Nothing in life is ever certain, and unfortunately, that also applies when it comes to paternity. Whether the phrase “You are not the father” brings sadness or joy, it’s never a situation anyone wants to be in. These Redditors share their first-hand accounts of when they or someone they know had to face the disheartening question of whether or not the baby was theirs.
1. A Rollercoaster of Emotion
I used to be in a long-distance romance with a college girl. After missing her period for two months, she took a pregnancy test and it came out positive. She let me know, and I tried hard not to freak out. She was going to keep it, but she was okay with putting the baby up for adoption after its birth. One week later, I received a heartbreaking text from her.
Her message basically read, "I'm breaking up with you, the baby isn't yours because my ex and I didn't use any sort of protection. The doctor's confirmed that the conception date doesn't match up with when we were together. I'm not sure why you didn't figure this out sooner, but I'm truly sorry for everything". It's an odd combination of feelings to feel both thrilled and crushed at the same time.
2. Puzzled
My spouse and I recently visited our friends who'd just become parents (we're the chosen godparents), and found ourselves in the corridor chatting with both pairs of grandparents. It turns out, the hospital's policy only permits five visitors in the hallway at a time. Despite that, the security guard, for whatever reason, allowed all six of us to enter without us noticing.
An unfriendly nurse then approaches our group, counts six of us, and instantly announces that one person will have to exit promptly. Looking at my husband, she asks, "Oh, are you the father?" She was NOT prepared for his response: "That's exactly what we're all trying to figure out here!" The horrified look on her face? Priceless.
3. So Many Reasons Why Not
About three decades back, I was in a tough spot and found myself dating a woman who was 12 years older than me. Nearly nine months into our relationship, I took off for a short weekend trip out of state. On my return, I got the biggest shock of my life - she had a baby. I was gobsmacked because she didn't look pregnant, and no one else we knew had any idea either.
She herself claimed that she didn't know she was pregnant. For context, I'm black and she was white, as was the baby. While it is true that I have white relatives, I found it hard to accept that the child was mine. The timing seemed off, as we weren't intimate during the initial month, and the baby bore no resemblance to me.
Nevertheless, my mom managed to convince me that the child was mine. She cited the mother's insistence and our diverse ethnic roots. Part of me wanted to believe it because the alternative was acknowledging another man as the father. But logically, it felt implausible. Regardless, we moved in together and eventually tied the knot, but our marriage didn't last long.
Finally, I resolved to unearth the truth, despite suspecting it already. I got some money together and opted for a DNA test. As I thought, the results showed a 99% exclusion probability. The mother dismissed the DNA report and accused me of shirking paternal responsibilities. I countered by openly expressing my desire to be a father but clarified that I was set on discontinuing child support payments.
4. Those In Glass Houses
One of my favorite cousins recently took a 23andMe test with her dad and found out they share no biological ties. This is particularly shocking given that my aunt, her mom, is one of the most passionately stern and judgmental individuals I've met. She even shouts at the little cousins when they don't behave perfectly.
She went as far as tossing a pocket bible at a lady in a supermarket. Not to mention, she has a habit of sending me unasked-for lengthy letters, preaching about "God's plan" for my life. Interestingly, her husband is the most easy-going and fun-loving individual you could ever meet. He didn't deserve this situation, nor her.
5. Out Of His Depth
When I was twelve, my parents decided to split. They had a casual conversation to see if they could possibly sort things out before taking it to court. For some reason, I was there for it. Although I felt grown-up and cool at the time, I now see that it wasn't in my best interest for them to include me.
The discussion was about child support, and it quickly got heated. That's when my mom finally blurted out her secret: "I just want you gone. I don't need anything from you. She's not even yours". This led to an immediate DNA test which confirmed I was indeed not my father's daughter. He then left and suddenly I found myself fatherless. Not that he had been a stellar dad in the first place.
6. Why Did She Keep The Evidence?
My buddy and his lady friend had this on-again-off-again thing going on and, surprise, she ended up pregnant! She insisted the baby was his, but he wanted DNA proof, meaning they’d have to wait until the baby was born. So, he decided to move in with her and her mother during the wait. After the baby was born, they ran the test but it took some time to get the results.
He and his folks were ecstatic about the little one, and they sort of forgot about the DNA test. One day, he casually mentioned the test to his girlfriend's mom. "Oh, did she not tell you? Test results came back awhile ago, totally your baby!" Great, everything's perfect now!
However, a few months later while they were moving out, he discovered the truth. They were lying to him—the test actually revealed the baby wasn't his.
7. Moving Quickly
I'd been chatting with a girl on a dating site and eventually connected with her on social media. We flirted a bit, but never took things beyond that. We both share East Indian descent, and while she earns a decent living as a nurse, she continues to live with her parents, secretly dating now and then.
After a few months of sparse conversations, she messaged me with an invitation to hang out. She picked me up and we ended up in a park's parking lot that was 20 minutes from my apartment. She was extra flirtatious. Following lots of hugs, nice words, big grins, and a few pecks, she suggested we find a hidden spot in the park.
Being a self-sufficient adult with my own place, I proposed that we could just head back to my apartment. She agreed but insisted on taking me to her desired spot in the park before leaving. It was nearing midnight, and she took my hand and led me to a hidden bench. Her affection was escalating, so much so that I actually picked her up and suggested we immediately head back to my place.
