“Shocking Diagnosis Forces Wealthy Father of Three to Confront Hidden Family Secrets”
Richard Sent An Email To Kate, Pressing Her To Confess
Being that the couple was no longer married, Richard wasn’t able to come home and confront Kate. He decided to send his ex-wife an email, explaining what he had learned at the doctor’s office that day, and demanding that she provide some answers.
He boldly wrote, “I went to the Liverpool Chest Hospital today… to finally receive my diagnosis that I have cystic fibrosis. In their experience, they have never had a male with CF who has fathered a child let alone three. It is 98% certain that I am not the father of any children.”
When He Didn’t Hear Back, He Sent Off Another Email
Being handed his diagnosis was tough enough. Now left wondering if his three kids were biologically his, Richard just wanted the truth. He felt that Kate owed him that. After she didn’t reply to the first email, Richard sent a second.
He wrote, “I was hoping that you could relieve me of further indignity by letting me know now if I am the father. I am happy to go along with your advice as to how best tell the boys. But, if you force me to go through these extra tests then I shall be telling them as I wish.”
She Denied It
Kate replied back to Richard’s second email. In her reply, she denied that she had an affair during their marriage, and that there was any chance that the boys were biologically anyone but his.
She wrote, “Of course the boys are yours, no matter what the science might suggest.” As Richard had stated, if she didn’t tell him the truth, he would go through with the test, and confront his sons about it. After reading Kate’s reply, he didn’t believe her. And so, he decided to go through with the tests.
Richard Called His Eldest Son
Richard decided that he would contact his oldest son, Will, about the matter. He was nearly certain that he was not the 23-year-old’s biological father. He needed a DNA test to be sure. He also needed to let his sons know about his cystic fibrosis diagnosis. And just like had been dealt to him, Richard was going to have both conversations on the same day.
Richard recalls of his conversation with Will, “I told him I’d just been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, which he took surprisingly calmly.”
Richard Tells Will His Suspicions
During the same conversation with his son Will, Richard recalls, “And I said, ‘Yes but one of the things that I’ve just been told is that it is extremely unlikely that someone with cystic fibrosis could father a child.'”
Then, during the hardest conversation that Richard has ever had to have, something unexpected happened. Richard said, “He said, ‘I’m already ahead of you, Dad. You’re saying you’re probably not my father?'”
Richard Told Him Everything
“It would have been the hardest sentence to utter, and he did it for me,” Richard said of his conversation with Will. He expressed that he would always be his ‘dad’ even if he wasn’t biologically related to Will.
No one ever dreams of having that conversation with a parent when you’re 23-years-old. It was a heavy topic. Richard says, “It was very emotional but I was also very angry.”
It Was Hurtful To Learn He Didn’t Have Any Biological Kids
For 23 years, Richard believed that he had children. He thought that he had passed down his genes to the next generation, and that his three sons carried his bloodline. Learning the truth was shocking.
Richard was also extremely hurt with this fact because his cystic fibrosis diagnosis meant that he might not have as much time left as he thought he did. Having to have both conversations at the same time was a lot to handle.
Will Confronted His Mom
After speaking with Richard, Will confronted his mom Kate about what he had learned. He asked her if she was sure that Richard was his father. Although she lied to Richard, she didn’t lie to Will. Kate confessed that she had been having an affair.
She admitted the affair started during the couple’s marriage, and that it was likely Will’s biological father was someone other than who he thought was his dad. Richard’s suspicions of Kate having an affair had been true after all.
The Affair Lasted For 20 Years
Finally, Kate had admitted that she had an affair. The affair started after they had gotten married– so who was it? She admitted that she had met him the same way that she had met Richard, working at a bank.
Just as Richard thought, the man Kate had been seeing was someone she worked with at Barclays bank. For more than two decades she kept her affair a secret from everyone.
