Chapter 8: The Truth Behind Theo’s Cancer
I stared at the photograph until my eyes hurt.
Theo standing outside my parents’ house.
My father beside him.
Two men who had spent the last year hiding pieces of the same story from me.
I looked at Evelyn.
“What does this mean?””
She didn’t answer immediately.
That frightened me.
Because everyone had become an expert at silence.
My father.
My mother.
Theo.
Now Evelyn.
Everyone knew when to stop talking.
Everyone knew when the truth was too heavy.
Except me.
I was always the last person invited into my own life.
“Evelyn.””
She looked at me.
“What happened?””
She took a slow breath.
“Your husband found out your father had been investigating Daniel Voss for years.””
I frowned.
“My father?””
“Yes.””
“But Theo said my father was hiding things.””
“He was.””
“Then why are they together?””
Evelyn looked at the photograph.
“Because they finally realized they were looking at the same enemy.””
The words sat between us.
Same enemy.
I picked up my phone again.
The message from Theo was still there.
*Roz, I found the person who gave me cancer. And it wasn’t who I thought.*
I typed back:
*Who?*
The response came almost immediately.
*Not over text. Please meet me.*
I looked at Evelyn.
“Where is he?””
She knew before I answered.
“Your father told him where to find me.””
I stood.
“I need to talk to Theo.””
Evelyn nodded.
“But before you go, you need to understand something.””
I stopped.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“Your husband did something wrong.””
I swallowed.
“Yes.””
“He violated your trust.””
“Yes.””
“But he also uncovered something that could have stayed hidden forever.””
I didn’t know what to feel.
Anger.
Relief.
Betrayal.
Gratitude.
All of them existed at the same time.
“I don’t know if I can forgive him.””
Evelyn looked sad.
“You don’t have to decide that today.””
I left.
For the first time in two days, I wasn’t running toward answers.
I was running toward a person.
That difference mattered.
Theo was waiting in a quiet park near the hospital.
The same hospital where everything started.
The same place where I thought I was losing him.
The same place where he broke my heart.
He looked different.
Not sick.
Not weak.
Just tired.
When he saw me, he stood.
“Roz.””
I stopped several feet away.
“Tell me everything.””
He nodded.
No excuses.
No arguments.
Just a quiet acceptance.
“I should have told you sooner.””
“Yes.””
“I know.””
“You should have trusted me.””
“Yes.””
His eyes dropped.
“I was wrong.””
The words surprised me.
Because Theo had always been stubborn.
Even when he was wrong, he needed time before admitting it.
But now he looked like someone who had finally run out of places to hide.
“Start at the beginning.””
He sat on the bench.
I stayed standing.
“After my diagnosis, I started researching.””
“I know.””
“I wasn’t looking into you at first.””
I frowned.
“Then why did my records appear?””
“Because I found something strange.””
“What?””
“My cancer type.””
I waited.
Theo rubbed his hands together.
“The doctors couldn’t find an obvious cause. No family history. No major risk factors.””
“That happens.””
“I know.””
He looked at me.
“But then I found something.””
“What?””
“An old research document.””
My chest tightened.
“From Daniel Voss?””
“Yes.””
“And?””
“And the document mentioned a genetic marker.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means there was something unusual in certain patients.””
“Patients?””
“Yes.””
His voice lowered.
“People who were part of his research.””
I felt sick.
“Were you one of them?””
“No.””
“Then how?””
“That’s what I was trying to figure out.””
He looked away.
“Until I found your adoption records.””
I crossed my arms.
“And you thought I was connected.””
“Yes.””
“Did you think I was responsible?””
“No.””
His answer was immediate.
“Never.””
“Then why hide everything?””
He closed his eyes.
“Because I was scared.””
“Of me?””
“No.””
He looked at me.
“Of losing you.””
I almost laughed.
“You lost me anyway.””
“I know.””
The honesty hurt.
He continued.
“When I found out your biological mother was connected to Daniel’s research, I thought someone had spent forty years protecting you from the truth.””
“Someone?””
“Your father.””
I shook my head.
“You made him the villain.””
“I thought he was.””
“And now?””
“Now I know I was wrong.””
That surprised me.
Theo was admitting it.
Not defending himself.
Not blaming someone else.
“I confronted him,” he said.
“I know.””
