Brian asked to use his father’s computer and found a password-protected folder named “PRIVATE.” Curiosity got the better of him, and he successfully guessed the folder’s password. However, its contents shocked him.
The Greenwood house was quiet, with Brian, an 18-year-old college student, engrossed in his project. His father, Alex, a respected economics professor and Brian’s teacher, returned home looking worn from a day at college. “You look exhausted,” Amanda, Brian’s mother, greeted Alex with concern.
“It’s been a long day,” Alex sighed, discussing the semester’s end demands.
At dinner, the family’s conversation turned to Brian’s college life. “Classes are good,” Brian said before hesitantly adding, “There’s a girl, Elizabeth White, but she seems to avoid me.”
Alex stiffened at her mention. “Elizabeth White? Brian, it’s better if you stay away from her. She’s not a good influence,” he said with unusual sternness.
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“Why, Dad? What’s wrong with her?” Brian asked, taken aback.
“She’s known to be quite frivolous… seen with various boys.”
Brian was disheartened. He really liked Elizabeth. “Whatever. Dad, can I use your laptop later? Mine’s acting up,” he said, shifting the conversation.
“Of course, you can use it anytime,” Alex agreed.
The following morning, with the house all to himself, Brian sat in front of his dad’s laptop. Driven by curiosity, he stumbled upon a folder marked “Private” that was locked behind a password. Recalling “Rocky0710,” the birthdate of their pet dog, he was taken aback when it actually opened the folder, unveiling what was inside.
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Brian felt his pulse quicken as he clicked open the first picture. It was a photo of his father cozily holding hands with Elizabeth with the ocean in the background. In another picture, Elizabeth was giving him a peck on the cheek.
The reality of the situation hit Brian hard; it suddenly made sense why his dad was always against Elizabeth.
“How could he?” Brian whispered, feeling both shocked and heartbroken.
The more Brian thought about it, the angrier he got, thinking about how his dad had been unfaithful to his mom. He was worried that his mom wouldn’t be able to handle the truth about Alex. But at the same time, Brian wanted to get back at his dad for what he had done.
As days turned into weeks, Brian kept his feelings hidden while he devised a plan. He decided the graduation ball would be the perfect time to get his revenge.
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The night of the ball was filled with excitement.
Carrying the weight of his secret, Brian finally stepped up to the stage. With a firm voice, he announced, “Today, I’m going to share the truth about my dad.” As he said that, the pictures of Alex and Elizabeth were shown on a big screen, causing a huge gasp in the hall.
Alex got up and walked towards the stage as the room filled with whispers. “I’ve been unfaithful to both my son and my wife for a long time,” he admitted, struggling to speak under the heavy burden of his confession.
The principal, Carla Thompson, tried to stop him, but Alex kept talking. “But it’s not what you think. Elizabeth isn’t my girlfriend… She’s actually my daughter,” he shared, leaving everyone speechless.
“And her mom is the college director, Mrs. Thompson,” Alex went on.
The hall erupted with mixed emotions as everyone tried to grasp the full impact of what Alex had just shared.
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It turned out that 18 years ago, when Brian was an infant, Alex had a big argument with his wife, Amanda. He was furious at her after his friend Adam told him she was seeing someone else. “How could you do this to me? To us? I saw your photos with that guy!” Alex yelled at her.
Amanda was shocked as if she wasn’t at fault. And the truth was she wasn’t. She even tried explaining that she was at a friend’s place and that everything was a misunderstanding.
But Alex wouldn’t listen. Furious, he left in a huff and went to a nearby bar to try to forget his troubles. The person serving drinks tried to make him feel better, but it was Carla, his then colleague and a teacher at the college where Alex was the principal, who helped take his mind off things by asking him to join her birthday party at the bar that night.
As the evening went on and the party wrapped up, Carla saw that Alex wasn’t doing great and offered to drive him to her place. After having too much to drink, they ended up kissing and spent the night together.
When Alex woke up at Carla’s place the next day, he felt really bad about what happened, especially after what he had said to Amanda.
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He got home early in the morning, and Amanda was worried. “Alex, where have you been? You reek of alcohol,” she said, clearly upset and worried.
Alex, hiding what he did, lied about where he was. “I was just at a mate’s place and lost track of time,” he said, avoiding Amanda’s look.
It was then Amanda shared her truth. “You know those photos of me and that guy at the hotel? Well, he was planning a surprise for your birthday,” she said, showing some receipts to clear up the confusion.
Feeling really bad and realizing Amanda hadn’t done anything wrong, Alex apologized to her. “I’m really sorry. I should’ve believed in you.” But he didn’t tell her about his own mistake because he didn’t want to upset her more.
“From now on, let’s promise to believe in each other,” Amanda said, and they decided to start over. Starting fresh, Amanda’s first goal was to ensure Alex had a great birthday, and she did her best. Everyone at the party was having a great time — friends, family, and co-workers were all there, laughing and sharing stories, even Carla.
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But things took a turn when Carla took Alex aside. “We need to talk,” she said, sounding really serious. So Alex followed her outside. And it was then she dropped a bombshell: “I’m pregnant, Alex, and it’s your baby,” she revealed.
Alex was shocked. His reputation would be destroyed if his one-night stand came out in public. So Carla devised a plan: “I’ll move away, have the baby, and then give it to a shelter. When I return, I want to take your job as the principal. I don’t want this child.”
Alex agreed. “Okay, Carla. We’ll do it your way,” he said, making a big decision that would change their lives.
Brian’s eyes welled up as Alex finished narrating his story to an audience of students and faculty. The hall was silent, shocked by the revelations.
Elizabeth couldn’t contain her anger. “When I found you, you told me that my mother died and that you never knew that you had a daughter!” she yelled as she approached Alex.
“I was scared, Elizabeth. I couldn’t face the truth about the shelter…about leaving you,” Alex admitted, seeking forgiveness in her eyes.
But in response, Elizabeth slapped him and stormed out. She didn’t want to do anything with a man who lied to her and his family.
“I never want to see you again,” Brian snapped at Alex. “You’re a liar and a traitor.”
Disgusted, he, too, left the hall. Amidst this, a cry for help rang out as Amanda collapsed from a heart attack, overwhelmed by the revelations. The emergency team rushed in, the crowd parting in shock and concern.
As the paramedics took her away, Alex wept alone on a bench. He wanted to fix things by telling the truth, but it made everything worse. Elizabeth couldn’t let go of his lies; Brian couldn’t forgive his betrayal; and Amanda got really sick because of all the stress.
Sitting there on a quiet night, Alex realized that his choices had caused several people distress. It seemed really hard to make things right again. He knew he had to face the hurt he caused and try to regain their trust, one step at a time.