"Jacob… I have something to tell you."
She was practically drenched in sweat as she spoke and looked extremely restless. For some reason, my heart skipped a beat. I had never seen Mitsue this paranoid.
I dropped the documents in my hand and stepped closer, but she retreated slightly as I approached, making me stop.
"Mitsue, did I do something wrong to you?" I asked, confused.
"N-No… I-It's the other way around. I'm really sorry, J-Jacob. I'm so sorry. I can't hold it in anymore, especially now that we're financially free. I also want to beg for your forgiveness. I'm a horrible person!" Mitsue cried apologetically as tears slowly streamed down her face.
At that point, I was completely shocked and confused. Did she do something terrible to my predecessor, something that contributed to his suicide? No, I would've seen it in his memories.
"Mitsue, if you need money, just tell me. You don't have to do all this. I was even about to talk about star—"
"IT'S NOT THAT! IT'S SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY! I WANT YOU TO PROMISE YOU'LL FORGIVE ME!" Mitsue screamed, breaking down even harder.
'What the actual fuck is going on?'
"Mitsue, I'll forgive you no matter what you say. Just stop keeping me in suspense!" I snapped in frustration, making her calm down slightly.
Suddenly, she lifted the sleeping Anya in her arms, raising her a little above her head.
"You're Anya's biological father," Mitsue said quietly, lowering Anya back into her arms while staring at the floor.
"Wait—what?!" I exclaimed, my mind reeling.
"Y-You're Anya's biological father. I—I'm sorry for hiding this from you. I'm so sorry," Mitsue apologized, though none of it made sense to me. There was nothing in my memories showing my predecessor sleeping with Mitsue.
"I don't understand. How did this even happen?" I asked quietly, watching her cry. I knew Mitsue showered my predecessor with affection and clearly liked him, but I never thought it went this far.
"It happened the first time you drank alcohol after becoming a legal adult. Something happened between us that night while my sister was unaware. When I tried to talk about it the next day, I realized you had no memory of it. A few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant," Mitsue explained in a barely audible voice.
"I remember passing out that night. Even if something did happen, it still doesn't explain this. How did the man we know as Anya's father come into the picture?" I asked.
Mitsue let out a shaky breath and wiped the half-dried tears from her eyes.
"Tanabe was someone interested in dating me back then. When I realized I was pregnant with your child, I couldn't say it. First, it would've caused a rift between me and my sister. Second, our financial situation was terrible, there was no way you could take care of me and a baby while I couldn't work. So I agreed to date Tanabe and pinned the pregnancy on him. He believed it was his. That's why he gave us a house and still sends money every month for Anya's upkeep. I'm sorry for hiding this from you, but I had no other choice," Mitsue said, staring at the floor again.
I stared at her silently, shock rendering me speechless. At first, anger surged within me but then I reconsidered everything. My predecessor could never have handled such a situation. That was why Mitsue lied to another man to raise my child. It was disturbing, but it was also the only way she could keep Anya.
Still, I felt the most pity for Tanabe. Even though he treated Mitsue poorly, he genuinely believed Anya was his child. In reality, he was used and now discarded.
Now that I, the real father, was finally in a stable position, the mother wanted me to step forward. This was exactly why men shouldn't chase women like simps. Simps always learn the hard way. In this dog-eat-dog world, only the strong survive.
My anger faded as I looked at Mitsue. She slowly raised her head and met my gaze.
"Y-You're not saying anything, Jacob. Don't you believe me? I love you. I've always loved you! Everything I did was to make sure Anya didn't suffer. Our situation was terrible back then. I'm really sorry…" Mitsue sobbed again, collapsing onto the floor.
This time, I walked up to her and gently took Anya from her arms.
"I'm not angry, Mitsue. I know none of this would've happened if we were in a better position. The old me was a jerk, and I'm sorry for being so oblivious. But now that we're here, I need to be sure Anya is really mine and Asagi deserves to know the truth as well. We'll do a DNA test," I said, glancing toward Asagi.
Being cautious was never a bad thing. No matter how much I trusted someone, I would never drop my guard.
"That's fine with me. If it reveals the truth, then I'm ready," Mitsue said quietly as she stood up.
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