My sister-in-law shoved a DNA test in my face, claiming I was raising a dead woman’s affair baby. She’d stolen my daughter’s DNA and run the test without my consent, all to accuse my brother’s fiancée of a cruel lie.
I stood there, stunned, as she waved the test like some detective. “She’s not yours,” Isabel said in front of my six-year-old. “You’re raising a dead woman’s affair baby.”
I laughed, still in disbelief. “You took a DNA test on my daughter without asking?”
Isabel’s face turned red as she glanced at Ava, who was confused and clinging to my leg. I snapped, “Get out of my house!”
Ava asked, “Daddy, why is Aunt Isabel mad? Did I do something bad?” Her words shattered me. I knelt down, reassuring her, “No, sweetheart. Aunt Isabel made a mistake.”
Isabel tried to speak, but I cut her off, lifting Ava into my arms. “Leave, before I say something I can’t take back.”
As Isabel left, Ava whispered, “Are you still my daddy?” My heart broke. “Always, baby girl. Always.”
Let me explain. I’m Jake, 30, and Ava is my daughter — not by blood, but in every other way. Her parents were my best friends, and after they died in a car accident, I stepped up to raise her. She knows she’s adopted, and so does my family. But apparently, Isabel and my brother had their own story.
When I decided to raise Ava, I promised her I’d figure it out. Over the years, I became her dad. But a few weeks ago, things took a turn. Isabel looked at an old photo of Ava’s parents and seemed suspicious. Later, she asked how I felt when Ava was born. When I explained how close I was to her parents, I didn’t notice her making a call in the hallway.
Now I know Isabel went to great lengths to test my daughter’s paternity behind my back.