of this is that Sarah needs to establish clearer boundaries, not hurting him and Athena emotionally. Only then is he willing to face the future together.

Zachary seems to have figured out some things. The day is already bright, and he looks at the family photo on the desk that was knocked down, sighs lightly, and picks it up.