Illegitimate Child
1245 Words
Chapter Seven
Nathan froze when he opened his phone and saw the pictures. Number one trending. His son Alex, grinning like nothing was wrong, standing right next to Sarah’s kid. They looked so much alike, more like twins . He felt his stomach drop.
He looked over at Sarah. She was already staring at her own screen, face white, mouth half open like she wanted to speak but the words wouldn’t come.
He didn’t say anything to her. Just walked straight to where the cameras were still set up.
“Everybody, hold on,” he said, keeping his voice even. “This is obviously some kind of mix-up. I’ll deal with it and get the story straight. I appreciate you all giving me the space to handle it.” He nodded once, turned, and left the stage before anyone could ask follow-ups.
The room started clearing out. People packing cables, talking low. Sarah waited until it was almost empty before she came over. Her hands were shaking a little.
“Nathan… I’m sorry. Madam Cassy took them to the market for groceries. I should’ve told her to stay low-key, no pictures, nothing. This is my fault. I’ll fix it, I promise.”
He gave her a short nod. Didn’t trust himself to say more. She waited a beat, then walked away.
As soon as she was gone he pulled his phone back out and dialed his head of digital security.
“Listen to me,” he said the second the line picked up. “I don’t care what it takes. Money, favors, whatever. Twenty minutes. If those photos aren’t wiped from every site, every backup, every goddamn search result, you’re done. Tomorrow you’re looking for new work. Got it?” He hung up.
Emma was still in her car, pissed off that Nathan sent her out of the press room, cursing Sarah for humiliating her in front of those reporters, Then her phone buzzed. Trending alert. She tapped it.
She stopped breathing for a second. Nathan didn’t do this. He didn’t get caught with random women and kids. Never. Not even gossip. And now this boy who could pass for Alex’s twin was everywhere. Her fingers went numb. Heart slamming against her ribs. Who the hell owns this kid?
Sarah drove home barely paying attention to the road. Windows down, wind loud in her ears. She kept thinking about Adin. He was only five but he saw things other kids missed. If someone had been following them at the market, he’d have known.
He’d have said something. So no one followed them. Which meant he let the photo get taken. Maybe even made sure it happened. Why Nathan Reed? What was he thinking?
She pulled up to the house. Madam Cassy was already outside, standing on the porch looking sick with guilt.
“Sarah, I didn’t mean for…”
“I know,” Sarah said, cutting her off. “It’s not you.
It’s Adin. He knew what was going on. If he wanted those pictures gone before they blew up, they’d be gone.” She didn’t wait for more apologies. Just went inside and straight up the stairs.
“Adin,” she called out.
He came out of his room, tablet in hand, looking way too calm. Like he’d been expecting her.
“Why?” she asked. No yelling. Just tired. “Do you even get what you started? You picked the Reeds. You know what that means?”
Alex, the little boy who’d been staying with them, poked his head out from the playroom.
“Mommy don’t get mad at him. I begged Grandma Cassy to let me go too. And if Adin and Aria don’t have a dad… I will give them mine. He said with a watery eye”
Sarah felt her throat tight. She looked back and forth between them. Adin was already tapping on his screen.
“I’m sorry Mom,” he said quietly. “I didn’t want you to be upset. I will delete it now.” His fingers moved quickly. But she knew that look. That wasn’t a real sorry. That was him covering his tracks.
She’d caught him reading old articles about her a few weeks back. Quietly. Asking questions without asking. He didn’t like Emma. Didn’t like how she acted around his mom. So he’d decided to shake things up. Make her uncomfortable.
She watched him work. Not just deleting tweets or posts. He made everything vanish.
“Gone,” he said, looking up at last. “All of it. They won’t get it back.”
She leaned against the wall, arms crossed tight. “Why didn’t you stop it before it started? Why let Madam Cassy take you out at all?”
He didn’t answer. Just looked down at his feet.
Her mind went back to that night five years ago.
Things She had tried to bury, She woke up alone the next morning, head splitting, stomach turning with regret. She never tried to find out who he was. Never wanted to. She had twins, a job, and a life. That was enough. But now Adin standing next to Alex… same jawline, same way their hair fell, same little freckle pattern across the nose. It wasn’t just similar. It was identical.
The internet had seen it too. That’s why the photo went crazy. People are thinking Nathan had a secret family.
Someone knocked on the front door.
She dragged herself downstairs, opened it.
Nathan. Still in his suit, face hard.
“Here for Alex,” he said, stepping in. Didn’t ask.
“And yeah, the pictures are vanishing. My guys can’t keep up. Someone’s cleaning faster than any crew I’ve hired. That you?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know the first thing about that stuff, Nathan. I was just upstairs talking to Adin.”
He stepped closer. The room felt smaller. “Then who did it? And why was your kid at the market with mine today?”
“Madam Cassy went for groceries,” she said.
“And she took them along. I didn't think it was a big deal, two little boys together, looking alike.
People notice stuff like that. It happens.” She looked him straight in the eye. “You left your son here for three days, So don’t act like this is all on me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Where is he?”
Alex came down the stairs slowly, socks sliding. Stopped halfway. “Dad… can we stay longer? Please?”
“No,” Nathan said. Sharp. “We’re going. You caused enough trouble for one day.”
Alex took his dad’s hand, glanced back at Sarah once. They left. The door clicked shut behind them.
Sarah stood there a minute, then went upstairs.
Took a long hot shower. Didn’t even towel off properly, just fell onto the bed in her robe, staring at the ceiling, listening to the house get quiet.
Across town Emma was at her mom’s place, sitting on the couch with a glass of wine she hadn’t touched.
“How does a random kid look exactly like Alex?” Linda asked, careful.
“Mom, stop. It’s probably nothing. Classmate or whatever.” But the words felt wrong coming out.
Because how? How does someone unrelated have the exact same eyes, same smile, same everything?
Her heart started pounding again. This isn't a coincidence…but who could have done this.
Could that child be…
- Writer
