One of the most challenging aspects of any relationship is when children are involved. Unfortunately, they can become innocent victims caught in the middle of problems or even contribute to them if we let them. In this story, we explore the surprising case of a 5-year-old who began avoiding his own mother, raising questions among other family members.

When faced with a situation like this, it’s always uncertain what the underlying issue might be. The truth often turns out to be different from what we initially assume. To truly understand what happened, we need to read the story.

Candice, a stay-at-home mother devoted to her family and son, Sam, noticed that her son had suddenly started avoiding her. Every time she tried to show affection by kissing or hugging him, he would run away. This sudden change puzzled everyone in the family.

One day, while Candice was out grocery shopping, Robert, Sam’s father, decided to talk to him about why he had been avoiding his mom. “Sam, why have you been avoiding your mom recently?” Robert asked.

“Mom has changed. She has a secret and doesn’t want to share it with me,” the little boy replied.

Confused, Robert questioned further, “What do you mean? What secret?”

Sam explained that his mother would cry in her room while holding a green box. Whenever he walked in and asked her why she was crying, she would scream at him and tell him to leave. Sam shared that she would quickly hide a photo in the green box and place it under the mattress when he entered the room.

Robert was shocked and bewildered. “How often have you heard your mom crying?” he asked Sam.

Sam replied, “This week, she’s been crying almost every day. She thinks I don’t notice, but I can hear her, and I see her swollen eyes. But now she locks her door, and when I come to ask her what’s wrong, she acts like nothing happened. I don’t like it, Daddy. You need to do something.”

“Don’t worry, son. Your mom probably has her reasons. I’ll talk to her,” Robert tried to reassure Sam, although he was secretly worried about Candice and the secret she was hiding from them.

One day, consumed by suspicion, Robert decided to search their bedroom for the green box. To his surprise, he found it under the mattress, containing jewelry and a photograph. The picture was of a happy, handsome man, bearing a striking resemblance to Candice. Robert was devastated, thinking that his wife had a secret lover.

That night, he confronted Candice about the photo and his apprehensions. “Candice, do you have a secret lover?”

Confused and hurt, Candice replied, “What? Rob, what are you talking about?”

Robert showed her the picture and said, “I found this photo. Who is he?”

“Oh no… I didn’t want anyone to know about this,” Candice confessed as tears filled her eyes.

“Are you admitting to cheating on me?” asked Robert, feeling betrayed.

“No, no, I didn’t cheat. Okay, I’ll tell you the whole story, but please promise me you won’t tell anyone,” Candice pleaded.

“Before my grandmother passed away, she gave me this photo. She told me that I had to decide what to do with it,” Candice began. “She revealed that my mother had cheated on my dad with her lover and became pregnant with twins – me and my brother. Her lover wanted to be a father, but she loved my dad and chose to stay with him.”

“As a result, my mom and her lover secretly agreed to each take one child and raise them in different families. My mom told my dad that I was his, and he had no reason to doubt her,” Candice continued, her voice trembling.

“But before her lover died of cancer, he went to my grandmother and showed her a photo of the grandson she never knew she had.”

“You see, my mom and dad have been together for over 35 years, and it would devastate him if he found out about my mom’s betrayal,” Candice reluctantly revealed. “But at the same time, I have a twin brother, and I want to know him.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Robert spoke gently, “So, it’s your twin brother in the photo?”

Candice managed to nod as Robert hugged her. “I’m so sorry for doubting your faithfulness. But why did you cry so often in your room?”

“I cried because I never had the chance to know my biological father. And I can’t enter my brother’s life without hurting my mom and dad,” Candice explained through her tears.

“But it’s not your fault. It was your mom who caused all this confusion. You have every right to know your twin brother, honey,” Robert reassured her.

“I don’t know. It’s not that simple,” Candice replied. As weeks passed, she still wrestled with the decision of whether or not to reach out to her brother and share this secret with her family.