I always believed my father would support me through college. He’d promised it for years, and I built my future around that trust. But everything changed when he discovered my mother had cheated on him nearly two decades ago. The revelation shattered their marriage—and cracked the foundation of my identity.
In the chaos of their divorce, my father demanded DNA tests from me and my siblings. He said he wouldn’t pay for college unless we proved we were biologically his. My older sister, confident in her resemblance to him, took the test and was confirmed. Her tuition was secured. But I hesitated.
I don’t look like him. I don’t look like my siblings. People have pointed it out for years, and now those comments feel like daggers. I’m terrified the test will confirm what I’ve feared—that I’m not his son. And if that’s true, I’ll lose more than financial support. I’ll lose the man who raised me.
The money isn’t in a formal college fund—it’s tied up in investments that won’t go to my mother in the divorce. I chose an expensive school, believing he’d pay. Now, even if my mom wanted to help, she couldn’t afford it. I feel betrayed by both of them. My mother’s silence about her affair, and my father’s conditional love, have left me stranded.
I’m stuck between two impossible choices: take the test and risk losing my father, or refuse and lose my education. Either way, I lose something vital. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t cause this. But I’m the one paying the price.
