Chapter 6: The Boy Everyone Was Trying To Hide
I stared at the photo on my phone until the words blurred.
*ELENA, ASK YOUR SON WHO HE REALLY IS.*
My first reaction wasn’t fear.
It was anger.
A deep, burning anger that made my hands stop shaking.
Because whoever sent that message wanted me to doubt Mateo.
They wanted to put a question between me and my son.
After everything he had been through, after he had been trapped in that car and almost abandoned, someone was trying to make me look at him like he was a mystery.
Like he was a problem.
I locked my phone.
“No.””
Everyone looked at me.
I looked at the screen again.
“No.””
My voice became stronger.
“They don’t get to do this.””
Officer Daniels watched me carefully.
“Mrs. Martinez?””
I turned toward him.
“They’re trying to make me question my son.””
He didn’t respond.
Because he knew I was right.
My entire family had spent years hiding things from me.
But Mateo was the one person I knew.
The one person I trusted.
I walked back to his bed.
He looked nervous.
“Mom…”
I sat beside him.
“Look at me.””
He did.
“Nothing anyone says changes what I know.””
His eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry.””
My heart broke.
“Why are you saying sorry?””
“Because everyone keeps fighting because of me.””
I immediately shook my head.
“No.””
“Mom—”
“No.””
I held his face gently.
“You are not the reason people lie.””
A tear rolled down his cheek.
“You don’t know that.””
“Yes, I do.””
I looked directly into his eyes.
“I know you.””
For a moment, he looked like the little boy who used to fall asleep on my shoulder during movies.
Then he whispered:
“What if Dad did something bad?””
The question hurt.
Not because I didn’t wonder the same thing.
Because I knew he had been carrying that fear alone.
“I don’t know what happened with your father.””
I paused.
“But I know this.””
“What?””
“You are not responsible for his choices.””
He nodded slowly.
Officer Daniels cleared his throat.
“I need to show you something.””
He placed a folder on the table.
“We found this in the vehicle.””
I opened it.
Inside was another document.
Not insurance paperwork.
Not legal forms.
A medical record.
I looked at the top.
*PATERNITY CONFIRMATION REPORT.*
My heart stopped.
“What is this?””
The officer looked at me.
“We don’t know yet.””
My hands moved through the pages.
There was Daniel’s name.
My name.
And Mateo’s.
I looked at the date.
Sixteen years ago.
The same year Mateo was born.
“What does it say?””
Officer Daniels hesitated.
“It appears to be a DNA test.””
I looked down.
The numbers meant nothing.
The medical language meant nothing.
But one sentence did.
*Probability of biological relationship: 0%.*
I stopped breathing.
“No.””
Camila stepped closer.
“Elena…”
I looked at the paper.
“No.””
The room became silent.
Mateo watched my face.
And immediately looked afraid.
“Mom?””
I folded the paper quickly.
“Don’t.””
He stared at me.
“Don’t what?””
“Don’t think this changes anything.””
“But it says—”
“I don’t care what it says.””
My voice cracked.
“I don’t care what anyone wrote on a piece of paper.””
I looked at him.
“You are my son.””
He looked away.
“But if Dad wasn’t my dad…”
I grabbed his hand.
“Mateo.””
He looked at me.
“You are my son because I raised you. Because I loved you. Because I was there.””
His eyes filled with tears.
“But I want to know the truth.””
That sentence broke me.
Because he deserved the truth.
More than anyone.
Officer Daniels looked at the report.
“There’s something strange.””
“What?””
“The test date.””
I frowned.
“What about it?””
“It was taken three days before Daniel disappeared.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
Camila stepped forward.
“Why would he take a DNA test?””
Nobody answered.
Then my phone rang.
Again.
Unknown number.
Everyone looked at it.
This time, I answered immediately.
“Who are you?””
A man’s voice replied.
“You finally found it.””
My body went still.
“Daniel?””
“No.””
Not Daniel.
Someone else.
“Then who?””
A pause.
“The person who tried to warn him.””
I looked at Officer Daniels.
“Warn him about what?””
The voice lowered.
“Your family.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“Where is Daniel?””
Silence.
Then:
“Alive.””
My heart jumped.
“Where?””
“He’s been hiding.””
“Why?””
“Because he knows what your parents did.””
I looked at the DNA report.
“What is this?””
Another pause.
“You found the test.””
“How do you know?””
“Because I was there when Daniel ordered it.””
I froze.
“Who are you?””
The man ignored my question.
“Your husband didn’t disappear because he wanted to leave you.””
“Then why?””
“Because he discovered your son wasn’t safe.””
I looked at Mateo.
“What does that mean?””
The voice became quieter.
“It means your parents knew the truth about Mateo before you did.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Everyone was silent.
Then Camila spoke.
“Elena…”
I looked at her.
“What?””
She pointed at the report.
“There’s something else.””
I looked down.
“What?””
“The hospital.””
I frowned.
“What about it?””
“When Mateo was born…”
She stopped.
“Say it.””
Camila swallowed.
“There was another baby.””
The room went completely still.
“What?””
She looked terrified.
“Your mother told everyone there was a mistake with the records.””
I stared at her.
“What baby?””
“I don’t know.””
“Camila.””
“I swear.””
She grabbed my arm.
“I only heard Mom and Dad talking about it years later.””
“What did they say?””
Her voice dropped.
“They said the wrong child came home.””
I stepped back.
“No.””
“Elena—”
“No.””
My head was spinning.
“My son was born at that hospital.””
“Yes.””
“I held him.””
“Yes.””
“I know my own child.””
“I know.””
“Then what are you saying?””
Camila looked at the DNA report.
“I’m saying someone may have changed something.””
A terrible silence filled the room.
I looked at Mateo.
He was staring at us.
Confused.
Scared.
“I don’t understand.””
I walked to him immediately.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“Mom?””
“No matter what anyone says, you are my son.””
“But—”
“No.””
I held his hand.
“We are going to find the truth.””
The hospital room door suddenly opened.
A nurse stood there.
“Mrs. Martinez?””
“Yes?””
“There’s someone asking for you at the front desk.””
My heart tightened.
“Who?””
The nurse looked uncomfortable.
“He says his name is Daniel Martinez.””
Nobody moved.
Mateo stopped breathing.
Camila covered her mouth.
Officer Daniels immediately reached for his radio.
“Where is he?””
The nurse pointed toward the hallway.
“He was there a second ago.””
I walked out slowly.
My legs felt heavy.
Eleven years.
Eleven years wondering if I would ever see him again.
And now…
A man claiming to be my husband was standing somewhere inside this hospital.
I reached the front desk.
Nobody was there.
Only an envelope.
My name was written on the front.
*ELENA MARTINEZ.*
My hands trembled as I opened it.
Inside was one piece of paper.
And one photograph.
The photograph was old.
A hospital room.
A newborn baby.
And a younger version of my mother standing beside the crib.
On the back of the photo, there was a handwritten message.
Three words.
May you like
Three words that made my entire world collapse.
*THAT ISN’T MATEO.*
