Bobby had always been a doting father to Mia and often checked on her, making sure she was doing well. But for the past three months, he had noticed Mia was acting odd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her late-night phone calls, closed-door conversations, and the cigarette smell that lingered in her room convinced Bobby that his 14-year-old was up to something wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So one day, Bobby decided to check Mia\u2019s room for a cigarette or a lighter, but instead, he found a gift box hidden under a pile of clothes in her cupboard\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside the box was an assortment of expensive gifts \u2014 branded perfumes, a smartwatch Mia had long wanted, and a diamond bracelet. Then his hands landed on a photograph of an older man, likely in his 50s, and a letter detailing an upcoming meeting at a local caf\u00e9 that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m really excited about finally meeting you. I\u2019m already picturing us talking, laughing, sitting next to each other. God, I hope this caf\u00e9 we\u2019re meeting at serves a vegan menu. But again, who cares about food when I\u2019m getting to be with you? I can\u2019t wait for this Saturday!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bobby read the letter again and again and couldn\u2019t believe his teenage daughter was getting involved with a man her dad\u2019s age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bobby lifted the stranger\u2019s picture off the bed and stared at it another time, trying to remember if he knew the guy. But he hadn\u2019t seen this man before. A rage took over Bobby. He stormed out of Mia\u2019s room and dialed her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDad, I\u2019m in music class! Stop calling me! Goodbye!\u201d she hung up even before he would say a word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bobby dialed Mia again, but she canceled the call. He tried a few more times and gave up when she didn\u2019t answer at all. Finally, Bobby put the things back into her room. He knew she\u2019d be mad if she found out he had gone through her things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a while, Bobby took out his phone and began searching for vegan caf\u00e9s in their town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCaf\u00e9 Bean\u2026that\u2019s the only vegan diner? Were they planning to meet here today?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bobby made up his mind. He disguised himself in a cap and hoodie and drove to the caf\u00e9. Upon arriving, Bobby scanned the eatery for any sign of Mia or her friend. To his relief, he spotted her alone by the window seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A smile appeared on Mia\u2019s lips every time her phone buzzed with a notification. Bobby felt a pang of jealousy. He missed those days when Mia would be laughing and joking around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was as if she\u2019d become an entirely different person since the day they\u2019d returned from a routine checkup three months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bobby and his family were at the doctor\u2019s office that day, awaiting their reports, when he was called to the reception to fill out a form. As he stepped out of the doctor\u2019s office, in walked a new doctor with some papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMrs. Davis, can we talk in private?\u201d she asked. But Mrs. Davis insisted Mia stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoes your daughter have any hereditary diseases?\u201d she asked. \u201cHave you three taken a blood test together before? Especially Mia and Mr. Davis?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Davis\u2019s heart skipped a beat. \u201cN\u2014No, doctor,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI see,\u201d the doctor\u2019s brows arched. \u201cWell, I see your daughter\u2019s blood group doesn\u2019t match your husband\u2019s. Are you aware of this? Is Mr. Davis, not Mia\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Davis felt a lump in her throat and looked at the doctor, unsure how to respond. Her face drained of blood as her eyes darted from the doctor to Mia, who was surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dWha\u2014What do you mean my blood group doesn\u2019t match my Dad\u2019s?\u201d Mia stammered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dWell, your father\u2019s blood type is such that\u2026he\u2019s unlikely to be your father,\u201d revealed the doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mia\u2019s eyes bulged in shock as she turned to her mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll talk about this later,\u201d Mrs. Davis hushed Mia, pleading for silence. As Bobby returned, he noticed the worry etched on his wife\u2019s face, but Mrs. Davis assured him everything was alright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat was all that about, Mom? Is Dad\u2026not my birth father? How is it that my blood type doesn\u2019t match Dad\u2019s?\u201d Mia grabbed Mrs. Davis\u2019s arm as Bobby headed to their car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cI\u2019ll explain everything once we\u2019re home, but don\u2019t ask anything in front of your father. It\u2019s better if we discuss it privately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mia waited until they arrived home. Then she called Mrs. Davis to her room. \u201cNow tell me,\u201d she said as her mother entered her room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Davis\u2019s eyes welled up as she sat beside Mia. \u201cThe doctor was right, honey,\u201d Mrs. Davis revealed. \u201cBobby isn\u2019t your real father. When he was on a business trip to Cape Town, I met someone on a cruise in Virginia. It was a small fling\u2026 and I found out I was pregnant. I knew Bobby would love you like his own, and I didn\u2019t want to hurt either of you by telling the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mia\u2019s jaw dropped as she listened to her mother\u2019s confession. \u201dWho\u2019s my real father?