As I placed her near her car, her joyful demeanour suddenly shifted to sadness. She apologized and acknowledged me as one of the nicest guys she knows. And then she unveiled her twisted plan. She was intending to entrap me. She had seen photos of me with babies and my younger cousins on Facebook, and thought I would take responsibility for "my" child. She had missed her period and was pregnant.
Her plan was to sleep with me, and then convince me that I was the father. She admitted that her parents would disown her if they knew about her pregnancy. I kept silent, gently sat her in the passenger seat of her car, and left to drive myself home.
8. A Long History Of Infidelity
Before my friend tied the knot with his wife, he actually confessed to my husband that he discovered she had been unfaithful. Yet, despite all his complaints and heart-to-heart talks, he still chose to marry her. A year later, she was expecting, and honestly, both my husband and I had our doubts about whether our friend was the dad. They seemed thrilled, though, so we decided to share in their happiness.
Their little girl arrived, and since she had a decent resemblance to both of them, no one really raised any eyebrows. Our friend doted on this baby girl with all his heart. Then, when she was about 18 months old, he discovered another infidelity. This prompted him to question whether he was truly the father of their daughter. He decided to go for a paternity test, and it turned out - he wasn't the biological father.
9. A Quiet Realization
I once held a job at a hospital's newborn nursery. This is where babies were brought straight from birth, we'd cleaned them, taken their footprints, checked their vitals, and so on. Generally, it was the dads who brought the newborns. I remember a dad walked in with his baby, he was white, the mom was white and the baby was clearly not.
The dad stood beside the baby in silence as we were cleaning the baby up, and then he quietly murmured, "I don't think this is my baby". The look on his face broke my heart. We suggested that he shouldn't sign the birth certificate until he was certain. After we returned the baby to the mom, we didn't hear anything further. Thinking about it, I felt terrible for the dad.
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10. Visual Evidence
My ex-wife and I were married for six years when we agreed it was time for a second child. As a sales VP of a renowned restaurant chain, I had a demanding travel schedule. Despite this, after several months of trying during my home stints, we were successful, and she became pregnant. Life seemed good, and our male nanny was performing splendidly.
However, when the baby came out, it was immediately clear I was not the father. Given that my wife and I are both white, and the baby had a much darker skin tone, the shock was palpable. I left the delivery room and the hospital, drove aimlessly till dusk, and found myself checking into a roadside hotel. As it turned out, our nanny was the one who had impregnated my wife during my business tours. But it was even worse than I realized.
It came to light that their affair had been ongoing for years. Shortly after, we sold our home, divorced, and now share custody of our daughter. My ex-wife has since married the nanny, and they've recently purchased a home a few towns away.
11. Nearly Impossible
I was in an on-again, off-again relationship with a lady. After a car accident that prevented me from driving, we didn't see each other much. Out of the blue, she revealed she was pregnant, after we hadn't talked or met for a good while. I assured her I would make arrangements to be present for the birth. But then she slipped up and her ruse fell apart.
When she gave me the baby's due date, I quickly figured out that the conception date was after my accident. She tried her best to convince me, so I proposed we get a DNA test, a suggestion she turned down. Eventually, she confessed to being with another man. I wasn't even that upset. I imagine it's easier for her to claim that I am the father rather than the other man.
12. The Timing Seems Off
My wife and I had been together for five years when I chose to return to school. We spent a fair amount of time discussing this as I had to move to a different state for an intensive program. My wife stayed put for her work, and we caught up whenever possible. All seemed well, until my first semester drew to a close. That's when something started to feel...wrong.
As finals and term papers piled up, my visits to my wife became less frequent. And even when I did spend time with her, I was too exhausted and stressed for any romance. We didn't get intimate for almost three months. Once winter break arrived, I came home, and we spent some quality romantic time together.
Soon after I got home, my wife surprised me with the news that she was expecting. I thought she might have known for a while and was awaiting a less stressful time to let me know in person. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. I planned to wrap up my next semester and then take a break for a year to welcome our little one. I devoted my summer to preparing our house with great anticipation.
However, with the pregnancy reaching its eleventh month, I finally had to admit the truth. That kid is not mine.
13. A Cool Exit
My close friend was dating a girl when they surprisingly found out they were expecting a baby. They love each other and became engaged, deciding to tie the knot shortly once their baby was born. In the hospital during the big day, a group of about 10 of us, a mix of her family and friends and ours, sat in the waiting room, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the baby.
After waiting approximately two hours, my friend emerged from labor and delivery with a triumphant look that we couldn't really figure out. We all thought something horrible had happened. Finally, one of her friends asked about the condition of the baby. He calmly replied, "The baby's great, but Black". He gestured towards the exit, and we quickly found ourselves following him out.
In the quiet of the parking garage, he quietly advised us to head to his apartment. Shortly after, a text from him arrived, requesting if he could stay at my place for the time being. In no time at all, we had relocated him from his apartment to the spare room at my house.
Her parents were left in a whirl of emotions. The bewilderment clear on their faces when they were informed their grandchild was Black was a sight I won't forget.
