I never imagined babysitting my best friend’s son would shatter my world.

Kelly, a single mom since 16, asked me to watch 8-year-old Thomas for a weekend. My husband, Ryan, was oddly irritated. “Why babysit someone else’s kid for free?” he asked. “Because she’s my friend,” I said. “And you want kids—this is practice.”

That night, Thomas fell asleep during a movie. As I carried him to bed, his shirt lifted… revealing a birthmark—identical to Ryan’s. My heart stopped. His face, his jawline—I’d missed it all before.

Back home, I collected Ryan’s hair and had a paternity test run.

The result: 99.9% match.

I confronted them. Kelly and Ryan sat stunned as I showed them the result. Ryan looked guilty. Kelly wept. “It was before you and I became friends,” she said. “We thought it was best to keep it quiet.”

“Best for who?” I demanded.

Ryan whispered, “I was afraid of losing you.”

“You might,” I said. “But Thomas deserves his father.”

I’m furious. Betrayed. But Thomas comes first.

They broke my trust—but I won’t let them break this boy’s future.

I won’t be blind again.