Our reader Nicolas always thought he had a happy family: a quiet life, a wife he loved, a son he adored. However, everything changed the day an unexpected situation led him to discover a secret his wife had kept for years. A secret that tore him apart. In the midst of pain, betrayal, and confusion, he made an impulsive decision that took him away from what he loved most. Now he feels lost, hurt, guilty and unsure of how to move forward. Does he have the right to call himself a father? Can he mend what was broken? This is his story.

In a attempt to get some advice and guidance, Nicolas made a decision to share his story.

This is how Nicolas began his letter: “I don’t know how to begin this. I have read many stories in this section, always from a distance, certain that these were things that happened to others. But now I’m on the other side, with a broken heart and a question that haunts me day and night: what do I do now?

Just so you know me better, my name is Nicolas, I’m 42 years old, and until recently I thought I had a happy life. I’ve been married to my wife, Emily, for more than 15 years, and together we raised our 10-year-old son, Tomas. Being his father has always been my greatest pride. Ever since he was born, I felt that my life had a clear purpose: to take care of him, to guide him, to be there for him. But a few weeks ago, everything changed in a way I could never have imagined.”

He received news that no parent would want to hear.

Nicolas continued, “My son Tomas began to feel bad, and after several tests, we received the worst news: he had kidney failure and would probably need a transplant. It was like the world stopped. There are no words to describe the fear of seeing your child sick and feeling like there’s nothing you can do. But there was something I could do: I will give my kidney to him.

I said it without hesitation. I didn’t even want to wait to see if we could find another donor. I was his father, it was my responsibility. But when I mentioned it, my wife Emily reacted in a way that confused me. She objected. She told me that she didn’t want me to go through an unnecessary surgery, that we would try another way, that we would see. It seemed strange to me, but I chalked it up to stress. I thought he was also afraid of losing me.”

The news led Nicolas to discover an equally bad lie.

With much regret, Nicolas added, “Emily’s refusal, that made me uneasy. There was something in her voice, in her avoidance of the subject, that made me uneasy. So, without telling her, I went to the hospital and had the compatibility tests done.

The results came back a few days later. I can still see the envelope on the table, my hands shaking as I opened it. I read it once, twice, three times. I didn’t understand. I discovered the worst. It said that I was no match for Tomas. It wasn’t that I had little chance of being his donor…it was impossible that I was.

I felt an emptiness in my stomach, a sense of unreality. It was hard to breathe.

When I looked at Emily with the papers in my hand, she looked down and burst into tears. She didn’t need me to ask her anything. Between sobs, she confessed that a few years ago, in the midst of a crisis in our marriage, she had made a mistake. When she got pregnant, she was never sure who the father was. And she decided not to find out. She decided that I would raise him, that I would never find out. The words hit me like rocks. Everything I believed about my life, about my family, crumbled.”

Confusion and grief led Nicolas to make a very serious mistake.

Nicolas continued, “I don’t remember exactly what I told him, only that I left the house feeling empty, betrayed, lost. When I returned, I was not the same. I was a shell of what I once was, a being immersed in an alternate reality, in total numbness. We barely spoke for days. I stayed at home for Tomas, because despite everything I couldn’t leave him. But the pain was unbearable.

Then I made the worst mistake of my life.

Tomas had noticed that something was wrong. I guess he thought it was because of his illness. He became more rebellious and defiant. One night we had a fight because he wouldn’t turn off the TV, and he started yelling at me: -Don’t tell me what to do! I wish you weren’t my father!

And I, without thinking, with all my accumulated anger, blurted out the unthinkable: -Well, you know what, I’m not. We lied to you. I’m not your father.

The silence was like an explosion. His face went from anger to confusion to fear. Emily ran in screaming at me what I had done, and Tomas ran into his room crying. In a second, a single second, everything fell to the floor.”

An impulsive decision turned into something Nicolas will never forgive himself for.

Nicolas concluded his letter as follows: “Since then, Tomas has not spoken to me. He doesn’t want to see me, he doesn’t let me come near him. And the worst thing is that he is still sick, he still needs a transplant, he is still struggling with something much bigger than all of this. But now I am a stranger to him. I am no longer his refuge, his safe place. Emily hates me. She says I destroyed our son, that I hurt him in the worst way. His family blames me for everything, as if I’m the only one responsible for this mess. My friends say I was an idiot, that I should have thought better of it. And I know I was. I know I handled it in the worst possible way. But can anyone understand how I feel?

I love Tomas. There is no DNA test that can change that. I raised him, I was there for every single one of his important moments. He is my son, I feel that in every fiber of my body. But I also know that he has a right to know the truth, to know who his real father is. How can I love someone so much and at the same time feel that I have no right to claim him? I don’t want to lose him, but I don’t know how to get close to him again. How do I explain to him that what I said was out of pain, that it doesn’t mean I want to leave? How do I show him that I am still his father when he no longer sees me as such? How can I help him with his illness when he won’t even let me be by his side?

I’m in a hotel with my suitcase open, not knowing if I should go home. I don’t know how to fix this. Do I insist or give him his space? Is it better to let him go or fight to stay in his life? How do I forgive Emily when I’m still burning with betrayal? How do I forgive myself for breaking the only thing that really mattered to me? Please, Bright Side readers, tell me what to do.

Sincerely, A father who no longer knows if he has the right to call himself one.”

The post My Son’s Diagnosis Revealed the Most Devastating Family Secret appeared first on Timeless Life.