14. The Weirdest Revenge
My high school boyfriend's family were quite unconventional, to put it mildly. His sister, who was 19, got married at 17 and immediately began trying to have children. By the time she was 18, she had her first baby in August and by the end of September, she was expecting again. I left for college roughly around the same time she was welcoming her second child the following summer.
Merely eight weeks post-delivery, she was pregnant again. This is a good time to highlight that her husband's genes were quite dominant. All four of his kids from her and his previous relationship were near-clones of each other. When she had her third child, I returned from college during the vacation and went to see her. She excitedly introduced the new baby to me, swaddled in a blanket and placed in my arms.
“Look! Look at him!” she said excitedly. I was confused at first, then I suddenly realized what she meant: “Doesn't resemble him a bit, right?” she continued, to which I could only nod with a blank stare. She then clarified that she was fed up with her husband pressuring her to continually have children and to make her point, she cheated and had a child who didn't resemble him. Now he's got a constant reminder that he'll live with his whole life.
15. You Are Not The…Mother?
One time, I was doing a blood type test for a newborn baby. The mother was O+ and the baby was AB+, which basically isn't possible. I instantly freaked out, terrified that somehow the babies had been swapped. I was worried someone had the wrong baby, we might be sued, the whole nursery would need DNA testing, and I might end up in court since I was the one who identified the issue.
I double-checked the test three times, then got in touch with a nurse. I explained that either we got the baby's blood sample mixed up, or there was a mix-up with the babies because the mom couldn't possibly be the baby's biological mother based on their blood types. Then I learned that the baby was born from a donated egg. Upon retesting, everything turned out to be in order. Everyone was exactly where they should be. Whew.
16. Questionable Motives
For a while, I dated a girl, but ended things when my ex showed up again, thinking we'd reunite. Spoiler alert, that didn't happen. Just for context, I was a successful single dad to a fantastic 14-year-old and ran my own successful business.
Fast forward a few years, I get a call out of the blue from this previous girlfriend. She suggested meeting at a coffee shop in town. She was acting very strange, but wouldn't tell me why. Once we met, she revealed pictures of a little boy, about 4 or 5 years old, announcing that I was the father.
Things escalated and we ended up next door at the local bar. Despite being engaged, she seemed intent on rekindling our old flame. However, I was not in the mood. The sudden news of potentially being a father again completely occupied my mind. I finally decided to drop her off at her mother's place when it became clear she'd had too much to drink. As she left my truck, she noticed she had lost her engagement ring, which she had taken off earlier in the night. I'm panicking at this point. We separated with the agreement to take a DNA test.
Over the next few weeks, I met her son and we tried acting like a small family. Then came time for the DNA test. The result was conclusive - 99.9% I was not the father. She insisted on another test, even offering to pay. Unsurprisingly, the second test echoed the first.
17. Not Clued In
There was a colleague of mine whose wife was expecting a baby. We had this huge celebration at work, showering them with presents, funds, and so on. When the time came for her to give birth, they hurried to the hospital. But on the way, she dropped a bomb – the baby wasn't his and asked him to just drop her at the hospital and leave.
Following that, he took a few days off, found a new place, moved out, and filed for divorce. He rang up work and spilled the beans, and word quickly got out. The congratulatory cards were discarded and everyone was really careful about his ordeal. However, for some reason, the news didn't reach me.
So, on his first day back at work, I strolled into our shared office area and cheerfully asked, “Hey, how's the new dad doing? Getting any sleep? Got any photos? Let's have a look at the little one!” He looked at me with a painful expression and the room fell dead silent. One of our colleagues stood up, took me by the arm, and quietly ushered me out of the room.
18. Sorry, Wrong Chat
One of my previous bosses hailed from West Africa, but had moved to Canada for education and employment. He had a wife back in his home country. He would travel between the countries twice a year. Then his wife fell pregnant and had a little boy. During one of our shared shifts, he looks at his phone and steps away. Hours go by, and he doesn't return.
Finally, he comes back to his desk and sits quietly. As the morning crew arrives, he heads out, bidding me farewell and having a chat with the head boss before going. He tendered his resignation that week. However, a few months later he reappeared in the company. No one knew why he had quit. There were whispers about a pressing family matter.
One evening when we were enjoying a few drinks, he finally revealed what had happened. His wife used to send him photos of their son through text and email. One day she mistakenly sent him images that were meant for her lover. The images were taken during their..."intimate" moments. That's how he discovered the child wasn't his.
19. Could Never Be A Father
Nearly three years into my marriage, I discovered my wife was unfaithful with her child's father. This was in late December 2016. As the new year rolled in, we chose to try and mend our marriage and move past it. What made it more difficult was that the man she slept with was engaged to a close friend of mine.
By the end of January 2017, she still hadn't ended the affair. The night I discovered this, I left her and moved out of our home for good. Later that week, I initiated the divorce process. Our first divorce hearing was in early March. The judge inquired if we had any children during the marriage, to which we both replied "no".
The judge also asked if a child was conceived during the marriage. I said no, but she took that moment to reveal her secret: She was actually pregant. The judge then stated he could not finalize the divorce until paternity was determined. Gosh, I can remember so clearly how sick I felt in that moment.
Throughout her pregnancy, she kept telling me how much she missed me. Thank GOD it wasn't mine.
