The Biological Daughter My Husband Bought Home was Actually His Mistress

When I arrived at the hospital, I saw Ella lying silently on the bed by herself. Her eyes stared blankly out of the window.

When she heard the door open, she turned her head. Upon realizing it was me, her eyes lightened up. However, then, as her eyes looked behind me, the light immediately dimmed and she turned her head with a disappointed look on her face.

I knew she was looking for her father, Simon.

A pang of sorrow gripped my heart and my eyes burned with unshed tears. Yet I didn’t dare cry. Holding back my emotions, I brought over a bag full of Ella’s favorite things and set them gently by her bedside.

On the nightstand lay a crumpled, opened manila envelope. The paternity test results were scattered in plain view. The result was glaring vividly in my eyes. It clearly stated that Cassie was ninety-nine point ninety-nine hundred ninety match, while Ella was just ninety-nine percent.

Biologically stated having a match of over ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent confirmed that the recipients have a parent and child relationship.

I stared at those cold, unforgiving figures, momentarily dazed. With a deep breath, I pushed the papers aside and covered them with the gifts I had brought.

"Ella, how are you feeling? Is anything still hurting?” I asked, my voice shaky but gentle. “Mom brought you some things you love..."

"Aunty Sarah, thank you for your kindness,” Ella cut me off. Her voice was flat and distant. “However, I don’t need any of it. I’m terrified I won’t be able to pay back everything I owe to the Barnes Family.”

Her words were like a knife twisting in my heart. She glanced at me with an unreadable expression before turning away and pulling the blanket over herself.

“Ella, please, don’t say that. It doesn’t matter if we don’t share the same blood. We’re still family. You’ll always be ….”

“Family?” she interrupted, her voice cracking. She flung the blanket off and sat up, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m eighteen, Ma'am! I’m an adult! Even if I were your biological child, you wouldn’t be obligated to care for me anymore. I have no parents because I’m an orphan! He said it himself. I’m not shameless enough to stay in the Barnes Family home any longer!”

"Ella, you know your father didn’t mean that. He’s just feeling resentful right now,” I pleaded, desperately trying to comfort her. “Cassie had suffered all those years she was out there and he’s struggling to adjust. However, he… he’ll come around! He ... he ....”

My words faltered, I was not sure how to comfort Ella. The room fell silent, except for the sound of Ella's quiet broken sobs,

"Ella, don’t get so upset. I’ll talk to your father again. He doesn’t truly want to abandon you. You’re still our beloved daughter, no matter what! Even with Cassie back, we’ll treat you both equally.”

I reached out and gently patted the mound of blankets that was hiding Ella. Tears slipped from my eyes and I tried to blink them away.

"Do you mean it, Mom?" came her muffled, trembling voice. She slowly stretched a hand from beneath the covers, tentatively reaching for me.

“Yes, I do!” I couldn’t hold back anymore. My tears burst forth, flowing like a river as I grabbed her hand and pulled her into a fierce embrace. We clung to each other, sobbing together, our pain and love entangled.

No matter what, feelings that had been forged over eighteen years did not disappear just like that. I couldn’t let her go and I knew she couldn’t let me go, either.

I believed deep inside his heart, that Simon could not sever ties with Ella so easily.

When I finally left the hospital, I did my best to calm myself before returning home.