Chapter 4

I shrugged the man's hand off my shoulder.

I didn't raise my voice. I didn't need to.

"You all think I'm a monster," I said, my voice calm and clear, carrying across the silent cafeteria. "You think I'm letting my son die over money."

I pulled out my phone. I swiped it open and held it up for Jessica to see.

It was a PDF document. A lab report.

"Read it, Jessica," I said.

Her eyes scanned the page. The title was clear: "DNA Paternity Test Results." She saw the names. Alex. Leo. And the result at the bottom, in bold letters: "Probability of Paternity: 0%."

All the color drained from her face. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Leo is not my son," I announced to the entire room.

A wave of gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd. The man who had confronted me took a step back, his face a mask of confusion.

Jessica started stammering. "That's... that's a fake. You faked it! You're lying!"

"Am I?" I said, turning the phone so the rest of my family could see.

Frank squinted at the screen. Kevin's jaw went slack. Brenda's eyes darted around nervously.

"So," I said, turning back to the shocked crowd. "Now you know. I'm being asked to sell twenty percent of my company and pay millions of dollars to save my brother's kid. My wife's love child."

The narrative shifted instantly. The anger in the room turned to bewildered silence.

"But you know what?" I continued, looking at the strangers who had been so quick to judge me. "This kid is still sick. He still needs a kidney. The GoFundMe is still up. Anyone here want to donate? You were all so full of moral outrage a minute ago. Put your money where your mouth is."

No one moved. They just stared, their hypocrisy hanging in the air.

Jessica was on her feet now, her voice a hysterical shriek. "It doesn't matter! He's still my son! MY SON!"

I let a small, cold smile touch my lips.

"That's the funny part, Jessica," I said. "No, he's not."