20. Do What You Gotta Do
My granddad was a tall, slim man with a long face. He was unmistakably British, with somewhat dark skin, and extremely unique features. Granny, on the other hand, was unmistakably Irish. About as pale as you can get and completely covered in freckles, sporting a playful, petite nose and standing all of 5'3".
Surprisingly, none of granddad's unusual features appeared in their kids. There was a good reason behind this. Bossing the surprise factor, the kids were not biologically his, and he was fine with it. Not just fine, he was super thrilled about it. You see, granddad was once in a horrifying accident which, while he survived, left him unable to have children.
A couple of years later, he ran into this lady. She was unmarried and had a 2-year-old daughter from a spontaneous encounter with an Irish guy. Granddad married this woman and embraced my aunt as his own, showering her with love. A few years in, they decided to expand the family. But in vitro fertilization wasn't quite a thing back then.
Then, in comes a friendly neighbor agreeing to help. And voila, grandma has another baby girl. Everybody agreed it was a great arrangement - practical and happy. Granddad was an incredible father, and his daughters adored him.
21. Still Related
Before my husband and I were together, he was in a decade-long relationship and they had a little girl together. His girlfriend suffered from postpartum depression, so he took on most of the childcare responsibilities. The couple split when the child was about four years old. They had an understanding that he would pay for the child's daycare and any other needs, avoiding formal child support payments. The arrangement seemed to work well.
However, when the girl was six, one day he went to pick her up from daycare and his ex lost her temper. She insisted that he had no right to take their daughter and threatened to report a kidnapping to the police unless he returned her. Angered and not thinking clearly, he complied, then told the daycare to void his check as he planned to cancel it.
Although it obviously wasn't the right thing to do, his anger got the best of him. This situation escalated to them ending up in court. The court offered a DNA test, which he agreed to, wanting everything to be handled properly. The test results revealed he was not the biological father of the girl. And yet somehow, that wasn't even the worst part. Remember how much she looked like him? It turned out, she was his brother's child.
22. Moving Up And Moving On
I knew a guy in college. His girlfriend was soon to be his wife, and she was expecting. They made a great pair. Both were close to graduation with promising future prospects. It all seemed like a fairy tale. When the time came in the delivery room, to their surprise, they welcomed a very dark-skinned baby. This was surprising because my friend was extremely pale with red hair, and his girlfriend was a blonde Texan.
After making sure his girlfriend and the baby were okay and her parents had arrived, he peacefully exited without uttering a word. He moved his belongings from their shared place while she was still in the hospital and stopped all forms of contact. He walked out of their life in the single most heartless act I've ever seen. They had been together for nine years, and he was gone just like that.
She attempted to reach out to him at work a few times, but he soon rose in the corporate ladder and eventually relocated jobs to another city. He once mentioned to me that he found some comfort knowing her family already spent about $10,000 on a wedding that was never to be.
23. It All Adds Up
I was in a nine-year marriage when my wife began hanging out with her friends more frequently, often leaving me to tend to our children. She then leaves for a trip that's several states away and doesn't return until three months later. Despite my previously having a vasectomy, she still managed to become pregnant. This led to her spreading a series of false claims about me.
I stayed with her for several months, attempting to file for a divorce all the while she tirelessly tried to convince me that the child she conceived during her hiatus was mine, which was impossible given my medical condition. Eventually, I chose to move out while she was out with her friends. Oddly, I didn't hear from her for some time.
Later on, I discovered she's in a relationship and has given birth to the baby she maintains is mine. I was skeptical because the baby bore no resemblance to me. I even shelled out money for both me and her new partner to take a paternity test. And the cherry on top? Neither of us was the father.
24. In The Know
My sister had a baby during high school and it was around the same time when she was five months pregnant, that she met the man who's now her husband. My sister's skin complexion is white while her boyfriend is black. The baby's biological father, who is white, was not around. One day, I was hanging out with our whole family, my future brother-in-law included, visiting the newborn. At that time, my sister was in the process of recovering from her C-section.
In a tender moment, my brother-in-law picks up my niece and gives her a loving cuddle. The nurse, perhaps wrongly connecting the dots, nods at him and says, "She should get a little darker in a couple of days". The misunderstanding had all of us chuckling. We were privy to the fact that he wasn't the biological father but clearly, the nurse was in the dark. I often wonder if she presumed some sort of infidelity was involved. Now, they have two more daughters together and he has legally adopted my niece.
25. A Stressful Situation
My sister, who has a family with three kids and a husband, was in El Salvador for her geology studies when she picked up a nasty parasite. It infected her intestines and resulted in multiple surgeries that kept her in the hospital for a stretch of time.
She ended up befriending another patient in a nearby room, and long story short, she left the hospital pregnant. Her husband was none the wiser since they hadn't caught up in a while and were overjoyed to reunite.
However, when the baby came into the world, they had fiery red hair—completely unexpected since both my sister and her husband have jet black hair. This stirred up a whirlwind of issues and led my sister into a spiral of guilt and depression that lasted for years.
As time passed, wounds began to mend. Her husband turned out to be quite understanding, handling the situation better than any of us could have guessed. He's even stepped up to look after the child along with their other kids during his visits.
