John had been eagerly preparing for his wedding day with his fiancée, Lily. The venue was perfect, the guests were arriving, and everything was falling into place. But as he stood waiting at the altar, his eyes caught something that froze him in his tracks.
At the back of the church, he saw a familiar face—Margaret, his late girlfriend’s mother, holding a toddler in her arms. Margaret had been a part of John’s life for years, ever since his girlfriend, Emma, tragically passed away in an accident two years ago. But he hadn’t seen her since Emma’s funeral. The sight of her now, standing there with the little child, made his heart skip a beat.
John’s mind raced. Who was the child? The resemblance was uncanny. The little boy had Emma’s eyes, the same curly hair. Panic surged through him as a thousand thoughts bombarded his mind. Could this be Emma’s child? Was Margaret keeping a secret from him all this time?
Before he could process everything, his legs moved on their own. His gaze never left the child as he walked briskly down the aisle, his fiancée, Lily, calling his name in confusion. He didn’t hear her. He couldn’t think of anything but the possibility that the child in Margaret’s arms might be his son—the son he never knew existed.
Outside, he confronted Margaret, his voice shaky. “Is this… is this Emma’s child?” he asked, his heart racing.
Margaret hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes, John. Emma’s son. You were the father. We didn’t want to burden you with the news after everything happened.”
John’s world tilted. The woman he had loved had kept this secret, and now, as he was about to marry someone else, he discovered he had a child—a piece of Emma that he had never known.
With his emotions in turmoil, he turned and fled, running from his own wedding. The life he had been building with Lily felt like a distant memory now. His heart was torn between the love he had for Emma, the child he never knew existed, and the life he had almost committed to.
The revelation shook him to his core, and he realized that nothing would ever be the same again.
