“Nathan,” Patricia from HR stood up, her voice shaking with anger. “This is completely inappropriate. You cannot—”
“Can’t what? Tell the truth? Everyone here knows Curtis isn’t real family. Check the company directory. She’s not even listed as a Richardson.”
That’s when I stood up, calm as my mother taught me to be in the face of cruelty.
“You’re right, Nathan. I’m not listed as a Richardson in the directory because I chose to use my mother’s maiden name professionally. Oalia, out of respect for her memory and her contributions to building this company.”
The room shifted. Several senior employees who remembered my mother nodded knowingly.
“But thank you for this moment,” I continued, holding up my phone. “Massachusetts is a one-party consent state. This recording will be very useful.”
Nathan’s smirk finally disappeared.
That evening, I returned to Boston Private Bank to thoroughly examine my mother’s safety deposit box. Beyond the letter I’d found earlier, there was a USB drive labeled Insurance and a folder marked Project Genesis 2019. The documents inside made my hands shake. Medical records, financial transfers, and a business card.
Dr. Sarah Coleman, Director, Geneche Laboratories.
My mother’s letter explained more.
Curtis, my love,
Families built on lies always crumble. The Richardson legacy isn’t what it seems. In 2019, I discovered something about Nathan that would destroy Ethan’s perfect narrative. I had the proof verified, but couldn’t use it. I was already too sick, too weak. But you, my darling, you’re stronger than I ever was.
Sarah Coleman has everything. She promised to wait for you. The truth about Project Genesis will set you free. But only if you’re brave enough to use it.
Remember, documents don’t lie, but people do, even the ones who claim to love you.
Project Genesis. The name felt heavier now.
I called the number on Dr. Coleman’s card. She answered on the first ring as if she’d been waiting.
“Curtis, I’ve been expecting your call for five years. Your mother said you’d find me when you were ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To learn the truth about Nathan Richardson’s paternity. Can you come to my office tomorrow? Bring the USB drive. And Curtis, your mother was right. You’re going to need all your strength for what comes next.”
I agreed to meet her at 9:00 a.m. As I hung up, I noticed my hands weren’t shaking anymore. Whatever Project Genesis revealed, I was ready. My mother had made sure of that.
Dr. Sarah Coleman’s office at Geneche Labs was exactly what you’d expect from Boston’s premier genetic testing facility: sterile, professional, and fortified with enough security to protect state secrets. What I didn’t expect was the warmth in her eyes when she saw me.
“You look just like Caitlyn,” she said, embracing me like an old aunt. “We were roommates at Harvard. She was the only person who stood up for me when I was the only Black woman in our biochemistry program.”
She led me to a secure conference room and pulled out a file marked Richardson. Chain of custody maintained.
“Your mother came to me in 2019 with suspicions about Nathan’s paternity. She’d noticed things. Nathan’s blood type didn’t match what Ethan’s should be. The timing of his birth. Michelle’s mysterious spa retreat nine months before Nathan was born.”
Sarah opened the file, revealing lab reports with official stamps and notarizations.
“December 23rd, 2019. Your mother brought me hair samples from the family Christmas party. Nathan’s hair from his jacket, Ethan’s from his study, and…”
She paused.
“Daniel Richardson’s hair from a preserved baseball cap Caitlyn had kept.”
Daniel. Ethan’s older brother, who died in a car accident in 2002.
“The results were conclusive. 99.97% probability that Nathan Richardson is the biological son of Daniel Richardson, not Ethan. Zero percent chance Ethan is the father.”
The room spun. Michelle had an affair with her brother-in-law.
“The DNA doesn’t lie. Every test was triple verified. Chain of custody documented. This would hold up in any court in America.”
“Why didn’t my mother use this?”
Sarah’s eyes softened.
“She was protecting you. She knew that if she revealed this while sick, Ethan would blame you, punish you. She wanted you strong enough to defend yourself first.”
Can you believe it? The golden child who was supposed to inherit everything wasn’t even Ethan’s son.
“But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Comment ‘justice’ if you want to see hypocrites get exposed for who they really are. And please hit that like button if you’ve been following from the beginning. The wedding confrontation that’s coming next? You won’t want to miss a single word of it.”
November 15th, 2024 arrived with perfect New England weather—crisp, clear, and golden. The Four Seasons Boston had transformed their grand ballroom into something from a fairy tale. $50,000 in white orchids cascaded from the ceiling. Crystal chandeliers cast rainbow patterns across tables set with Baccarat glasses and Christofle silver.
By 6 p.m., 500 of Boston’s elite had assembled. Mayor Walsh was chatting with Senator Morgan near the bar. Three Superior Court judges occupied a corner table. The Boston Globe society reporter was already taking notes. This wasn’t just my wedding. It was the social event of the season.
Ethan arrived in a $15,000 Tom Ford tuxedo, his Patek Philippe watch catching the light with every handshake. He worked the room like the master networker he was, accepting congratulations for raising such an accomplished daughter. The hypocrisy made my stomach turn, but I smiled and played my part.
Michelle floated through the crowd in a $30,000 Harry Winston diamond set that she’d made sure everyone knew was an anniversary gift from her devoted husband. She air-kissed her way through Boston’s social registry, each greeting a small performance of gracious wealth.
Nathan held court at the bar, regaling Harvard buddies with stories about his rapid rise at Richardson Holdings.
“Youngest VP in company history,” he boasted, conveniently forgetting to mention the nepotism.
I stood with Marcus, radiant in my Vera Wang gown, one I’d saved for three years to buy myself, refusing Ethan’s offer to pay. My clutch, a simple silver piece, felt heavy with its secret cargo: the DNA test results Dr. Coleman had given me, notarized and sealed.