26. A Rare Event
My aunt works as a nurse in the maternity ward. Once, she attended to a couple who were both Black. Their baby was born completely white, with no visible pigmentation. When they placed the baby on the mother, she immediately started protest, convinced that it wasn't her child.
Understandably, she was utterly distraught and in disbelief, while the father looked just as puzzled. Even he began to think that if infidelity was involved, it's still almost impossible for the baby to be THAT white. Amidst all this, the doctors and nurses tried their best to reassure both parents that it's indeed their baby, explaining that a baby's skin usually darkens a bit after birth.
As it turned out, the father had relatives who were albinos. Upon further evidence, it was found that their newborn had inherited the same condition.
27. Life Can Be Complicated
A few years back, I left a harmful relationship. I had moved my belongings out of his apartment, but was persuaded to meet one last time. He acted all sympathetic and somehow I ended up spending the night with him. It felt like a goodbye. Later that week, I settled into a new home with the help of a good, old friend.
During a spontaneous moment, I ended up sleeping with this old friend who had been my pillar of support during a tough time. A few weeks later, I discovered I was pregnant, which came with a lot of illness, stress, and anxiety. It felt like I had hit rock bottom. Not yet...
I decided to be honest and explained the situation to both of them. My good friend, while initially supportive, grew overly-attached, almost stalker-like, breaking down and needing comfort, but failing to provide compassion in return. I had to maintain a distance. My ex-boyfriend, surprisingly, stepped up and offered the support I needed at the time.
Although he asked for a paternity test, promising to stay only if the child was his. He moved me back into his house in spite of the uncertainty around the baby's paternity. He took care of me like he never had. He arranged for an advanced DNA test that would compare the baby’s DNA with his, extracted from my blood.
The test set him back around two grand and the results took longer than expected. The day after my birthday, we discovered that he wasn’t the father. I was back under his control, at risk of being left homeless and penniless if I upset him. He abruptly stopped his charade, behaving worse than before.
This all led me to a breaking point. I decided it was best to leave and raise my daughter on my own. The real father is unaware of the test results. I believe knowing this would shatter him mentally, as he’s more fragile than I realized. Even though we've drifted apart, he holds a place in my heart.
28. His Real Dad
My fiancé’s father is likely not his biological dad. His mom wasn't the most pleasant person and openly had affairs. Despite this, his dad adored him from the moment he was born. When the mother finally decided she didn't want the responsibility of being a parent, she handed her son over to his dad and left.
My fiancé’s dad later remarried and he and his partner attempted to have children. They soon discovered he could never biologically father children. When my fiancé was 13, the dad shared this with him and offered to do a test if he wanted, leaving the decision up to him. Touched by this, my fiancé shed tears and told his dad that he simply wanted him to remain as his father. And that was that.
29. A Lot Of Love To Give
Back when I was still in high school, my girlfriend threw a curveball at me - she said she was expecting, even though we hadn't been close in quite some time. We had a two-year-old girl together already, but our relationship had been shaky, largely because she wasn't the nicest. Fast forward about nine months, she was ready to give birth.
We had called it quits by that time and had started living separately. I drove her to the hospital as she didn't have anyone else to do that. Later that day, she rang me up with a request to visit our supposed son at the hospital. When I visited after work, I was taken aback. The newborn boy had the unique facial resemblance of my best friend.
My so-called 'best friend' did not admit to anything, and naturally, our friendship deteriorated thereafter. I looked after the boy dutifully until the court-ordered DNA test was performed a year later. The results confirmed I wasn't the father. My former buddy disappeared and never offered any help. So, I stepped up and took care of his son, along with my daughter, considering him as my own.
30. First Time’s The Charm, Apparently
My husband's first romantic encounter was with a girl who claimed to be carrying his child just two weeks later. Yet, the doctor pushed her initial due date a month earlier after examining the fetus, indicating the actual conception date fell a month before. Despite this, she insisted she hadn't been with anyone else several months prior to him.
In his naivety and the throes of love, he chose to believe her. They even named the baby after him. Through a newborn's eyes, any resemblance was plausible, and admittedly, I too believed the child was his at first. When the kid turned 2.5 years old, we started dating. By then, the child's features were more defined, and no one could miss the stark absence of any likeness to my husband.
Rumor mills amongst the mom's friends began to spin. Some shared that she'd often wondered aloud if her son resembled any of the many men she'd been with during their relationship. Eventually, when the boy turned three, my husband decided to verify the growing suspicions. He bought a DNA test kit and uncovered the hard truth.
It was a crushing revelation, to say the least. Yet, he continued to provide for the child, though he stopped paying child support. Now, the kid is 10 years old, and we still see him every weekend.
31. A Moment Of Confusion
I was there in the delivery room when my best friend was giving birth to her first child, a boy. It was a bit of a challenging process, so the little guy emerged with a slightly swollen face and an oddly shaped head, sporting an abundant crown of black hair. Now, both she and her husband are of white descent, so when they passed her their new bundle of joy, she was completely beat and just managed to say, "Now, I love this cute little fellow and everything, but I think there's been an error. He looks Asian".
32. Family Is What You Make Of It
My stepdad, an incredibly good person and parent, once served in the Navy. After he had ended his relationship with his girlfriend and moved cross-country, news of her pregnancy led him to return and marry her. The child was born, but it was quite evident that he was not the biological father.
