Chapter 232: Bloodlines, Bittersweet Truths, and Unwritten Verses

Eric stood frozen in the middle of the parking lot, his eyes tracking the taillights of Vanessa’s car until they vanished completely. A single tear slipped down his cheek. He slid off his glasses and wiped his face with his sleeve. Pulling out his smartphone, he opened Ruby’s Instagram profile and looked again at the photo she had shared earlier that day, where she had tagged him, Martin, Emma, Wesley, Caleb, and Jade, leaving him wondering how her uncle had even managed to view the post.

He closed Ruby’s profile and stared down the road where Vanessa had disappeared, holding David’s smartphone in his hand. Deep down, recalling the look on his mother’s face, like she had been physically struck when she saw the photo, realizing her own foolishness and drowning in regret, followed by that parting smile before she drove away, felt heavy, unsettling, and slightly painful. It brought back memories of a conversation he had back when he visited his biological father’s grave.

***

Back when Eric spoke with Ethan at his graveside, after discussing why his father had chosen six fiancées for him, the two fell quiet for a moment before Eric looked up at his father’s face on the screen.

"Dad... I’m curious. Did you ever love Mom?" Eric asked.

Ethan on the screen paused, gazing at his son with a warm, gentle smile. Eric could see his father’s expression soften into something wistful.

"Yes... I loved your mother. That’s why I advised her to return to her family and live her life without me," Ethan replied.

Eric flinched slightly at his father’s words, staring at him intently with narrowed eyes. Naturally, Ethan noticed the confusion written all over his son’s face, smiling affectionately back at him.

"Your mother didn’t lie to me. From the very beginning, she told me she was married and even showed me her ring," Ethan explained.

"Wait... then why?" Eric asked.

"At the time, I was at a low point. I had just found out my fiancée, Miranda, was pregnant, my business was teetering on the edge, and I desperately needed investors... then an investor stepped up, and their representative was your mother. At first, I wasn’t swayed because I was fighting to keep my company afloat, but as time went on, I grew drawn to your mother’s professionalism, her boundaries, and her principles," Ethan answered.

"And after that, did Mom fall for you too?" Eric asked.

"Pretty much... after that, we started dating, and within three months, we were engaged and living together... until one night, I noticed your mother wearing a ring. Naturally, I asked about it, and her answer almost shattered me all over again," Ethan answered.

"What did she say?" Eric asked.

"Your mother and her husband had an arranged marriage. They didn’t love each other and only had a child because of a family agreement, if their child turned out to be a boy, they were free to divorce and go their separate ways," Ethan answered.

Eric was stunned to hear it. It suddenly made sense why, when he was little and the family gathered around the dining table or watched television together, the interaction between Martin and Vanessa had always been minimal. They mostly spoke directly to the children while keeping discussions strictly practical and seeking mutual approval for major decisions.

"I see... but why did Dad ask Mom to go back?" Eric asked, still puzzled.

"Because I didn’t want to disrupt her family or mess with their eldest son. Your mother was heartbroken when I made that call... but in the end, she understood and went back to her husband. Only... I didn’t know at the time that she was pregnant. She only told me two weeks after we parted ways and sent me the test results," Ethan answered.

"Wait, wasn’t it still unconfirmed whose child it was back then?" Eric asked.

"The last person she was intimate with was me... and once a DNA test was possible, I asked your mother to run it, and the results confirmed it was mine. So I was the one who gave you the name Eric," Ethan answered.

"Oh... I see. And after that, were you my kindergarten teacher?" Eric asked.

"Hmm... not quite. As soon as I knew the child your mother was carrying was mine, I moved to your city... and I still kept in touch with your mother occasionally after you were born," Ethan answered.

"Man... I always heard rumors about you vanishing from your friends’ circles... so that’s how the story went," Eric murmured.

"Hahaha... yes. Now, there’s one more thing I need to tell you," Ethan said suddenly, his tone turning serious.

Seeing his father’s expression on the screen shift to absolute solemnity, the smile vanished from Eric’s face as he braced himself to listen.

"When I was first diagnosed with cancer... I met with your father, Martin. We talked face-to-face about our connection with your mother, Vanessa, and that’s when I got a massive shock," Ethan stated.

"A shock?" Eric prompted.

"Your father told me that he was actually sterile due to a severe hunting accident he had when he was young. He didn’t go into detail, but when I asked him about his first son, he called it a miracle, though he admitted he initially suspected your mother of infidelity," Ethan answered.

"Seriously? He used to tell stories about hunting with his grandfather... and how he got badly mauled fighting a bear. I always thought he was exaggerating... but thinking back, he did walk with a slight limp...until now. But he actually told that to you? This is the first time I’m hearing this," Eric said, completely shocked.

"He did. That’s why he wasn’t angry with me for comforting his wife, aside from that reason, he shared the same view as your mother about an arranged marriage built on an agreement," Ethan replied.

Eric sat in silence, trying to digest and process what his biological father had just revealed. But something didn’t quite add up, leading him to a sudden, chilling realization. He stared straight at his biological father on the screen.

"If Martin couldn’t have children... then whose child is Ruby?" Eric asked.

Eric gasped as he watched Ethan flinch and turn his face away, refusing to meet his eyes. Eric pressed harder,

"Don’t tell me... Ruby is your child too? Because honestly, growing up out of the three of us, only Jason looked completely different," Eric said, dreading the answer.

"Well... a few months after your mother gave birth to you... we met up at a hotel and... your younger sister was conceived," Ethan admitted, looking sheepish.

"Wait... what?!" Eric shouted, leaping straight to his feet in disbelief.

"Don’t get me wrong, at that time your mother had also recently reconnected with her legally husband, your father, because he was suddenly able to have children and was being pressured... so your mother wasn’t even sure whose child your sister was. The test results only came out a day after I met with your father, so I only found out then when your sister was already seven years old. Besides, your father firmly believed she was his, so... I saw no reason to shatter his happiness... haha," Ethan chuckled awkwardly.

"This isn’t a laughing matter, Dad! What is going on? How am I only finding out about something this huge now? My head is completely scrambled," Eric protested.

"Let it be. What’s done is done. Don’t upend your sister’s relationship with your father, keep this between you and your mother," Ethan advised.

"I know, Dad... I understand... but still! Because Martin believed Jason and Ruby were his biological kids, I was the one sidelined and squeezed out in the middle, how is that fair?" Eric argued.

"I’m sorry about that, but I couldn’t leave this world in peace without laying that truth out to Martin. Please understand and forgive me," Ethan said, pressing his palms together in apology.

***

Back in the present, Eric stared down at David’s smartphone, which still displayed the photo Ruby had posted. He looked at the face of his younger sister, the golden child who turned out to be his full-blooded sister sharing the exact same mother and father.

Then, his mind drifted back to his mother’s face. Yet, memories of the past ten years flooded back: his mother choosing to believe edited videos over him, siding with the others to blame him, and kicking him out without bothering to investigate the truth first.

Eric tilted his head up to gaze at the yellowish-blue evening sky, where a few wispy white clouds still drifted above.

"Dad... I’m sorry if I hurt Mom just now, but for right now, even though I’ve forgiven her, I can’t go back to how things used to be with her. Maybe one day, or maybe never... I don’t know. But I can promise you one thing: if Mom is ever in trouble, I will always help her," Eric whispered with a faint smile.

Lost in reflection, a fresh melody suddenly bubbled up in his mind. He pulled out his own smartphone, slipped David’s phone into his pocket, opened his notes app, and began tapping out the notes.