Chapter 188
In the next few days, I worked hard, but the illness and paternity test haunted me like a curse, lingering in my ears. Gradually, I was tormented, unable to sleep, unable to eat, and my spirits declined day by day. I looked haggard, and Katniss thought I was sick, worrying about me for a long time. After much deliberation, I decided to secretly do a paternity test. If this continues, my suspicious nature will soon drive me crazy.
Since doing a paternity test is not a good thing, I must keep it a secret from everyone, and no second acquaintance should know about it. Otherwise, how would I explain it? If family and friends find out, the gossip and suspicion behind my back would be unbearable. I took advantage of the gaps in my work during the day and went online at home at night. I searched for many paternity testing agencies. There are many medical examination institutions nearby, as well as many medical vendors, with varying prices.
I don't need to worry about the price, the main concern is authenticity, accuracy, and responsibility. The only one that can meet my needs is LabCorp. LabCorp is very authoritative, there is no doubt about that, but the cost is much higher compared to other medical testing agencies.
After learning all the relevant information about testing, I fell into contemplation. However, I didn't think for too long, as the choice was quite easy. I couldn't just take Simon and Olivia directly to LabCorp with my and Nathan's IDs. Apart from my family's reaction, even if it turns out to be a false alarm, how would I explain it to my family and Nathan? So I chose personal testing. With the advanced medical technology today, a simple sample with cells from the body, such as saliva, blood, semen, hair, etc., can be used for paternity testing. This was simple for me. Once I made up my mind, I started collecting samples.
When Nathan and Jennifer returned home, I collected Nathan's DNA sample from a cigarette butt he had smoked, which had his saliva and oral mucosa. As for Simon and Olivia, although they were young, they could already speak, so I couldn't be too obvious to avoid them inadvertently revealing the secret to family members. Collecting samples from the two children was also easy - drink bottles, milk bottles they had used, all worked. To be extra cautious, I even managed to collect some of their hair. After collecting all the samples, I labeled them accordingly and then hurried to LabCorp during a break from work.
Perhaps feeling guilty, as this was not a honorable thing to do. Before entering LabCorp, I deliberately bought a hat and a mask. I then went to the appropriate window at LabCorp with the samples, handed them over, and the staff informed me about the testing requirements and results.
The samples were divided into four parts: Nathan's, mine, Simon's, and Olivia's. The purpose of the test was to determine the relationship between Olivia, Simon, and me. If either of them was not my biological child, then the test would check if my genes matched with Nathan Smith's. Currently, technology cannot determine half-sibling relationships, so it relies on comparing with Nathan Smith's DNA.
After explaining this complex relationship, I had to pay several testing fees, totaling over $2000. But for me at that moment, it was still manageable. After completing the necessary procedures, the staff informed me that the results would be ready in 5-7 days and asked me to wait for a phone call at home.
Back at the office, I sat in my office for a long time without moving or saying anything. Finally having done the paternity test, I felt a bit relieved, but I was even more worried about the day when the results would come out. If Simon or Olivia turned out not to be my biological child, what would I do? Divorce? Sue? I recalled numerous similar stories and news I had heard, but such things, which I had only seen in the news, would they really happen to me? For some reason, these days I lived in constant fear, worry, and anxiety.
With 5 days on hand, I decided to review the surveillance videos at home again, dividing the 5 years into 5 days, one year per day. After making this decision, I was like possessed, spending every night rewatching the surveillance footage during breaks at work.
I reviewed the surveillance footage for each year, even though I was almost sick of it, I persisted.
The tense mental state and high-intensity late-night viewing made me look even more haggard. Because of this, Katniss insisted on taking me to the hospital for a check-up, and Nathan and Jennifer also came to see me. I just said it was work stress, and managed to brush it off.
After 5 days, I had finished reviewing all the surveillance footage, a total of over 1800 days, but I didn't find any anomalies or any signs of Katniss and Nathan having an affair again. I don't know why, even though I had gone through five days of hard work and found nothing, I didn't feel disappointed at all. Instead, I felt a huge sense of relief.
Perhaps I had been overthinking. When Katniss and Nathan were at home, they mostly kept their distance, the only difference being the shy, awkward, and nostalgic look in their eyes when they glanced at each other, a mix of emotions bursting out in that moment of eye contact.