Despite this, he stuck around, married her, and raised my stepbrother as his own. Later, they had a second son who bore a remarkable resemblance to my stepdad. In contrast to the first child, the strong resemblance made it quite clear the first son wasn't really his. Despite numerous infidelity issues on her part, he stayed for a few more years before eventually leaving with my stepbrothers.
Subsequently, he married my mother and had another child, who, like the second son, unmistakably resembled him. The sad part was that my stepdad didn't want to reveal the truth to my eldest stepbrother. He discovered the truth by himself at the age of 19, causing him significant emotional turmoil. Eventually, he met his biological father. Now, we're all doing well and living happily together as a family.
33. Blissful Willful Ignorance
My uncle, who was often teased about his appearance, had always struggled with finding a romantic partner. There were times when this caused him to feel rather low. However, he never let it affect his determination to succeed; he now owns a prosperous landscaping business.
A year ago, he introduced a beautiful woman as his girlfriend at a family gathering. He spent the whole evening gushing about how much they were in love. Although she seemed to lack the same enthusiasm, we assumed she was just shy given the size of our clan. Quite quickly, they moved in together and she developed a knack for handling his finances.
We suspected she might be more interested in his wealth than him, but he refused to entertain the idea. Things took a twist about two months into their relationship when she announced she was expecting. This brought tremendous joy to my uncle as he'd always dreamed of fatherhood.
However, six months into her pregnancy, an unexpected revelation came from his sister. She claimed to have seen his girlfriend at a hotel with an unidentified man, but my uncle dismissed it, maintaining that it must've been a mistaken identity.
When the baby was born a month ago, there were some strikingly unusual physical attributes for a child of two light-skinned, blue-eyed parents. Yet, my uncle brushed our concerns aside, reproaching us for being hostile towards his girlfriend. He declared that if we couldn't accept her, then we were no longer welcome in his life. Despite pleas from the family, he staunchly rejects the idea of a DNA test, feeling hurt and insulted by the suggestion.
34. Door To Door Baby Salesman
When I was working in the maternity ward, a new dad fainted during his child's birth. When he woke up, the nurse handed him a baby girl whose skin tone was significantly darker than his or his wife's. But it was clear, given certain circumstances, that he was indeed the father. So, bewildered, he started wandering around the ward, trying to make sense of who this baby might be.
He even began peeking into random rooms, asking if anyone had lost a baby. He was quite confused until he met the grandmother. This grandma proudly affirmed that the baby girl bore a striking resemblance to her late husband. That was when everybody realized that no one had ever told him his grandpa was black.
35. Get Your Facts Straight
About a decade back, I found myself in a bit of an irresponsible stage of life, not really tied down to anyone and enjoying casual relationships. These were mainly casual encounters with women who weren't exactly ideal for serious commitments. One woman in particular, a former co-worker turned friend with benefits, stood out due to our circumstances of both being single.
Out of the ordinary, she called me one day, asking if she could drop by. With nothing better to do, I invited her over to hang out. She arrived, sat down, and announced that she was expecting a baby, looking somewhat pleased about it. She did NOT see my reaction coming. I told her that's great news, but she might have overlooked the fact I had a vasectomy five years prior. This led to a barrage of strong words, and the atmosphere became extremely uncomfortable.
Don't get me wrong. I wasn't upset about her being with others. We weren't exactly in a committed, exclusive setup. However, I was taken aback that someone I saw as a good friend would try to pin this on me.
36. Statistically Improbable
I tied the knot with my high school love right after graduation, and we decided to wait until our wedding night to make love for the first time. Where things took a sharp turn was when she discovered she liked the act, just not with me. Following that revelation, she started seeing any man who gave her any slight attention, and her interest in me dwindled to a mere handful of times all year.
When she fell pregnant, she left me and moved in with my best buddy, uncertain of whether the baby was mine, his, or even someone else’s. She gave birth to a boy that could possibly pass for either mine or my friend’s. I yearned to be a father, so I made sure in our divorce agreement that only I could request a paternity test for the boy - a test I'm not planning on carrying out.
She eventually remarried - to my friend of all people - and had another child who strongly resembles our son.
37. Bold Moves
In high school, my sister got pregnant with her boyfriend's best buddy's child. Just a week before she gave birth, the supposed father found out that the baby may not be his. When I visited her after the baby was born, it was evident that the kid looked just like the friend. When I told her boyfriend the news, he was completely heartbroken.
His parents were also deeply upset. They had provided everything the girl needed, including a pricey car seat and stroller set. Despite all this, she didn't return anything, insisting that all were for the baby, no matter who the father was. After giving birth, she immediately got into a relationship with the friend and they are still together ten years later.
What really strikes me though is that the boyfriend and the friend were neighbors. After she was discharged from the hospital, she moved into the friend's house. This meant that her former boyfriend and his family saw her and her new family almost daily, raising the child they had assumed was his throughout the pregnancy. It's hard to even imagine what that must have been like.
38. To What End?
My brother was in his twenties when he began dating a woman around fifty. They didn't use protection because she said she was infertile after getting her tubes tied and was likely hitting menopause. But then, he slowly began to lose interest. Out of the blue, she tells him she's pregnant.
