A millionaire named Richard Mason lived a seemingly normal life, enjoying his business and co-parenting three sons with his ex-wife of over 20 years. However, his life was shaken to the core when he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Yet, it was not the illness that surprised him the most when he found out how his ex-wife could have been lying to him the whole time. From one surprising news to another, Richard could not believe how his life had turned upside down instantly. Here is how he dug out what she had been lying about for their entire marriage…

Thinking All Was Well

Richard Mason was a renowned businessman living in the United Kingdom. At the age of 55, he has already achieved so much, and one of his biggest endeavors was co-founding a popular website, MoneySupermarket.com. It attracted many customers as it helped them compare prices while shopping.

He thought he had it good in his romantic life too. He met the love of his life, Kate, when they both worked at a bank. They fell in love, walked the aisle, and were blessed with three sons. At one moment, Richard was living a good work, family, and personal life. He never expected everything would turn upside down in an instant.

The Truth Is Slowly Unfolding

While the couple had already been divorced since 2008, it was not until 2016 that Richard learned something about their marriage that shook his existence. It turned out that his ex-wife had been hiding a major secret from him since they married.

He might have understood that she was chasing after his money, but he never expected this kind of betrayal, he soon discovered. She even made it worse by not saying or admitting anything, as he found out about the secret all by himself. The truth started to unfold when Richard went to the doctor for a routine health check-up.

The Diagnosis

It was a pretty normal day for Richard, except that he had to visit the doctor for his routine check-up. Despite that, he still thought it was just a mundane day and expected to finish the medical appointment in no time. However, his doctor decided to run some extra tests on that day.

His life turned upside down when the doctor came in and delivered the difficult news. It turned out that Richard was suffering from cystic fibrosis. At one point, he thought it was just a normal check-up day, but now he bears the news about the endangerment of his life, and this was a difficult pill to swallow.

Divorce Was Next In Line

Just as they thought everything was going accordingly, their marriage eventually came to the point of divorce. They had three sons together: Will and twins Ed and Joel. When Will turned 23, and the twins were 19, the couple decided to part ways.

It was a peaceful decision as they both acknowledged that their marriage was no longer serving them. Despite that, they remained civil towards one another and still tried to grow a close relationship with their children as they agreed it was best for the family. With all of their sons turning of legal age, Richard and Kate finalized their divorce in early 2008.

Money Matters Regarding Divorce

Richard and Kate might have mutually agreed to their divorce, but once the proceedings began, the latter demanded Richard pay more. Eventually, they decided on a financial settlement where Kate would receive a $5 million lump sum.

The amount included the education finances for their three sons, provided they all attended a private school. Yet it seemed like it was not enough for Kate as he would still keep convincing Richard to give more. Richard was doubtful about why his ex-wife kept on wanting more than what was enough. In an interview, he admitted that she hounded her for years.

The Doctor Has More To Say

Just as he thought it was the worse news he had ever received, the doctor was not done with all the explanations. He told Richard that the disease was genetic, and he remembered that his sister had been diagnosed with the same condition.

Richard was immediately startled because he knew there was a possibility that he had passed the disease on to his three sons. Cystic fibrosis damages the lungs, digestive tract, and other related organs. It is a defective gene that can be passed from generation to generation, and there is no exact cure for it yet. This made Richard tremble in fear for his children.

Toughest Question To Ask

Although Richard was surprised that he bore the disease, he was more afraid for his children. It was a tough conversation to open up to his doctor, and although he did not want to hear about the disease his sons might have, he had to ask so that they could give them the proper diagnosis and care.

While he was still sitting in the clinic trying to process everything, he was also mustering up the courage to ask about the possibility his children could be sick too. After a while, he came up with the important questions, and lo and behold, the answer is not what we may think.

More Surprising News Rushed In

As he asked about his children, the doctor answered something that hurt his head and heart more. The doctor turned to the topic of fertility and told him that he might have difficulty bearing children with his new partner because he is expected to be infertile as a man with cystic fibrosis.

When Richard heard what the doctor said, he had no idea what to ask anymore. Are his three sons his biological children? If not, then who? Or maybe he was misdiagnosed and had to be tested again? Or could he have a special type of cystic fibrosis that allow him to procreate?

It Should Be The Diagnosis, Right?

He did not know what to say to the doctor with all the thoughts in his mind. In a little while, he vocalized his belief that maybe the diagnosis was wrong, and if he had to undergo more testing to ensure his condition, he was more than willing to do so.

In an interview, Richard said he was pleased to offer the doctor to test him again. The diagnosis could have been wrong for him, and he does not want to entertain any thought possibilities. To his surprise, the doctor only looked at him with surprised eyes, and both of them knew what he would say next.