I didn't find anything, which made me more confident about the test results. Perhaps it was all just a false alarm. My infertility occurred after Olivia was born. The test results in two days would just be a formality. Feeling suddenly relaxed, I sat in the office, took out a cigarette from my pocket, took a deep drag, easing the physical and mental exhaustion of these days. It felt like at that moment, every pore and cell in my body opened up, exhaling all the fatigue.
Some might say that even if nothing happened at home, Katniss and Nathan could have met on a small island or elsewhere. That's true. When reviewing the surveillance footage, I carefully checked Katniss's schedule after work every day. Except for her menstrual period, Katniss basically came home on time every day. Even on the days she came home late, I, being suspicious, secretly verified it and found no anomalies. As for the island, it was even less likely. Since the last night on the island for Katniss and Nathan, every time Katniss visited Nathan and Jennifer on the island, I accompanied her. Even if we occasionally stayed overnight on the island, I stayed awake, observing secretly, fearing that if I fell asleep, they might sneak out to make love. With Jennifer around, they had no chance. During that time, I felt like a private detective, with heightened mental state and sensitivity.
I also carefully recalled the time when Katniss conceived Olivia, looking for any anomalies or possibilities. If it was during that time that Katniss conceived Nathan's child, there was only one possibility - Nathan's birthday. However, upon reflection, it seemed highly unlikely.
Let's talk about it since it's been brought up. It was over three years ago, Nathan's birthday was quite special that year. During Nathan's birthday period, Jennifer had to attend a family wedding back in her hometown with Emily. So, that year, only Katniss, Simon at the time, and I celebrated Nathan's birthday with him.
It was just the four of us that night. Even though Jennifer wasn't there, Nathan seemed very happy. According to him, celebrating his birthday with just the four of us felt the most special. That night, Nathan and I drank a lot of alcohol together, and even Katniss had a few glasses of wine. By the time Katniss was tidying up the room, she was already a bit tipsy.
That night, since all of us except Simon had drunk quite a bit, and it was too windy to take the boat, the three of us ended up sleeping at Nathan's place. Nathan had two bedrooms, one for himself and one for the three of us. At that time, due to my heightened mental state, I didn't dare fall asleep too early that night, fearing that it might be a rare opportunity for Katniss and Nathan to sneak out for a rendezvous. After sleeping together for a long time, everything was quiet. I managed to stay awake until midnight, and finally, Katniss, in a daze, got up and gently nudged me, asking me to accompany her to the bathroom. Although the bathroom on Nathan's island had been renovated, it was still a simple rural toilet - a hole dug in the ground with some coverings around it. It was the middle of the night, and Katniss didn't dare go alone. However, I was also quite drunk, so I just turned over and pretended to continue sleeping. When one is drunk, they tend to be lazy.
In the end, Katniss, still feeling the effects of the alcohol, had to go to the bathroom alone. After Katniss left, I immediately checked the time. Since the three of us were staying at Nathan's house, both bedroom doors were tightly closed, and I couldn't hear or see anything, so I had to rely on timing. About three minutes after Katniss left the bedroom, I heard the sound of Nathan's bedroom door. At that moment, my heart tightened. Did Nathan leave the bedroom to go to the bathroom? If Nathan left the bedroom to go to the bathroom at that moment, and Katniss hadn't returned yet, would Nathan and Katniss meet? When I heard the sound of Nathan's bedroom door opening, my heart immediately raced. Nathan's bedroom door was a homemade wooden door, tightly sealed for winter insulation, with excellent soundproofing. I couldn't hear any sounds other than the opening and closing of the door, no footsteps or other noises.
What should I do? As time passed, and Katniss had been gone for about thirteen minutes, and Nathan's bedroom door had been open for about ten minutes, Katniss finally returned. Upon hearing the bedroom door open, I immediately closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. Katniss quietly got into bed and slept beside me. I carefully calculated that even if Katniss had met Nathan, they wouldn't have had time for anything to happen. After all, Katniss had only been out for thirteen minutes, including the time to go to the bathroom and walk back. Even if they had wanted to make love, there would have been time for conversation, struggle, consideration, and with Nathan's stamina, no matter how you calculated it, there wouldn't have been enough time.
After recalling all this, the only most likely and opportune night was ruled out by me. Having thought through all this, I felt even more at ease, and I wasn't as eager for the impending test results.
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