Trust is an important part of marriage. But what happens when that trust is broken? When I thought I knew everything about my husband Peter, Peter, a shocking truth came to light. A long-kept truth shocked me and made me wonder about our relationship and the fatherhood of our child.
I had a hard time getting in touch with Peter’s family after I moved to Germany, especially his mother, Ingrid, and sister, Klara. Their friendly exterior covered a dark truth. They didn’t know it, but I could understand German, and what they said helped me figure out how they really felt.
At first, they said nice things about how I looked and how much weight I gained during pregnancy. But one unlucky afternoon, I heard something that really shocked me. Ingrid and Klara asked if Peter was the father of our first child, which made it sound like Peter’s family wasn’t sure about his biological link to our boy.
The visit that came after our second child was born made things even worse. There were hints of a bigger secret in the whispers and sneaky looks.
I talked to Peter because I was too interested to keep quiet. When he told her the truth, you could feel his reluctance and fear: his family had forced him to take a paternity test, which showed he wasn’t the real father.
My world fell apart. Years of lying and cheating have left me short of breath. How could Peter not tell me this? Why did he choose to keep the truth from me instead of telling me?
Even though Peter’s sorrow and fear were clear, I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that I had been betrayed. Our son, whom we had raised together, was now filled with doubt.
As I tried to make sense of this new world, I realized Peter wasn’t trying to hurt me. He kept the secret because he was afraid and his family was on him to do so. We had built a life together, and even after this news, we were still in love.
Took a deep breath, and then I chose to face the unknown head-on. “We’ll figure it out,” I said in a voice that was almost whispery. “Together.” It was time to start the trip that would heal and save us. It would test how strong our marriage and love are.
