Wrapped in my robe, I stood barefoot by the window, gazing down at the warm and cozy living room below.
Sofia, who was wearing a soft pink loungewear set, occasionally turned her head to whisper a few words to Isaac, who responded to her with a gentle gaze and a doting smile.
That look, that smile, that effortless intimacy between them … there wasn’t even a trace of the so-called "best friend" and "husband" dynamic left.
They were clearly a real couple who were deeply immersed in happiness.
Meanwhile, Jack, who had been so reserved in my presence just moments ago, was now beaming with excitement and chatting animatedly after learning he was about to join the Braun Family.
Isaac listened intently, his eyes brimming with unhidden admiration and pride. The kind of approval a father gives to a “promising” son.
It was a blindingly nauseating scene of “family bliss.”
I clenched my fists tightly, letting my nails dig into my palms, using the sharp pain to suppress the destructive urge that was about to burst out of my body.
Just then, the screen of the phone on the bedside table lit up silently, flashing the name “Lawyer Wilson.”
I took a deep breath and picked up the phone. Displayed on the screen was a zoomed-in scan of an official marriage certificate.
The groom was none other than the tall and handsome Isaac when he was younger.
However, the woman who was leaning beside him with a shy and sweet smile was not the naïve and innocent me in my early twenties! Instead, it was Sofia … when she was younger!
Below their photo, the registration date was clearly printed. I noticed that the date was three full years before Isaac “pursuing” me and taking me to get our marriage certificate.
The next document was the paternity test between Isaac and Jack and as expected, they were biological father and son!
Below the document, Lawyer Wilson's brief message read like a cold verdict.
[Miss Harper, after multiple cross-checks and official records verification, we confirm there is no marriage registration record between you and Mr. Isaac Braun in the national database. Mr. Isaac and Miss Sofia Miller are legally married and Jack Miller is their legitimate son. The chain of evidence is solid.]
So that’s it. It wasn’t the marriage certificate between me with Isaac that was forged. It was actually Isaac and Sofia's that was the real one after all.
And I, Riley Harper, have been nothing more than a complete outsider. I was tricked for forty years by a carefully forged lie.
A colossal farce where I had spent my money, youth and entire life to support this genuine couple and their son!
The phone slipped from my hand and landed soundlessly on the thick carpet below.
And I, Riley Harper, have been nothing more than a complete outsider. I was tricked for forty years by a carefully forged lie.
A colossal farce where I had spent my money, youth and entire life to support this genuine couple and their son!
The phone slipped from my hand and landed soundlessly on the thick carpet below.
