Chapter 315: Carry by Choice
"Alright, Duncan," Peter said, his voice quivering under the weight of age and memory. "I will answer all your questions. I’m old... and I’ve carried these truths for far too long. My time on this earth is no longer promised, and I don’t want to leave with anything left unsaid."
Duncan swallowed hard and glanced at Cammy. Her quiet presence anchored him, but it also made him hesitate. His heart thundered in his chest. He’d waited so long to ask this... and now, with the truth hanging in the balance, fear gripped him. But he pushed through.
It’s now or never,’ he muttered to himself. Then louder, steadier—"Is it true... that my brother is your son?"
The question landed like a stone dropped in still water.
Cammy’s eyes widened. Her hands flew to her mouth, stunned speechless by the weight of the accusation—of the truth hidden behind it. But she didn’t interrupt. She stayed silent, watching, waiting.
Peter’s face fell. A deep, exhausted sigh left his lungs. "Yes," he admitted. "It’s true. But neither your mother nor I ever intended for it to happen."
Duncan clenched the edge of his blanket, the pain creeping into his expression.
Peter continued, his voice heavy with remorse. "It happened the night I found out Monica was cheating on me. And not with Richard, like everyone believed. It was someone else entirely. She’d been lying for years... ever since she swore she cut ties with Richard."
His hands trembled in his lap. "I was drunk. Devastated. My drunken brain forgot your father was on a business trip. So I drove straight to your house, needing my best friend. Your mother answered. She was kind, concerned. She insisted I stay the night and sober up... she didn’t want me getting into an accident."
Peter’s voice cracked.