Sadly, The Diagnosis Was Correct

When the doctor turned silent and looked at him with wide eyes after he offered to be tested again, he realized he knew what he would say next. Unfortunately, the diagnosis was correct, and he is indeed suffering from cystic fibrosis.

Richard didn't know what was worse; was it the news of his disease or knowing that his ex-wife was lying to him the whole time and his three sons could not actually be his children? It felt like his world was crashing down; his thoughts were mixed, and his heart felt all kinds of emotions, yet he did not know what to do.

Slowly Putting The Puzzle Pieces Together

Richard remained seated at the doctor's office and almost felt like he could not move. The truth dawned on him, and possibilities of what the truth could be weakened his system. Realizations flashed through his head, and he began thinking of all the times Kate could have lied to him.

He remembered the moments of potential red flags where he just shushed off. Sometimes he thought Kate was doing something sneaky, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he wanted to trust his wife during their marriage. How could she do all this?

Hints From The Past

Now that Richard has the list of possibilities of what Kate could have been lying to him the entire time, he thinks of all the moments in the past when they were still married. He had never considered that she could have been having an affair, but looking back on it now, there were possibilities that he had missed.

Richard often worked late nights as a businessman and did not consider it a big deal when Kate occasionally went out or had a work-related trip. He remembered when she went to London for a night to attend to a work-related matter and said her flight had been canceled.

People's Comments On His Twins Are Sinking In

Richard also remembered how people would comment on how much his twins looked like their mother but not like him. When he would hear this in the past, he just shrugged it off because he never thought of the possibility that the twins were not biologically his.

He also thought those were just random opinions from people, which did not really matter because at least the twins looked like his ex-wife, with whom he believed he shared genes. Yet now that everything is slowly sinking in, those comments seem to be louder than ever. There were also mysteries about their first child.

Kate Wanted Their Kids To Be Jewish

Richard and Kate had already been married for seven years when they became pregnant with their first child, Will. They did not talk about religion for the longest time, and Kate never mentioned wanting to introduce Judaism to their children. However, she brought it up when she was pregnant with Will.

This caught Richard by surprise because he thought they would teach and baptize their children to Christianity, as both of them had been. However, Kate was persistent with her plans and let a Rabbi teach kids about Judaism. He also realized they gave all three of them Jewish middle names.

So... Who?

These were just some of the moments Richard recalled and wished he had paid more attention to. Now, he transfers to the next big question: who could be the man who had an affair with Kate and could be the biological father of the three children?

He thought of who the boys looked like other than Kate and retrieved the faces of people in the past who could have established a connection with his ex-wife. After some time, he realized the three children had similarities to someone he knew. However, he was still uncertain and knew he had to clarify all factors to get to the bottom of it.

Playing Detective

As such, Richard started to list down names and reasons that could pass off as the potential man in this mystery. He narrowed his list of who he believed Kate was having an affair with. He suspected that she was sneaking out to meet the other man whenever she was away for work-related trips.

With that, he believed that the man could be someone from her work. He then listed all the possible names and zoomed in on one guy that Kate had worked with and seemed to resemble the boys' physical appearance. Things fell into the right places when he realized the suspected man was Jewish.

An Email To Begin This Trial

Since they are already separated, Richard cannot return to their place and immediately confront Kate. So he sent her an e-mail explaining what had happened during the day; he was diagnosed with a medical condition, found out he was infertile, and the three children could not be his own.

It was clear that Richard demanded answers. It was a bold move, yet he rightfully deserved an explanation. He was even formal enough to e-mail Kate kindly after everything he had figured out. Although undergoing tests would derail his dignity, it sounded like he was willing to undergo more just to achieve clarity.

A Read-Sign Was Not Enough

Apparently, Kate read the e-mail but did not reply. Richard felt he was already troubled enough; he was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, believed he was cheated on during the marriage, and was left wondering if the three children he dearly loved were biologically his.

He believed Kate owed him the truth, and after she did not respond, he sent another e-mail. Richard included in his message that he was willing to cooperate with whatever advice Kate could give on how they could tell their sons about their situation. Yet, if he has no choice but to take another test, he would tell the boys himself.

Kate Denied

After Richard's second e-mail, Kate finally responded. She denied having an affair during their marriage and claimed that all three boys were biologically anyone but his, no matter what science or technology suggests.

Richard was skeptical of her reply, and he knew he could not simply brush this off without proper evidence before his very eyes. He decided to go through more tests to clarify his parental status to the three children. Just like what he stated in the e-mail, if Kate would not admit the truth, he would continue with the tests and confront the boys about the truth all by himself.

The Eldest Son First

Richard next contacted his oldest son, Will, and started opening up about the matter. He was convinced that he was not his biological father and wanted to pursue a DNA test to be sure. Furthermore, he also wanted him to know that he had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Just thinking about it makes Richard's heartache; these two topics are so heavy that it would be difficult to stir up both conversations on the same day. He shared that when he told Will about his cystic fibrosis, he was surprisingly calm. Yet it was not the same with the other matter.

