Betty prayed to God, asking Him to forgive her sins. She was willing to do anything to save Stephan, her first and only child. Lockhart saw how distraught she was and went to sit beside her.
With an arm around her shoulders, he gently patted her back, assuring her that everything would be alright. At that moment, Ronald walked into the hospital and headed to Stephan's ward.
When he reached Stephan's ward, Ronald saw Lockhart kiss Betty. Although it was brief, it was still a kiss.
"Why would she kiss him?" he asked himself, astonished and slightly hurt. "Who is that man? He looks familiar."
Ronald immediately called the doctor in charge of the hospital, his friend, Vincent. "Vincent, a friend of mine is at the hospital right now. You've met her before—her name is Betty."
"Yes, she's here. I've placed her son in the VIP ward," Vincent replied.
"Do you know the man with her?" Ronald asked.
"He seems to be a friend of hers, I think," Vincent responded.
"Can you do something for me?"
"Tell me it's not something illegal," Vincent sighed.
"I need you to perform a DNA test on her son," Ronald said.
"A DNA test?" Vincent shook his head firmly. "I can't do that—not without his parents' consent."
"Remember that woman I told you about, the one blackmailing me? It's Betty."
"She's the one blackmailing you? I thought you two were friends?" Vincent was shocked by Ronald's revelation.
"Friends with benefits, I guess." Ronald forced a smile.
"So, if she's blackmailing you, does that mean Stephan might be your son?"
"That's why I need the DNA test. Can you find a way to get that man's blood?" Ronald asked.
"It'll be difficult, but I'll try," Vincent answered. "What if the results come out, and he is your son?"
"Trust me, Vincent; that kid is not my son," Ronald insisted.
---
Vincent, after ending the call with Ronald, approached Lockhart and Betty. He was anxious about what he was about to do, but he had to help his friend.
"Ma'am, you're the boy's mother, right?" he asked Betty. He knew her, but he wasn't certain she remembered him.
"Yes. How is Stephan?" Betty looked exhausted. Her eyes were swollen, and her hair was disheveled. It was clear she loved her son.
"Is he the father?" Vincent asked, wary of her response. His question served two purposes: to confirm if she really didn't recognize him and to determine if she had lied to Ronald about Stephan's paternity.
After a moment's hesitation, Betty decided to tell the truth. "No, he's not the father."
"Stephan seems to have lost a lot of blood—" Before Vincent could finish, Betty interrupted.
"Lost a lot of blood? But there wasn't any blood at the house! He just fainted, that's all." Her tone was alarmed.
Vincent noticed how perceptive she was. She knew who to trust and who not to trust. To gain even a sliver of her trust, he'd need a plausible reason for requiring Lockhart's blood.
"Relax. I don't know why, but after running some tests on your son, it appears he's lost a lot of blood. In fact, he's still losing blood as we speak," Vincent explained.
"Then take my blood," she offered.
"Are you O-negative?" Vincent asked, hoping she would say no.
"Well, I'm not," Betty replied, tears in her eyes. "Is he going to die?"
Vincent felt a surge of relief but kept his expression neutral. "That's why I need his father's presence. Where is his father?"
Betty looked troubled when Vincent asked about her husband. She was clearly torn about whether to call Stephan's real father. From her hesitation, Vincent was now almost certain Ronald wasn't the boy's father.
"I'm the boy's father," Lockhart declared, stepping forward. But Betty stopped him.
"Stephan is dying. We have to save him. He's my son, and I have to save him. I don't care if our secrets come out," Lockhart insisted.
"He's not your son," Betty replied quietly.
"What?" Lockhart was stunned. "But you said—"
"I know what I said," Betty replied. "He's not your son."
Even Vincent was bewildered at this point. If Ronald wasn't Stephan's father, and Lockhart wasn't either, did this mean that Steve was actually Stephan's father after all?
Betty took out her phone and dialed a number saved as Stephan's Father. A few seconds later, the call connected.
"Hello, Betty," Damian answered. "Is there a problem?"