Painful DNA truth - ‘Frank’ finds out he is not the father

As Betty* sat in the waiting room of Polygenics Consulting on Melmac Avenue in St Andrew, her hands trembled, betraying the nervousness she tried to hide.

The DNA test results she was about to receive will confirm or shatter everything she believed about her four-year-old daughter's paternity. She hoped the test would prove that Frank* was the father, but deep down, uncertainty gnawed at her.

Betty and Frank were together for three years, but their relationship was riddled with betrayal. Frank's infidelity was relentless, and he had cheated on her multiple times -- even with women from their own community. Hurt and angry, Betty eventually found solace in the arms of another man, an encounter she insists happened only once.

A month later, she discovered she was pregnant. Despite her indiscretion, she was convinced Frank was the father. When she broke the news to him, he embraced the pregnancy with joy. The two were in a bliss until months later, when Frank confessed that he had impregnated another woman in their community.

This news shattered Betty's heart, and in a moment of rage, she admitted her own infidelity. However, while she was prepared to accept Frank's outside child, he refused to raise a child that might not be his. This led their already-strained relationship to crumble, and the question of paternity lingered like a dark cloud over them.

Determined to uncover the truth, Frank reached out to THE WEEKEND STAR's DNA Detective for help. DNA testing company Polygenics Consulting provided a test free of cost. Frank and the child were swabbed and a DNA analysis conducted to determine whether they are related.

Last week, Betty and Frank turned up at the DNA company's offices for the results. The air was thick with tension as they waited. Then came the moment of truth. Frank is not the father!

Betty broke down instantly, tears streaming down her cheeks as the weight of the truth hit her. Frank, however, struggled to suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Despite his efforts to remain composed, the confirmation vindicated him.

"Yuh see, this is why mi did tell yuh seh when yuh seh she favour mi, that nuh mean seh she a mine," Frank said calmly as Betty held her head in shame.

He continued, "You and yuh family cuss and tell everybody how mi a wicked man because mi never did a claim her. But look yah now, the test prove it -- she a nuh mine!"

Frank admitted that while he felt relieved to have clarity, a small part of him had wished for a different outcome.

"Mi love mi kids dem, and all a dem live wid mi. If she was mine, mi wouldn't have no problem taking care of her. But deep down, mi did just know," he said, insisting that Betty tell her daughter the truth as soon as possible.

"Mi know seh she young enuh, but she need fi know the truth," he said.

Betty, who had remained silent until then, shot back bitterly, "Nuh worry 'bout dat. Yuh better just mek sure di rest a yuh kids dem a fi yuh to!"

Her words shifted the mood in the room, sparking instant tension. Frank's expression hardened. "Nuh bring mi other kids dem into dis!" he snapped.

Yet, something in Betty's statement seemed to plant a seed of doubt in his mind. He hesitated before asking if multiple DNA tests could be done -- only to quickly dismiss the thought, reassuring himself that he had no reason to question the paternity of his other children.

As for Betty, her world has been turned upside down. She told THE WEEKEND STAR that she had no way of contacting the other man she had been with during the time her daughter was conceived.

"Mi nah look fi him, mi will gwan raise mi daughter pan mi own," she declared.

*Names changed to protect identities.