Sharing His Suspicions

Richard continued on with his conversation with Will and broke off even more surprising news. Although it was painful to say these things aloud, he knew Will deserved to know what was happening too. He told him that it was extremely unlikely for someone with cystic fibrosis to bear a child, and there was a possibility he was not his biological father.

Yet, the response was not something Richard expected. Will was not entirely convinced of his father's suspicions. He told him he was already ahead of him, and he could not believe he was saying Richard was not his father.

Telling Him More

Richard wanted Will to understand more and have a clearer grasp of where his conclusions were coming from. Thus, he explained every detail to him, including his disease and all the moments he figured out Kate was lying throughout their marriage. He admitted it was the hardest conversation he had had with his son.

He also confessed that it was an emotional time as father and son. When things were calmer between the two of them, Will expressed his adoration for his father and told him that he would always be his "dad," even if they were not biologically related.

He Was Not A Father After All

Things were slowly sinking into Richard, and he could not just believe what had happened. For 23 years, he thought he had three children and that his sons carried his bloodline. He loved them to the core and was proud to know he had passed down his genes.

What was happening was shocking and painful. He was welcomed with major details in his life that challenged his identity: he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, which meant he might not have much time left on earth; he learned his ex-wife had cheated on him throughout their marriage, and the sons he loved as his own were not his.

Will Confronted Kate

Although he has already seemed to accept what his father told him, Will still went on and confronted his mom about everything. Kate might have lied to Richard but admitted the truth to her son. She confessed that she had been having an affair, which started during the couple's marriage.

Moreover, she finally admitted that Will's biological father was not Richard but someone else. Richard's suspicions are true after all; Kate cheated on him, and his sons were not his own. Now, Will was left with more mystery questions: who was his father, where was he, and how could his mother betray them?

The Truth From Kate

Finally, Kate had admitted her affairs, and even though it was extremely painful for her family to bear, she owed them an explanation of the truth. She finally broke down the details and admitted that her affair with another man started after her marriage with Richard. Interestingly, she met the man the same way she met Richard- when they worked at a bank.

Proving Richard's suspicions, it was true that the man Kate had been cheating with was someone she worked in her job at Barclays bank. It was more painful to hear that she managed to keep it a secret for over two decades.

Like His Whole Life Was A Lie

After hearing everything, Richard was dumbfounded and felt like his whole life was a lie. His ex-wife has been cheating throughout their marriage, and the three boys he raised belonged to someone else. Meanwhile, although Kate admitted her illicit affairs, she insisted that the children biologically belonged to him.

Richard did not believe and went on to undergo more tests. He was guided by paternity fraud expert Roger Terrell. The fertility levels result confirmed that he was unable to father children. Already feeling worse, he decided to continue the DNA test and needed samples from the three sons. The twins had it first.

Final Revelations

The twins, Ed and Joel, agreed to take the DNA tests to confirm if Richard was their biological father. And as Richard thought, the test results confirmed that they are not biologically related. Although he already suspected it, he was still devastated to learn that the twins were not his.

Despite the shocking revelations, Ed and Joel remained on good terms with Richard. They wrote him a letter saying that he would never not be a dad to them regardless of the sudden turn of events. Richard and the twins also agreed to stay in touch and will always have and love each other.

What About Will?

Will was the first to know about the family situation, and he sounded like he had already accepted it during their conversation, but some hindrances came along. When he heard the DNA test results between Richard and the twins, he refused to cooperate when the paternity expert asked for his data.

He refused to take the test and explained that Richard was his father and they should just leave it at that. It was evident that Richard shared a good relationship with him and positively impacted his life. On the other hand, Will was proud to call him his dad and probably would not want anything to change.

But Will Did Not End There

It may seem like Will was in good riddance all along, but it turned out he was not done talking yet. He told Richard not to sue their mom and said he would never speak to Richard again if the latter would sue Kate.

Richard knew that he would have had a better standing on the case if he had Will's DNA sample, but he continued even without it. He pursued legal actions and went through with the lawsuit against Kate. Indeed, when Will discovered about it, he stayed true to his word and has not spoken to Richard since.

Richard Triumphed In The End

Even after everything that happened, Richard pursued to do things he believed were right, and in the end, he won the paternal fraud lawsuit against Kate. As a result, the court ordered her to pay over $300K. Their agreement also included that the biological father of the three children shall not be revealed.

While Richard believed the three boys have a right to know and meet their biological father, he agreed to the terms. He is slowly building his life again and undergoing treatment for cystic fibrosis. Luckily, he reported that his health is improving, and hopefully, he is completely healed from everything he went through – physically and mentally.