“You look beautiful,” Marcus whispered, squeezing my hand. “Whatever happens, we face it together.”
Looking at the assembled crowd—power brokers, socialites, and journalists—I realized this was Ethan’s arena. His rules, his reputation. He had no idea he’d already lost.
At 8:47 p.m., just as dessert was being served, Ethan stood up and tapped his champagne glass. The room gradually quieted, 500 faces turning toward the father of the bride. Michelle smiled beside him, her hand possessively on his arm. Nathan raised his glass from table two, already smirking.
“Before we toast the happy couple,” Ethan began, his voice carrying across the ballroom, “I need to address something important about my daughter.”
The word daughter dripped with something dark. Marcus’s hand found mine under the table.
“You see, Curtis isn’t my biological daughter,” he continued, letting the words land like bombs in the silent room. “She’s adopted. Her mother, Caitlyn, brought her into our family when she was just a baby.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Silverware clattered against plates. Someone’s champagne flute hit the floor and shattered.
“And while I’ve provided for her all these years—the best schools, every opportunity—I think it’s time we’re honest about what family really means.”
Senator Morgan shifted uncomfortably. The Boston Globe reporter was typing furiously on her phone.
“Blood is blood,” Ethan declared, his voice rising. “And Curtis, she’s not a real Richardson, which is why, effective immediately, I’m terminating all financial support. The trust fund Caitlyn left? I’ll be contesting it as executor. The shares in Richardson Holdings? Not appropriate for a non-family member.”
Mayor Walsh’s mouth fell open. Judge Patterson at table six stood up, then sat back down. The Tanaka family from Tokyo looked horrified at this breach of decorum. Michelle was actually smiling. Nathan raised his glass higher, toasting his father’s cruelty.
“She’s not my real daughter anyway,” Ethan finished, setting down his glass with finality.
The ballroom was tomb silent, except for the sound of my 78-year-old grandmother, Elizabeth, crying softly at table one.
That’s when I stood up.
Ethan wasn’t finished. He picked up his glass again, apparently energized by the shocked silence of 500 witnesses.
“Let me be specific about what this means,” he continued, his CEO voice echoing off the ballroom walls. “The $2 million trust fund Caitlyn left? As executor, I’m invoking the just cause clause. Curtis won’t see a penny.”
Camera phones were out now, recording everything. The wedding videographer looked at me questioningly. I nodded for him to keep filming.
“The 15% stake in Richardson Holdings,” Ethan pulled out his phone, reading from what looked like legal notes. “My lawyers will prove Caitlyn wasn’t of sound mind when she changed her will. Cancer affects judgment. Any judge will see that.”
“This is outrageous,” someone whispered loudly. It was Mrs. Katz from the Boston Arts Foundation.
“As for Oalia Design,” Ethan’s eyes found mine across the room, cold and calculating, “without the Richardson backing, I doubt it’ll last another quarter. Banks talk in this town. Contracts dry up. You understand how Boston works.”
Michelle stood up beside him, diamonds glittering.
“We’re just being honest, finally. Everyone deserves to know who they’re really doing business with.”
Nathan was recording everything on his phone, grinning like he’d won the lottery.
“Truth hurts,” he called out loud enough for everyone to hear.
Marcus started to rise, his face flushed with anger, but I placed my hand on his arm.
Not yet.
Elizabeth Richardson had stopped crying. She was staring at her son with something between disgust and pity. Mr. Tanaka from our Tokyo partners was whispering urgently to his wife in Japanese. The society reporter from the Globe hadn’t stopped typing.
“So please,” Ethan raised his glass one more time, “join me in toasting the happy couple, with full transparency about who they really are.”
Nobody raised their glass. Nobody except Michelle and Nathan.
Perfect.
I stood slowly, smoothing my wedding gown with steady hands. The clutch with its precious cargo came with me as I walked to the microphone at the head table. My heels clicked against the marble floor, the only sound in a room holding its collective breath.
“Thank you, Ethan,” I said, my voice calm and clear through the sound system. “Thank you for that enlightening speech.”
I looked out at 500 faces—some sympathetic, some scandalized, all captivated. This was Ethan’s arena, but he had just handed me the microphone.
“Since we’re discussing DNA and bloodlines tonight,” I continued, opening my silver clutch with deliberate slowness, “I have something to share as well.”
Michelle’s smile faltered. She grabbed Ethan’s arm, whispering urgently. He brushed her off, still confident in his public destruction of me.
“You see, Ethan’s right about one thing. Documents matter. Legal papers. Medical records.”
I pulled out the white envelope, Genetech Labs logo visible even from a distance.
“DNA tests.”
The blood drained from Michelle’s face so fast I thought she might faint. Nathan stopped recording, his phone dropping to the table.
“This is from Genetech Laboratories, one of Boston’s most respected testing facilities,” I said, holding the envelope high. “Test date: October 3rd, 2024. Subject: Nathan Richardson.”
“This is ridiculous,” Nathan started to stand, but Judge Patterson from table six commanded:
“Sit down, young man. Let her speak.”
I locked eyes with Ethan. For the first time in my life, I saw fear there.
“Alleged father: Ethan Richardson,” I continued, my voice growing stronger. “Probability of paternity?”
The room held its breath. Michelle was shaking her head, mouthing, No.
“Zero percent.”
The silence was deafening. Then someone dropped a plate, the crash echoing like thunder.
“But don’t worry,” I said, letting a small smile cross my face. “We did find Nathan’s biological father. 99.97% probability match.”
I paused, savoring the moment my mother had orchestrated from beyond the grave.
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