For a couple who almost has everything, it could be very difficult to give each other presents when gift-giving occasions come up. After all, what do you give someone who already has everything they could wish for and someone who could afford to buy anything they want?
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As this wife starts to look for the perfect gift, she set her eyes on a DNA test. She then purchased an extensive DNA test as a gift for him in case he would want to reach out to his biological parents. But her husband’s reaction was not what she expected.
A mysterious past
Mandy and Joshua have been married for a while. In the five years that they were together, their love resulted in two beautiful children. Despite the time they spent together and the life they shared, Mandy always found Joshua’s past to be very mysterious.
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While Joshua knew everything about her, there was a part of Joshua’s life that she will never get to know. Even Joshua agreed about the mysterious part of his life. You see, he had no idea who his real parents were.
Abandoned baby
Joshua only knew one thing when it comes to his biological parents. He was told that his real mother left him on the doorsteps of an orphanage when he was still a baby. His mother simply left a note that said “I am too young. I am not ready to be a mother yet.”
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Lucky for him, a loving family adopted him. His new parents raised him well and allowed him to go to high-quality schools so that he would grow up to be successful. Joshua was smart and was able to attend college at a good university as a finance student.
His missing piece
When Joshua graduated from college, he was welcomed with a lot of opportunities in the real world. Joshua took every chance he can to pursue his goals and he was able to put himself into a financially stable situation. Even though he became successful, there was that gnawing feeling that something was missing.
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Later on, Joshua met Mandy and as he got to know her better, he realized that she was what was missing in his life. Joshua felt that everything was falling into place now. He has found the love of his life. It did not take long for the two lovebirds to get married.
A perfect life
Thanks to Joshua’s success in his career, Joshua and Mandy lived a comfortable life and their marriage was very peaceful. Joshua was promoted to a high position in a bank and soon, money was not a problem for their family.
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They were not ultra-rich but they definitely had everything they needed and were able to afford anything they could want in the future. Their financial status, although very convenient, soon became an inconvenience for the two.
The torture of gift-giving
When you have everything you want, how can you give each other gifts? Every year it became harder for Joshua and Mandy to give each other presents. It came to a point that they were dreading the holidays.
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Christmas was coming up and Mandy was running out of gift ideas for Joshua. She already gave him a luxury watch, a German Shepherd, and even a trip to Central America. What else could he want for Christmas?
A thoughtful gift
Mandy found herself clicking through different ads online. Then, she found herself on a website known for listing unconventional gifts. Mandy sat up and started browsing till she found the perfect present. Mandy ordered an extensive DNA kit for Joshua.
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Now, most people probably would not see why a DNA test kit makes a perfect gift but that’s because most people already know their family and relatives. This was not the case for Joshua. His biological family was a big question mark and there was no way of determining who they are.
Leaving the past behind
Joshua often told her that he did not really care about tracking down his biological family because his life was perfect the way it is. Doing so may just complicate things. Mandy had a feeling that he was lying about it.
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Mandy found it strange that someone in Joshua’s position is not at all curious about his past. What if he had close relatives out there looking for him too? Mandy hoped this DNA test kit could give them some clues.
The best kit
And this was no ordinary DNA test kit. Mandy made sure she got the best one because Joshua deserved the best version of anything. Mandy made sure she got the most complete and reliable DNA test on the website.
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It was a DNA test that would show matches with any relative who took a DNA test as well. It was very expensive but the money was not a problem. And Mandy had hoped that someone was looking for Joshua out there so that they could get a match.
Excited for Christmas
It would take a few days for the DNA test to be delivered but Mandy made sure that the kit would arrive before Christmas. When the package finally arrived, Mandy could barely hold in her excitement. Even Joshua was able to notice that she was acting happier than usual.
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When Joshua asked why was she acting strange, Mandy could not help but brag that she had found the best Christmas gift for him. She believed in it so strongly that Joshua started to believe that he would be receiving a great present too. This made Joshua look forward to Christmas, which was just a few days away.
