Real-Life Story: “I Was the Perfect Father to My Daughter”: When She Was 3, I Found Out She Wasn't Mine

For three years I lived in the belief that nothing could destroy it.

From the moment I saw Martynka for the first time, I knew my life had changed forever. She was so small, so delicate, and I immediately felt that I would be the best father she could ever dream of. Every smile, every first step, first word – all of this was like a reward for me, like proof that our life as a family was perfect.

For three years I lived with the conviction that nothing could destroy it. I would wake up to her at night, rock her when she cried, build towers out of blocks, and watch the same cartoons dozens of times. I was her hero, and she was my whole world. My wife, Aneta, always said that Martynka had my eyes, she said her smile. I felt proud when I heard those words.

But everything changed one day when I got a call from an old friend. Andrzej, who had been in our circle of friends for years, told me something that sounded like my worst nightmare.

– „Listen, Mateusz, you have to know that Martynka… may not be yours. Aneta had an affair when she was pregnant.”

I didn't want to believe him. How could he lie like that? But his words nested in my head. With every glance at Martynka I wondered if it was possible. After a few days I couldn't take it anymore and I asked Aneta straight in the eyes.

„Is it true? Is Martynka… can she not be mine?”

Her face paled. She was silent for a moment, then she lowered her gaze.

– “Mateusz, that was a long time ago… I don't know. I don't know what to tell you.”

Her words were like a blow to the heart. “I don't know”? How could she not know? That question destroyed everything we had built.

I decided to do a DNA test. The results came back quickly, but for me, those were the longest days of my life. When I opened the envelope, my hands were shaking. There was only one short message inside: „You are not the biological father.”

The world stopped. I couldn't breathe, think, understand how it was possible. For three years I lived a lie, and my „perfect” family turned out to be one big illusion.
Aneta tried to stop me.

– „Mateusz, please don't leave us. Martynka needs you. You are her father, no matter what these results say!”

But how could I stay? How could I go on living, knowing that the person I trusted the most betrayed me in the worst possible way? How could I look at Martynka and not feel the wound that was tearing my heart to pieces?

Today marks a year since those events. Martynka still calls me „daddy”, even though we rarely see each other. I try to be present in her life, but it's not easy. Every time I see her smile, I remember how much I loved her before the truth destroyed everything.

Do I regret? My only regret is that I believed in the illusion of a perfect family. But Martynka is not to blame for anything. And although I don't know if I'll ever trust people again, I know one thing – I will always be her father, even if only in my heart.

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