The Hidden Story of My Brother

At first, I convinced myself I had misunderstood. Maybe the conversation was ancient. Maybe the child wasn’t his. But the more I read, the clearer it became. The messages were recent, describing everyday moments and upcoming plans. The photos told the rest of the story: Nick smiling beside a woman I’d never seen, holding a little girl who had his unmistakable eyes.

I felt my hands shaking. One message read, “Lea can’t stop asking when Daddy’s coming home.” Another reminded him, “Don’t forget her cake—her 5th birthday is tomorrow.”

Everything I thought I knew about him suddenly felt like a lie.

Living Beside a Stranger

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