Christmas day
Finally, Christmas arrived. The whole family gathered by the Christmas tree to open their presents. Mandy requested Joshua to open his gift from her last. She was not sure how Joshua would react and she would want the kids to be busy with their new presents when he opens Mandy’s gifts.
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Amused, Joshua waited for their kids to finish opening their gifts. Then, he retrieved the small package that contained Mandy’s gift. Mandy held her breath as he unwrapped it. At first, Joshua looked confused.
Wrong move
Joshua turned the box over and read the text at the back and realized what it was. Mandy searched Joshua’s face for any signs of joy but instead, he had a serious expression on his face. Mandy instantly knew that she had made a mistake.
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Joshua first looked at his kids and said “Those new toys are cool. Why don’t you guys play with them in your bedroom?” Then he waited for the kids to be in their rooms before he faced Mandy. The fact that he sent the kids out of the room to talk to her privately was not a good sign.
He was not ready
Joshua looked at his gift a little more and there was an uncomfortable silence between the two. Mandy tried to break the silence by explaining to him why she chose it as a gift. Joshua patiently listened to her and even though she tried her best to sound happy and turn it into a positive thing, she could see that Joshua was not feeling the same way about it.
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Joshua then sighed and held her hand. “Honey, I don’t know if I’m ready to know about this. My life is complete – with the kids, with you. I don’t need to change anything. I don’t want this.” Mandy nodded in understanding and took the gift from him.
Changing her mind
Mandy told her husband that she understood his reasons and that she will respect his decision. Joshua asked her to get rid of the DNA test and Mandy obliged. She took the test from him and left the room about to throw it away.
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But in Mandy’s mind, the need to know more about her husband’s past grew. She was determined to find the truth about his past even if he did not want to take the test. So, instead of taking the test to the trash, Mandy hid it in one of the cupboards in her kitchen for the meantime.
A sneaky plan
Since Joshua made it clear that he did not want to look for his biological family, Mandy had to get samples secretly. She asked the lab in charge of processing the result if this was possible. The people at the lab allowed her to do so and gave her instructions on how to take the samples discreetly.
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Mandy needed a couple of samples for the elaborate DNA test. She needed to collect skin cells, some hair, nail clippings, and saliva samples. These should all be placed in individual sterile bags and sent to the lab, which was just less than an hour away from their home.
Gathering the DNA samples
Some of the samples were easy to collect. She got skin cells and hair samples in the bathroom after Joshua took his bath. She had to wait for Joshua to clip his nails and then pretended to throw away the clippings for him since she was headed towards the trashcan. The difficult part was getting the saliva sample.
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One day, while he was eating breakfast, Mandy challenged him to catch candy in his mouth. He did not know that it was actually a ball with a transparent plastic sheet all over it. When Josh spits the plastic out, Mandy laughed and said it was a prank. Mandy retrieved the ball and discreetly placed it in a small sterile bag.
Mission accomplished
When Joshua left for work, Mandy called up the lab and told them that she was on the way to drop the samples. Once that was done, she was told that all she had to do was wait for the results. Mandy felt a thrill over pulling all of this off behind her husband’s back. She was excited to know the results.
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Meanwhile, Joshua was oblivious to what was going on. He was happy that Mandy had stopped bothering him about taking the DNA test and meeting his biological family. He had no idea that his wife had betrayed his wishes.
Guilt sets in
But as the days passed, the guilt of taking samples and submitting them for the DNA test without Joshua’s knowledge was starting to grow. As Mandy waited for the results, she spent each day wondering if she did the right thing.
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She knew it was too late to cancel the test results. She then decided that it would be best if she did not look at them at all. But one day, a notification popped up on her phone. It was the test result! All of a sudden, she could feel her entire body heat up. Joshua was sitting next to her on the couch and had no idea.
Curiosity wins
The thought of doing the right thing by not checking the test results was gone from her mind. She told Joshua she needed to go to the bathroom and excused herself. On the way, she grabbed her laptop and locked herself in their bathroom. She could not help herself. She needed to know.
