I ASKED MY SON TO GET A DNA TEST. HIS GF HATED ME, UNTIL HER MOM CALLED ME IN A PANIC.

When my son Ryan’s girlfriend of three weeks, Shelley, announced her pregnancy, I urged him to take a DNA test. It confirmed he was the father, so he planned to marry her. Shelley was furious I suggested the test and excluded me from the wedding. Two weeks before the ceremony, Shelley’s mother, Jen, urgently called me over, revealing Shelley was six months pregnant, not three, casting doubt on Ryan’s paternity. Jen admitted Shelley faked the

DNA test using her cousin’s boyfriend’s sample. Stunned, I carefully told Ryan without mentioning Jen. He secretly took another test, confirming he wasn’t the father. Confronted, Shelley admitted the real father was an ex who left her. The wedding was canceled, and Shelley moved out. Months later, Jen gave me a check to cover

Ryan’s losses, asking that Shelley get counseling. I agreed. A year later, Ryan married Maddie, a kind, honest woman. Shelley later apologized, saying motherhood changed her. I forgave her, letting go of anger. Ryan now loves his stepdaughter and reflects on how this ordeal led him to true happiness. I learned trusting my instincts, even when unpopular, was the greatest gift I could give Ryan. Truth, however painful, always outweighs a lie.