She suggested that somehow he must've reversed her tubal ligation. He became thrilled and started financially supporting her until our parents insinuated that they'd only assist if a DNA test was conducted. Suddenly, she moved out of state citing a family emergency. I advised my brother that something wasn’t right and while I wished to stand by him, he ought to be cautious.
Some time passed and then—five months later—he receives a photo of a full-term baby with her continuing to assert that it's his child. Despite his request for a DNA test, she refused, playing the "don't you trust me?" card. Everything came to light when she was finally revealed to be not pregnant. The baby from the photo was actually her grandchild, which enraged her daughter when she discovered what happened.
39. She Knows Too Much
Back when I worked as a nurse, I had a senior male patient admitted for severe anemia and dangerously low hemoglobin levels. He needed a few units of blood. For the past few days, I had been his primary carer, interacting frequently with his visiting wife and daughter. I remember his daughter being profoundly caring and considerate towards her father.
The routine process before a blood transfusion includes identifying the patient by name, ID numbers, and blood type. As we were going through this process, the daughter suddenly asked us to repeat the blood type we had just mentioned. I wasn't sure why, but I repeated it and noticed her growing quite anxious.
She then suggested that we might have the wrong blood type. According to her, this couldn't be accurate for she teaches anatomy and she knew the crossmatch seemed off. She explained that given her blood type AB, and her mother's being type A, her father couldn't possibly be type A too. At first, I didn't understand her logic but decided to consult the doctor just to be sure.
The doctor reviewed the paperwork and casually said, "Well, she may not really be his biological daughter then". He ordered a new crossmatch, which confirmed an A blood type. After this revelation, the daughter remained quiet, appearing pained and deep in thought. While her parents seemed oblivious to the situation, I could tell the daughter was piecing everything together.
40. Not Ready To Be A Dad
My dad argues that I'm not his kid since I don't resemble my siblings. I've got brown hair and light skin, in stark contrast to my two sisters who sport black hair and tanned complexions. However, if you take a look at my mom's side of the family, it's common to find someone with either green eyes or brown hair, or even both! Skin tones vary from dark to light.
I was given the gene for brown hair that was light at birth and darkened as I aged. I also carry the gene for light skin. My eyes are an interesting olive green so dark they almost appear brown. In my view, I bear a strong resemblance to his younger self, but he seems stubbornly inclined to deny our relationship for reasons unknown.
41. Undeniable Evidence
My brother ended things with his erratic ex-girlfriend and a few months after that, she got back in touch, claiming she was expecting. He had serious doubts about being the father - and we shared his skepticism. Following their breakup, she wasn't exactly choosy about her partners. We had to bide our time for months until the baby was born and my brother could take a paternity test.
He was present in the delivery room, while I stood by outside to lend him some moral support. Once the newborn was cleaned up after birth, my brother emerged with an odd expression on his face and introduced me to the baby. Ironically, this infant seemed to look more like an exact copy of my brother than just a son.
42. Better Off Without Him
My dad, who's Greek and fair-skinned, and my mom, a white Western European, had me. I was born with dark skin and a lot of black hair. My dad didn't mind, but his own mother freaked out. She said mean things to mom and grandma and walked out. It seemed like my dad was happy for a week.
But when I was just three weeks old, he left us, no explanation given. A few months down the line, my skin and hair lightened, and it was apparent he was truly my dad. During high school, we attempted to rebuild our relationship, but that went downhill quickly.
He wanted me to call him "dad" and demanded frequent visits. He'd often show up at my friends' and boyfriend's places, causing drama. He wanted me to take family photos with his new partner and their five kids, all from different mothers. This doesn't even count the child he abandoned before he was with my mom.
Adding to the mix, he worked for my future in-laws when my spouse and I first got together. As soon as they discovered who he was and his troubled past, they fired him. This way, I wouldn't bump into him at their place. They were relieved to part ways with him, no more making excuses for his behavior.
43. A Family Matter
My big brother's girlfriend announced she was pregnant after they'd only been together for five months. He was certain he was the father and shared the news with our family, who were really supportive. But two months later, she sends a group message saying she's in labor. We were all understandably anxious about the baby being born premature.
Despite his worries, the baby arrived, healthy, and he didn't realize the improbability of a full-term baby at seven months. Looking back, I think he was just overwhelmed and hadn't fully processed the situation. However, the rest of us were starting to put two and two together.
I got in touch with our eldest brother, who knew her previous boyfriend. When he contacted the ex, it turned out their relationship had ended about nine months ago. He tells me this, unsure of how to break it to our brother. A couple of days later, I decided to visit my brother at the hospital.
By this time, some of us had already suggested to him that things didn't seem right. Then as I'm in the hospital room, a nurse walks in with the birth certificate, asking for his signature. Without thinking, I blurt out, asking him not to sign it until a paternity test is done.
The nurse was understanding, agreeing he shouldn't sign if there were doubts about the paternity. Predictably, the baby wasn't his. He was heartbroken and quite embarrassed, but also very appreciative of my intervention.
The weirdest part of this whole saga was that a client cancellation allowed me to get to the hospital earlier than planned. I don't normally force my beliefs on anyone, but this was one of those instances that definitely strengthened my faith in a higher power.
