John pondered. Yes, the hair on that comb might not even be Zac’s. Someone else could have used it. Yes, that must be it! The hair on that comb probably wasn’t Zac’s. Zac is my biological son. Renee wouldn’t lie to me. She’s so kind, so pure, how could she possibly deceive me? John paced back and forth unconsciously. Hospital staff glanced at him and sighed in resignation. Even now, John still refused to see the truth. Suddenly, as if something clicked, John turned abruptly and rushed to find a doctor. “Doctor, Zac had a blood test yesterday. Is his blood sample still here? I need to do another paternity test!” he demanded urgently. The doctor gave him a long look before nodding. “Yes, it’s still here.” He turned to retrieve the sample, but before he could take a step, John grabbed his arm. “No. I’m coming with you! I want to see it with my own eyes!” The doctor hesitated. He found John’s insistence excessive, but at the same time, he wanted him to see the truth firsthand. After a moment, he agreed. Leading John, the doctor walked to the storage room where blood samples were kept. Zac’s sample hadn’t been discarded yet. It was still usable for testing. John followed closely as the doctor retrieved Zac’s blood sample. The moment John held the vial in his hand, his fingers started trembling uncontrollably. The doctor sighed but didn’t take it away from him. The container wasn’t glass, so at least there was no risk of him breaking it. A few days later, John sat on the same hospital bench, clutching a brand-new paternity test report. The bold words on the page, "No biological relationship," hit him like a punch to the gut again. His throat went dry. No sound came out. How could this be? How was this possible? Renee... she's so kind, so pure... how could she have deceived me? Zac... he... he's not my child? John felt as if all the strength had drained from his body. He wanted to stand up and rage, to smash everything in sight. But he had no strength left. Not even enough to lift his hand. He just sat there, staring blankly at the test results.People passed by, glancing at him, but no one stopped to ask if he was okay. He sat like that for an entire day. He didn’t eat or drink. He didn’t move. There was no greater despair than a broken heart. Maybe that was what he was feeling. Finally, darkness swallowed his vision, and John collapsed on the bench. When he opened his eyes again, he was lying in a familiar hospital bed. A nurse was adjusting his IV. Seeing him like this, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. “Mr. John, you haven’t eaten or slept properly for days. Your body was severely depleted—that’s why you collapsed.” For so many days, John had sat on that hospital bench, day and night. Only when exhaustion completely overtook him would he doze off for a short while. No matter how people tried to persuade him, he wouldn’t leave. The entire hospital had heard about him by now. John had been deceived, that much was clear. But then again, if he hadn’t been selfish and morally corrupt, would he have ended up like this? Whether Zac was his illegitimate child or not, John had no right to treat his real son the way he did. He had cheated on his wife. He had driven his ex-wife away with nothing. He had abandoned his three daughters. Such a man did not deserve sympathy. John didn’t seem to hear the nurse’s words. His eyes were hollow as he stared blankly at the ceiling. Two silent tears slid down his face, landing on the pillow. The nurse shook her head, sighed, and left the room after adjusting the IV. John lay still. For decades, he had been a man admired by all of South City. A man of success. And now, for the first time in his life, he shed tears of regret. He still couldn’t believe it. How could Renee deceive me? But after all these days, Renee and Zac had disappeared without a trace. At this point, the truth was undeniable—even without that paternity test, their disappearance was proof enough. John’s eyes filled with remorse and self-loathing. Zac was not his son. And yet—he and Renee had been together back then. He had been there when she gave birth. At the time, Arthur had been only three days old. John had used work as an excuse to leave on a business trip so he could personally take care of Renee during her entire postpartum recovery. For that whole month, he had cherished Zac, and doted on him more than anything in the world.