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Mandy opened the email the lab sent her which included a lot of information. Mandy was confused at first about how they were relevant. She did not care about how far Joshua’s roots were gone and what countries his ancestors were from. She only needed the names of his closest matches.
A familiar name
The DNA test did not disappoint though. They were able to link Joshua’s DNA with other DNA samples in their database. For privacy reasons, only the last names of these people were provided. But it was enough for Mandy to work on when it comes to tracking down Joshua’s real parents.
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As Mandy looked at the list, the last name of the closest match to Joshua sounded familiar. She immediately took out her phone and did a search on her Facebook app. The first hit she got instantly made sense and this woman is her Facebook friend!
An overwhelming realization
It was a surprising coincidence. Given the chance, Mandy knew that it would be easier for her to let this woman and Joshua meet. Mandy tried to think back about where she knew this woman and what she remembered.
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Suddenly, some memories hit her, and Mandy immediately felt overwhelmed. Without thinking, she started to shake out of excitement at what she discovered. She could not contain her thoughts and found herself saying “Oh my God!” loudly.
Caught in the act
Joshua had heard his wife screaming and immediately ran upstairs, worried that something bad had happened to Mandy. He rushed into the master’s bedroom and into their bathroom. He then immediately felt confused when he saw Mandy.
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She was just sitting in the bathtub, her laptop beside her and her hands on her phone. At that moment, Mandy was speechless. She did not have the time to come up with an excuse so she had no choice but to come clean and tell the truth.
Is this the end?
Joshua was disappointed. He could not believe that Mandy would do this behind his back after telling her so many times that he was not interested in meeting his biological family. Mandy stayed silent to give him time to process his thoughts. She then said in a soft voice, “I think I know your mother.”
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Joshua felt his knees go weak and he sat down beside Mandy. They sat in silence for a while. Mandy started to feel nervous. What if Joshua decides to leave her over this? It felt like she had just made the worst decision of her life by doing the DNA test. Finally, Joshua asked, “Who is she?”
Explaining her suspicions
Mandy was relieved. She then showed the test result and the name of Joshua’s closest match. She shared how it sounded familiar and when she did a Facebook search it just made sense. The woman in question was Estelle, an older colleague from her old job.
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Since the DNA test only gave last names, Joshua asked Mandy what made her sure that this woman was his biological mother. Mandy was not that close to Estelle but she did remember that they were able to exchange a few life stories while at work.
How she made the connection
Mandy remembered how Estelle shared about her troubled past when she was younger. In fact, Estelle told her about getting pregnant at 18 years old and how she had to give up the baby. It was just too much of a coincidence.
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After a long discussion, Mandy and Joshua ended up deciding to contact Estelle just to clear things up. Mandy started to chat with Estelle on Facebook. When Mandy told her about what she found out, she eventually, invited her over to their house.
Reunited
Estelle immediately came over and when Josh opened the door, Estelle immediately felt a shiver go through her body. She instantly knew without a doubt that this man is her son. Estelle could not believe it. She had been dreaming of this moment for a long time.
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Once all the facts were cleared, it was pretty clear that Estelle was Joshua’s real mother. And even if Joshua was not crazy about the idea of meeting his biological mother, he seemed happy now that he met Estelle. It was a life-changing moment for Mandy and Joshua.
Getting closure
Estelle was able to explain why she left Joshua in the orphanage and apologized for it. Joshua told her there was no need to apologize since he was taken in by a good family that gave him a lot of opportunities.
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Joshua made efforts to reconnect with Estelle in the next days after their first meeting. They were able to spend a lot of time together trying to get to know each other and making up for all the time they missed.
Her best mistake
As mother and son made up for a lost time, Mandy could not help but feel relieved that everything went well. Estelle took Joshua’s family to meet the rest of the family and everyone was happy that their family had just gotten bigger.
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Even if Mandy did something that she should not have done, in the end, it all did work out. Mandy did what Joshua was too afraid to do and in the end, he was able to meet his biological family. Reuniting Estelle and Joshua was the best mistake that Mandy did and there were no regrets.