Chapter 6

On the day of the paternity test, Celeste reported us to the police. Officers showed up at our door first thing in the morning. They conducted a brief investigation, collected some statements, and then warned both me and Howard not to leave the city. We had to remain available for questioning at any time. After seeing them off, Howard and I opened the laptop and joined Celeste's live stream. Celeste, whose face was covered in bruises, and Stella had arrived at the paternity testing center. With them were dozens of self-proclaimed justice warriors and a horde of reporters from major media outlets. No fewer than a dozen live streams were broadcasting the event simultaneously. It caused quite a commotion. With a notary public present, the lab staff collected Celeste's DNA sample. Because the case had stirred such intense public interest, the test was marked urgent. Everyone waited in the main hall for the results. Celeste and Stella sat calmly in their seats. They were confident in the results. If you looked closely, you could even see the corners of Celeste's mouth twitching. She was barely able to hide her smugness. But just then, the doors to the building flew open. A dozen or more burly, tattooed men stormed into the hall. "Celeste! You shameless bitch! Come out and pay back our money!" The one in the front was a bald man with a thick neck. He charged into the waiting area with clenched fists and bared teeth. On the screen, Celeste visibly panicked when she saw him enter the building. Her eyes darted around, and she tried to slip out through a side exit. However, she was quickly stopped by one of the tattooed men. "W-What do you want? This is a public venue! I'm warning you. You'd better not do anything stupid!" Stella jumped in front of her mother, pretending to stay calm. The bald man pointed at her and roared, "You're her daughter? Good. You'll be paying her debt, then. Your mom owes us 200 thousand dollars in high-interest loans from gambling. Since she can't pay, then you'll pay in her stead." Stella's face turned pale as a sheet, and her voice shrank to soft whisper. "S-Sir… please listen to me. Today's really important for us. After today, we'll have the money to pay you back. Please believe me." Though her voice was soft, she forgot something crucial. Those microphones used for the live streams were highly sensitive. Every word she said was picked up. Even Howard and I heard it clearly. "Why the hell should we believe either of you? This isn't the first time your mom has taken out loans from us and ducked payment. Last time, she even faked a car accident to scam hush money!" He then added, "What now? You two are trying to scam someone again?" The bald man didn't care how many cameras were pointed at him. He said what he wanted, loud and proud. Celeste's face turned bright red. In a panic, she quickly shut down her live stream. Over a hundred thousand people had been watching when her stream was cut. Her viewers weren't having it. Instead, they just hopped over to the media broadcasts to continue watching. No matter how much Stella begged, the bald man wouldn't leave. In fact, he waved at his men, and they unfurled a giant poster. Printed on it was a fully nude photo of Celeste, blown up to life-size. "Everyone, have a good look! We didn't want to do this, but this bitch forced our hand! She took out nude-collateral loans to fuel her gambling! Now, she says she can't pay. We're just hired collectors trying to make an honest living here!" The image on the huge poster was filmed by over a dozen live streams. With that, the tide in the comment sections began to shift. "Wait, what? She's that old and still taking out loans by using nudes as collateral? That's beyond shameful." "You're telling me a university professor would rape someone like her? Please. She needs to take a good look in the mirror!" "Compulsive gamblers can't be trusted. The cops should investigate her thoroughly." "This housekeeper is a horror show. No family would ever hire her again." "So… all this was just to scam some money to pay her loans?" While the internet turned viciously against the mother and daughter, the paternity test results came back. A staff member walked into the hall with the result envelope in hand. He paused awkwardly when his eyes landed on the massive nude poster still hanging behind the crowd. He quickly looked away. However, Celeste couldn't be bothered anymore. She frantically rushed up to him and asked, "Well? Say it! Is the child his or not?" A crowd of journalists and influencers swarmed up to them. The staff member and the notary unfolded the document. Howard sat frozen on the couch, watching every second. The staff member then read aloud, "The biological father of the fetus carried by Celeste is indeed Mr. Howard Anderson." Howard collapsed onto the couch as though all the life had been drained out of him. I, on the other hand, had known this outcome all along and stayed calm.