The Devil's Sweetheart

The house was vacant except for the guards outside the house when Francis arrived home. Upon enquiring the guards, he learned Caleb, Grace, and his mother went grocery shopping. He trudged his tired body upstairs and slackly pushed open the bedroom door. Since morning, his schedule was packed with back-to-back meetings, and he had no time to grab lunch. Francis put his head back on the chair and closed his eyes, but the pounding headache intensified. The monster in his head started clawing his mind. He pulled the flatware drawer but found an empty medicine box.

''Argh! This headache is killing me.'' His mother must have had the pills, but she would definitely tell she misremembered the place if he calls her. So, he texted Heather to see if she got any in her room, and he received a reply in a fleet second.[Heather: In the first drawer box of the bedside table]

Unable to bear the one-side headache, Francis quickly strode into her room. He pulled the first drawer, and except for a book related to medicine, he found nothing. Francis opened the second one, and again there was nothing except a cover with a DNA pattern. He closed the drawer, tried his luck in the third, and was relieved to see a medicine kit. 

Opening the water bottle sitting on top of the table, he took a few sips of a drink to moisten his throat before swallowing the headache pill. He grabbed a couple of pills as a protective measure in case the headache doesn't come down. Francis prepared to leave but then halted when he recalled on top of the DNA pattern cover, he briefly saw a name 'DNA test report' printed on it when he opened the second drawer earlier.

''I am certain it's DNA report. But whose DNA report it is?'' Without any hesitation, Francis reopened the drawer and pulled the A4-sized paper from the cover. The names displaying on the first row completely blew his mind ''Child Leena and Alleged father, Won-Shik.'' His eyes moved to the end of the page, and he read the sentence aloud. ''Probability of paternity 0. The alleged father is excluded as the biological father of the tested child...''

''Who is this Won-Shik?'' The name rolled on his tongue, yet the images of a person's face didnot flash. ''Why did Heather take a DNA test of Leena and a stranger? Isn't Max Leena's father?'' At the corner end of the drawer, Francis found a paper card. He picked it up and read, ''Contazer cosmetic surgery, Korea.''

''Why did she go to Korea to visit a cosmetic surgery clinic when she could find the best in this city.'' Francis googled the name of the hospital and was taken back upon seeing the hospital owner. 

''Won-Shik again. How did he become the prime suspect in being Leena's father?'' He could ask Heather for the truth, but he knows she will search for a lie to conceal it. There is only one person whom he could rely on to know the answers. Capturing the pictures on his phone, Francis called Evelyn, and on knowing, she is still at the hospital, he was off to meet her.

''What's so urgent that you want to meet me in the hospital?'' Evelyn asked, approaching Francis. He sat on the bench, his usual calm demeanor little tensed.

Without beating around the bush, Francis asked. ''Why did you go to a cosmetic surgery clinic in Korea? Don't we have enough famous hospitals in New York?''

Evelyn gulped and turned away. ''Well, we heard it's a famous hospital. Since we planned a trip to Korea, we visited the hosp. Why are you concerned about_''

Francis sported the image screen in front of Evelyn's eyes before she completed her sentence. ''Then what explanation do you have for this? I am sure you must be knowing about this.''

Oh no, Heather! Why didn't you discard the report? Evelyn stared at Francis with a perplexed expression, her face showing indecision to tell him the truth or leave it for Heather to deal with. 

''I am asking as your friend, Evelyn.'' Francis's gaze was calm. ''Please tell me. I want to know what exactly Heather is hiding.''

With the pressure Francis was imposing on her, Evelyn had no choice but to open her mouth. ''Max is not Leena's father.'' She revealed.

''Based on the DNA report, I can guess it already.'' His voice was grave to know further. ''But how did it turn out?''

''It all started in the cruise ship of Devin's birthday,'' Evelyn started. She explained the incident that happened on the cruise ship.

''Hold on.'' Francis stopped, his eyes went wide with shock. ''You are saying I spend a night with a woman? What kind of rubbish you are_''

''You were drunk, Francis,'' Evelyn stressed her words, reminding him of the reality. ''And the following day, you were burning down with fever. Care to explain how much you remember of that night?''

''I_I this is..this is hard to digest.'' He remembered getting drunk. Although he doesn't recall anything of that night, he couldn't accept the fact that he had spent a night with a stranger. His headache was returning, his heart beating so fast that he would not wonder if he would pass out if he didn't calm down.

Evelyn didnot hold back in telling him about Heather's hasty decision of marriage as well.

''What've my pictures got to do with Heather's marriage?'' Another mystery of Heather's was added to his list.

''Because she loves you.'' Evelyn's revelation turned Francis's world upside down.

''W_what..That's not true...'' Francis shook his head. First, he has spent a night with an unknown woman whom he doesn't know. That blew him hard, and now he learned Heather loved him. The pills must have started to take effect on him to experience hallucinations. 

''Then why do you think Heather turned down every proposal? Why do you think she stopped talking with you when you were involved in a dating scandal?''

Francis's brain stopped dead in his tracks.

''Open your eyes, Francis.. This is the reality check of your life.''

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