Chapter 412: A Mother’s Struggle (part 1)
It was like any other day. He went from the exam room to the lab, then to the cafeteria, library, and back to another exam. The cycle had dragged on for two weeks straight, each day blurring into the next, leaving little to distinguish them.
The only thing missing, the only thing that made these days feel unnatural, was the absence of someone. Micah. Darcy hadn’t seen him for more than two weeks. At first, he told himself it was nothing. Micah probably got caught up in something. He would show up at any moment with that arrogant grin and those sharp, mischievous eyes. But the days stretched longer, and still no news from him. No call. No messages. His phone had been turned off the entire time. Even Micah’s mother, Professor Palmer, had taken leave.
Darcy told himself they must have gone on a family trip together.
The professor eventually returned. But Micah didn’t.
Darcy had seen her from afar. But every time he thought to close the distance, to gather his courage and ask where Micah was, she would vanish before he had the chance. At first, he thought it was a coincidence. But as it happened again and again, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was avoiding him. But why would she?
Darcy’s chest tightened every time he thought about it.
When he couldn’t take it any longer, he tried to contact Clyde. The man’s voice over the line had been casual. "Micah’s fine. He is just busy, having fun somewhere. Don’t worry too much."
He believed it. He didn’t take Micah’s absence to heart. Never thought they were signs of something ominously doomed.
So when he finished his last exam and returned home that evening, he wasn’t ready for what was coming at all, for how his life would turn upside down.
"Here, sit down." His mother, Flora, patted the seat beside her on the worn sofa. Her hand trembled as it fell back to her lap, and the slight shake in her voice made Darcy pause.
He froze by the doorway, one hand still clutching his bag. Something in her tone was wrong. Darcy had a bad feeling about it.
Suddenly, he didn’t want to listen. He didn’t want to know what his mother was about to say.
"Mum, have you eaten?" His voice came out too fast. He dropped his bag to the floor and took a few steps closer. "I can make the soup you like...maybe with the turnip from..." He stopped when his hand was grasped by Flora.
Her grip was cold, fingers curling tightly around his. Darcy’s throat went dry.
He lowered himself slowly onto the sofa beside her, his movements stiff.
"How was your day, sweetheart?" she asked, voice rough.
"Nothing much. My midterm exams ended today." Darcy replied, eyes flickering to Flora.
"How about your friend? The handsome boy?" Flora asked. "Are you two still... together?"
Darcy paused. "Yeah. He is on leave, though. Probably on a trip or something."
Flora clenched the hem of her skirt with trembling fingers. "Did you have a fight?"
"No," Darcy said, shaking his head. "We are good."
Her eyes lifted, glossy with unshed tears. She bit her lower lip, teeth digging into the tender flesh as though keeping words trapped inside.
Darcy frowned. The room felt too quiet.
"Mum?" he asked softly. "What’s wrong?"
Flora looked away, swallowing hard. She had no idea how to say it. How could she look at her son and tell him that the boy he loved, his boyfriend, had taken his place in the Ramsy family? That the life Darcy had known since birth wasn’t the life meant for him? That both boys, Micah and Darcy, were bound for heartbreak.
A few days ago, Albert Ramsy had appeared at their run-down apartment unannounced. Flora’s first thought had been panic. She had assumed that her two sons’ relationship had been exposed. That this old man had come to their home to intimidate her into forcing Darcy and Micah apart. She had been ready for harsh words, threats, maybe even bribes.
But what he said instead... it was worse. Even though she had guessed the first time she had seen Micah, there had always been this little possibility that she might be wrong. But the moment he had shown her the paternity test, that Micah was not a Ramsy, that he wanted to check Darcy... she realised she couldn’t hide from reality anymore. She couldn’t dodge the painful confrontation.
Still, she had delayed, making excuses, saying she was waiting for the DNA test result before telling Darcy. But today... she saw it. The damned envelope had arrived. The evidence lay undeniable in her hands. She couldn’t deny it. She couldn’t put it aside. She had to face it.
Now, looking at Darcy’s eyes, the words stuck to her throat. She opened her mouth, then closed it.
There was a long silence.
Darcy shifted, uneasy. "Mum, if you..."
"I got a call... today." Flora interrupted him. "From the hospital."
Darcy blinked.
She clasped her trembling fingers together in her lap, pressing them so tightly they turned pale.
The truth Albert Ramsy had revealed and the story they agreed to tell Darcy weren’t exactly the same, but it was close enough. The hospital had indeed discovered a switch, investigating after Albert pushed for it.
The result came back shocking. It wasn’t just the two of them, Micah and Darcy. There were several other babies, too. The nurse had liked to play the role of god. Changing the fate of newborns by tampering with the bracelets and records.
The Ramsys thought it was best to ease Darcy into the truth. That Darcy first came to accept that he was not Flora’s son. Only then could he decide what to do with the knowledge of his biological family.
But Flora couldn’t stop thinking of Micah. Poor, bright, fragile Micah had it the worst. Albert Ramsy told her he knew from the moment he met Darcy. She had cried, remembering how Micah would visit, bringing gifts, speaking about her illness like an expert. How hard had it been for him? Yet, his biological mother was a coward. If she had spoken... if she had even hinted that she knew...wouldn’t it have lessened his pain?
The most heartbreaking part was that Micah had started a relationship with Darcy, fully knowing that the moment the truth came out, Darcy might not like him anymore. Perhaps Micah only wanted to enjoy the fleeting warmth of Darcy’s love before the storm swept it all away. But still, Flora’s heart ached for Micah.