\u201d she asked in tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Mrs. Davis refused to reveal her affair partner\u2019s identity until Mia threatened to have a word with Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dOkay, fine! His name is Victor! But you have to promise me you won\u2019t tell anyone, especially not Bobby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dWhere is he from? Mom, I want to know everything about him,\u201d Mia pressed her mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Davis shook her head as she turned to face Mia, her eyes filled with guilt. \u201cWe never met again after the cruise. And please don\u2019t ask me anything about him again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That night, Mia combed countless social media profiles, desperate to find her biological father. Her heart raced as she stumbled onto a profile, her eyes scanning the details repeatedly. It matched her mother\u2019s description of events\u2014the name, the age, the location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mia typed out a message with trembling fingers. \u201cHey, I\u2019m Mia, and I know this might freak you out, but I\u2019m your daughter. You met my Mom at Island Temptations on a cruise in Virginia around 15 years back. Can we talk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A reply came minutes later. \u201cWhat? Sorry. I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mia\u2019s heart started pounding as she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before typing out her response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy mom, Esther, told me you\u2019re my biological father. I know this might come as a shock to you. But I know something that only you and my Mom know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a long pause, and minutes later, another notification popped that made Mia\u2019s eyes water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dI don\u2019t know what to say! Yeah, I met Esther on a cruise. We never met or contacted each other again after the cruise. I\u2019m now happily married to my gay partner. We don\u2019t have any children & I\u2019m so surprised I have a daughter. Thank you for reaching out, Mia. Maybe we can meet. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mia and Victor spent the night exchanging messages, getting to know each other. With each passing day, she started spending more time with him on video chats and was thrilled when he told her he would be passing through her town soon and would love to meet her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A week before the planned meeting, Mia received a parcel. It was a gift box with an expensive watch, her favorite perfumes, a diamond bracelet, and a note with a picture of Victor. She couldn\u2019t wait to meet him in person that weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mia\u2019s phone buzzed loudly, snapping her to the moment. \u201cSend me the caf\u00e9\u2019s location, darling,\u201d read Victor\u2019s message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bobby, who was watching everything keenly from the corner table, clenched his teeth and fists as a man approached Mia\u2019s table and hugged her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dWHAT THE HELL\u2019S GOING ON HERE?\u201d The sound of Bobby\u2019s voice startled Mia and Victor, causing them to pull away from each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou better start explaining!\u201d Bobby demanded as he approached them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDad\u2026what are you doing here? Were you following me?\u201d Mia rose angrily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But before she could process what was happening, Bobby ignored her questions and threw a punch that landed on Victor\u2019s jaw, breaking a tooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Victor toppled over the table, wincing in pain, the sound of shattering glass and startled screams filling the caf\u00e9 as Bobby pounced on him and beat him up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSTOP!\u201d Mia shrieked, but Bobby was uncontrollable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dYou stay away from my daughter, you creep!\u201d\u2018 Bobby yelled, grabbing Victor by the collar. \u201cHow dare you flirt with my girl?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dDad, stop! Please, let him go,\u201d Mia pleaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Bobby had entered a place too dark with rage to listen, and there was no coming back. He planted another hard blow on Victor\u2019s nose, causing Victor to black out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other customers in the caf\u00e9 struggled to separate Bobby further away from a bleeding and unconscious Victor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOMG, what did you do\u2026Dad, wake up! Dad!\u201d Mia screamed. Bobby froze in disbelief, watching Mia cradling Victor\u2019s head on her lap and addressing Victor as \u2018Dad.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMia, what\u2019s going on? Did you just call him Dad?\u201d Bobby asked her as paramedics arrived, and Victor was taken to the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dSir, we need you to come with us,\u201d an officer approached Bobby with handcuffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A couple of hours later, the doctor entered Victor\u2019s ward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNothing to worry about. He\u2019s stable now,\u201d the doctor told Mrs. Davis and Mia as they rose from Victor\u2019s bedside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dHello, Victor,\u201d Bobby entered the ward, breaking the grave silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following his arrest, Bobby was taken to the hospital to check his bloodied hands for any injuries. When he learned Victor was also admitted there, he begged the Sheriff to let him into Victor\u2019s ward for a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dI\u2019m sorry about everything, Victor. I misunderstood that you and my daughter were actually\u2026you know. I love my daughter more than anything in the world. What I did\u2026 was to protect Mia. I wasn\u2019t thinking clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know you were capable of this, Bobby,\u201d Mrs. Davis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dWell, even I didn\u2019t know that you were capable of\u2026well, Esther, you\u2019ll never see me again,\u201d Bobby sadly lowered his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As he made his way out of the ward, he glanced back at Mia. \u201cNo matter what happens or who comes our way\u2026I\u2019ll still love you. I always will. My doors are always open for you,\u201d he said in agony as he walked away with the Sheriff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Davis and Mia\u2019s eyes were cloaked with sadness and regret as they realized they had caused irreparable damage to their family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bobby had always been a doting father to Mia and often checked on her, making sure she was doing well. But for the past three months, he had noticed Mia was acting odd. Her late-night phone calls, closed-door conversations, and the cigarette smell that lingered in her room convinced Bobby that his 14-year-old was up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"yoast_head":"\n