Chapter 6: The Truth About Brenda

James remained inside his car for nearly an hour.

From where he was parked, he could see the small apartment balcony.

Laura was watering flowers while Catherine watched her with a gentle smile.

It was a simple scene.

Yet somehow...

It looked happier than anything inside the Frost mansion.

James gripped the medical reports until they crumpled in his hands.

"Why didn't you tell me...?" he whispered.

Just then, his phone rang.

It was Evelyn.

"James, where are you?" she asked.

"Brenda keeps asking for you."

"I'll be home later," he replied before ending the call.

For the first time, he wasn't eager to return.

Meanwhile, Catherine noticed the familiar black luxury car parked across the street.

She recognized it immediately.

"Mom?" Laura asked.

"What's wrong?"

Catherine forced a smile.

"Nothing, sweetheart."

"Let's go inside."

She had no intention of meeting James.

Not anymore.

That evening, James returned to the Frost residence.

Brenda happily ran into his arms.

"Dad! You're finally back!"

He absentmindedly patted her head.

"Where's your mother?"

"She's upstairs."

James walked directly to Evelyn's room.

She looked surprised to see the seriousness on his face.

"Is something wrong?"

"I want to ask you something," James said.

"And I expect the truth."

Evelyn's smile slowly disappeared.

"What is it?"

"Brenda..."

"Is she really my daughter?"

The room instantly fell silent.

Evelyn's face turned pale.

"Why would you suddenly ask that?"

"Answer me."

"Yes... of course she is."

"Then let's do a DNA test tomorrow."

The color drained from Evelyn's face.

"James..."

"Do you really not trust me?"

"It's just a simple test."

"If Brenda is my daughter, it'll prove everything."

Evelyn's hands began trembling.

"There's... no need."

"Why not?"

"Because..."

She lowered her head.

"Because Brenda isn't your biological daughter."

James felt as though the entire world had stopped.

"What did you just say?"

Tears streamed down Evelyn's face.

"I'm sorry."

"When I came back seven years ago, I had already divorced Brenda's father."

"I had nowhere to go."

"I knew you still felt guilty about leaving me."

"So... I lied."

"I let you believe Brenda was yours."

"And you believed me without questioning anything."

James staggered backward.

Seven years...

He had ignored his own daughter.

Rejected his own wife.

Destroyed his family...

For a lie.

"You lied to me?"

"Yes..."

"Every single day?"

Evelyn sobbed uncontrollably.

"I was afraid you'd abandon us if you found out."

"So I kept lying."

"Enough."

James's voice had never sounded so cold.

"Pack your things."

"You and Brenda are leaving tonight."

"James!"

"Please! Brenda is innocent!"

"I know she is."

"But I won't allow another lie inside this house."

Upstairs, Brenda quietly overheard everything.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

She slowly walked downstairs holding her small backpack.

"Dad..."

"Am I really not your daughter?"

James looked at the frightened child.

His heart softened.

None of this was her fault.

He knelt in front of her.

"Brenda..."

"None of this is because of you."

"You're a wonderful little girl."

"But I have a daughter..."

"And I've been a terrible father to her."

Brenda quietly nodded.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I didn't know."

James gently hugged her.

"You don't have anything to apologize for."

After Evelyn and Brenda left, the mansion became painfully quiet.

James wandered into Laura's empty bedroom.

Her toys remained exactly where she had left them.

A small family drawing hung on the wall.

It showed three stick figures holding hands.

Underneath, childish handwriting read:

"Me, Mommy and Daddy."

James slowly sat on the edge of the tiny bed.

His vision blurred.

For years, he had convinced himself Catherine had trapped him into marriage.

He believed loving her less somehow justified everything.

Now he understood the truth.

The only person who had truly betrayed him...

Was the one he had chosen to trust.

And the woman who had loved him without asking for anything...

Was quietly dying alone.

He immediately grabbed his car keys.

"It's not too late," he whispered desperately.

"I can still fix this."

But deep inside...

For the first time...

James feared he might already be too late.