44. Some People’s Lives Are Just That Messy
My brother's former spouse began an affair with a man during his own wedding celebration. Once she realized she was expecting, she suddenly started getting closer to my brother to make it seem like the child was his. They weren't exactly in an intimate phase of their relationship due to pressures of work and other life situations.
About half a year post the baby's arrival, chatter commenced in our tight-knit community. With rumors arousing, coupled with the fact that his daughter didn't share a resemblance to him, my brother decided to take a paternity test. As assumed, it showed the child was of the other man. However, my brother still considers the three-year-old girl as his daughter, even though he's now divorced.
45. That’s Not How These Things Should Go
I found myself at the US embassy in Korea, waiting in line behind a couple who were applying for a birth certificate for their newborn. As they interacted with the embassy official, she asked for more details about their relationship. The man shared that they'd met just eight months back, their baby already about a month or two old.
The embassy official pointed out the discrepancy, mentioning, "Hmm, you met eight months ago, but pregnancies usually last nine months…" The man's expression turned into a blank stare, which prompted the woman to clarify, hastily saying, "He arrived earlier than we thought.” Both the man and the official seemed convinced—but only for a fleeting moment.
Shortly after, the embassy official asked the woman, "I see that you lived in the US for most of the last year, and left only nine months ago. What brought you there?" The man gazed at her in shock, apparently unaware that she had ever visited the US. Nervously glancing around, the woman muttered something about an ex-husband.
Feeling overwhelmed, the man began to cry. Sensing the rising tension, the embassy official gently asked them to continue their conversation in a private room.
46. She Had Her Wits About Her
I was in med school studying Obstetrics when my wife got pregnant. Her labor kicked in and I rushed her to the very same hospital where I was doing my placement. All of the medical residents and established doctors treating her were my daily colleagues. Upon my son's birth, they cleaned him up and handed him over to my wife.
I was standing there, overwhelmed by the emotions of seeing my first born and then my wife, in front of all my workmates, quips, "And just think, he's probably yours!"
47. Don’t Look
Someone asked me to take on a delivery job, and the husband was really thrilled; he was so eager that he wanted to accompany his wife to the hospital, riding shot-gun with a pair of medics in the rear. As it happened, the baby was born en route and was evidently of a different ethnicity than the mother and father. One of the medics tactfully inquired if this outcome was anticipated.
The wife immediately broke down in tears. Wide-eyed and unaware of what transpired in the back, the husband remained exhilarated from the front seat. When we pulled into the ER, we tried to quickly usher him into the hospital's entryway before bringing out the mother and newborn. We couldn't completely distract him in time, though; he had a inkling that something was amiss.
Eventually, he doubled back toward the gurney that was being wheeled into the ER. Upon spotting his child, he completely lost control. He threw out every insult in the book and even some I suspect he concocted on the spot.
48. At Least He Was There For The Birth
When I was around 16, my older brother and his long-time girlfriend were awaiting the arrival of their second child. One day, post-school, I went over to their house to hang out, when suddenly, she went into labor. We all helped her into his truck, and sped off to the hospital, which was just over an hour's drive away.
I was squished into the truck bed along with one of my brother's friends. We desperately sped down the highway, on a mission to reach the hospital before the baby decided to join us. Luckily, we made it just in time and they whisked her off to the delivery room.
Over the next several hours, my parents, three other siblings, and my grandmother all join us at the hospital. We all waited patiently, and about six hours after the race to the hospital, the baby finally arrived. When given the go-ahead, we all excitedly rushed into the room to meet the new addition. However, there stood the proud mother on the bed, radiant and declaring her love for my brother, excited about the birth of their second son.
But soon, everything changed. When the nurse brought the baby in, we all noticed at once. The baby was half Black and we knew who the father was. It was none other than my brother's friend, standing right there, looking just as gobsmacked. Without uttering a word, my entire family and brother quietly exited the hospital, leaving the mother and the friend to their new reality.
Turns out, the friend had been the girlfriend's "support system" while my brother was behind bars. Unfortunately, the friend dodged his responsibility for the little boy. My brother ended up back in jail, and my parents temporarily took in the two boys. The mother had to jump through numerous CPS hoops to get her two sons back.
49. A Big Surprise
I used to work in a hospital. Once, a woman came in because she had a stomachache. We discovered that she was 10 weeks pregnant and shared the news with her. Her husband, who was by her side, began laughing, picked up his coat, and left the room. He told us he'd only been back from Afghanistan for the last three weeks. He turned back towards his wife and simply stated, "Well, Brittany, there you have it".
50. An Expensive Sandwich
Years back, I bought a sandwich from a subway shop. The girl at the counter seemed quite taken with me, so I invited her on a date. Before long, she was keen to get intimate. We did. I made sure to withdraw. Some time later, she handed me a condom for use, so "I wouldn't have to withdraw". Funnily enough, it broke that very night.
A few days afterward, gave me the shock of my life: She was pregnant, and I was allegedly the father. I stayed with her until what should have been her third month of pregnancy, when she looked more like five to six months gone. Unpredictably (or maybe not), she delivered what they said was a "premature" baby. But the baby seemed perfectly developed - a full head of hair and could lift his head to look around, eyes wide open.
She persisted in claiming the baby was mine. We ultimately had a blood test done, which confirmed it was not.