“He told me everything.””
“Everything?””
“No.””
Theo looked at the ground.
“Not at first.””
I waited.
“He told me he had spent years trying to destroy Daniel’s work.””
“Why?””
“Because he knew people were being hurt.””
“And?””
“He found out Daniel’s company was connected to several unexplained illnesses.””
My stomach tightened.
“Including yours?””
“Yes.””
I sat down across from him.
“What happened?””
Theo looked at me.
“The cancer wasn’t random.””
I went still.
“Explain.””
“I can’t prove it yet.””
“That’s not enough.””
“I know.””
He pulled out a folder.
Not a hospital folder.
A legal one.
“I found this.””
I opened it.
Inside were copies of emails.
Messages.
Reports.
The names were blurred in some places.
But one name appeared repeatedly.
Daniel Voss.
Another appeared too.
My father’s.
“What am I looking at?””
“Evidence that your father tried to expose him.””
I looked closer.
Dates.
Meetings.
Complaints.
My father had spent years collecting information.
“But why didn’t he tell me?””
Theo’s expression changed.
“Because he was afraid.””
“Of Daniel?””
“Yes.””
“And he was right?””
Theo nodded.
“Daniel never stopped watching.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Then why did you leave me?””
This time Theo took longer.
“Because I found out something worse.””
“What?””
He looked at me.
“I found out Daniel knew about you.””
I felt my heartbeat change.
“He knew I existed?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Because he had access to your adoption records.””
“Why?””
Theo’s face tightened.
“Because your birth was part of the evidence he wanted destroyed.””
I stared.
“What evidence?””
Theo opened another document.
“This.””
I looked down.
It was a medical report.
A patient file.
The name was unfamiliar.
But the date wasn’t.
The date was the day I was born.
“What is this?””
Theo swallowed.
“The first successful case.””
“Successful case of what?””
He looked at me.
“Genetic manipulation.””
The words sounded impossible.
I pushed the paper away.
“No.””
“I know how it sounds.””
“No, Theo.””
I stood.
“You’re telling me my birth was some experiment?””
“No.””
“Then stop talking like that.””
He stood too.
“Roz, listen.””
“I’m listening.””
“Your mother was not part of an experiment.””
“Then what?””
“She was part of a study.””
“What’s the difference?””
“The difference is she was supposed to be monitored, not harmed.””
“That doesn’t make it better.””
“I know.””
I looked away.
My entire identity had become a medical file.
A research note.
A secret.
Theo stepped closer.
“I found out Daniel was still trying to locate you.””
“Why?””
“Because you are the only living connection to the original research.””
I felt numb.
“What does that mean?””
“It means he thinks your DNA can help him recreate what he lost.””
The park suddenly felt too open.
Too exposed.
“Is he watching me?””
Theo didn’t answer.
I looked at him.
“Is he?””
Finally, he said:
“Yes.””
I swallowed.
“Then why leave me alone?””
His face broke.
“Because I thought if I wasn’t near you, he wouldn’t use you to get to me.””
I stared at him.
“You thought leaving your wife would protect her?””
“Yes.””
“It destroyed me.””
“I know.””
“You could have told me.””
“I should have.””
“You could have let me choose.””
“I know.””
The anger was still there.
But something else was there too.
The realization that Theo’s betrayal had come from fear, not indifference.
That didn’t erase it.
But it changed it.
My phone suddenly rang.
My father.
I answered.
“What?””
His voice was urgent.
“Roz, where are you?””
“With Theo.””
A pause.
Then:
“Get away from him.””
My heart dropped.
“What?””
“Right now.””
“Why?””
Silence.
Then my father said:
“Because I just found out Theo never told you the most important part.””
I looked at Theo.
His face changed.
“What part?””
My father’s voice became barely a whisper.
“The reason Daniel Voss was interested in your DNA…”
A pause.
“…wasn’t because of your mother.””
I held my breath.
“Then why?””
My father said:
“Because Theo’s cancer wasn’t caused by Daniel’s research.””
The world stopped.
I looked at Theo.
He looked terrified.
My father continued:
“It was caused by something Theo brought into your life.””
My hand went cold.
“What?””
My father’s voice cracked.
“Roz…”
A long silence.
May you like
Then:
“Ask your husband what happened the night before he got sick.””
