I took a DNA test out of curiosity… and ended up discovering a brother who insists we were raised side by side.

I’m Billy, and until just a few days ago, I truly believed I was living the ideal life. I grew up as an only child, constantly surrounded by my parents’ love and attention. They never made me feel like I was missing anything. If I wanted something, they found a way to give it to me.

Just last week, my dad surprised me with the newest gaming console out of nowhere.

“What’s this for?” I asked, staring at it with wide, excited eyes.

He just shrugged with a grin. “Do I need a reason to spoil my favorite son?”

“Your only son, you mean,” Mom chimed in with a smile.

“All the more reason to spoil him,” Dad laughed, messing up my hair.

That’s how it had always been. Just the three of us, living what felt like a perfect life. Perfect… until I stumbled onto something that changed everything.

It all began on my eighteenth birthday. I decided to treat myself to one of those ancestry DNA kits. You know the kind. The ones that tell you you’re a tiny percentage Viking or descended from some ancient region. I was just curious. Nothing serious. I never imagined it would turn my world upside down.

The day the results were due, I was pacing the house like a maniac. Refreshing my email over and over.

“Billy, sweetheart, you’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep jumping like that,” Mom called from the kitchen.

“Sorry, Mom. I’m just really excited about my DNA results.”

Then finally, the email came through.

My heart was pounding as I opened it. I was smiling, expecting something fun, something harmless.

Instead, I saw a notification that stopped my breathing.

A close match.

A brother.

Daniel.

I blinked hard, rubbed my eyes, and checked again. It had to be wrong. I was an only child. I had always been an only child.

Still stunned, I grabbed my phone and called the company’s helpline, convinced there had to be some error.

“Hello, how can I assist you today?” a cheerful voice answered.

“Hi… I just received my results, and I think there might be a mistake,” I said, unsure of myself.

“I can assure you, sir, our tests are fully accurate. All results are verified before being released.”

“Oh… okay. Thank you.”

I hung up, my mind racing. I stared back at the screen. How could I possibly have a brother I’d never heard about?

I needed answers. And there was only one person who could give them.

That night, I stayed up waiting for Dad to come home. The second I heard his car pull into the driveway, I rushed downstairs. I let him settle into the living room before stepping in.

“Hey, Dad… can we talk for a minute?”

He smiled. “Sure, kiddo. What’s going on?”

“You remember that DNA test I took?” I asked, fidgeting with my shirt.

He nodded.

“Well, I got the results today and…” I hesitated. “Do you know someone named Daniel?”

That was the moment everything shifted.

Dad’s face drained of color. His eyes widened instantly.

“Where did you hear that name?” he asked, glancing around to make sure Mom wasn’t nearby.

I told him about the results. As I spoke, his expression changed again and again. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Listen,” he said quietly. “Don’t tell your mom about this, alright? She doesn’t know. I had an affair years ago. If she finds out, she’ll leave me.”

I nodded, promising to stay quiet. But when I went back to my room, something felt wrong.

His reaction didn’t feel complete. It felt like he’d left something out.

I couldn’t sleep. I kept staring at the results, my mind spinning.

Should I message him?

Texting Daniel would mean going behind my dad’s back. But I needed the truth.

So I clicked on his profile and reached out.

He replied within half an hour.

Billy? Is it really you? I can’t believe it!

We exchanged messages and agreed to meet the next day at a café.

The next morning, I told Mom I was meeting a friend and headed out. The moment I walked in, I spotted him.

It was like looking into a mirror.

He looked so much like me it was unsettling.

“Billy?” he asked, standing.

I nodded, speechless. We sat down in awkward silence until he finally spoke.

“You remember the lake near our old house?” he asked. “We used to swing on that rusty swing set and throw rocks into the water.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “We never lived together.”

His smile faded.

“What do you mean? We lived together until we were five or six. Don’t you remember? And Scruffy, the dog? He followed us everywhere.”

I felt defensive.

“My dad says you’re the affair child. I just found out about you.”

He stared at me. “You think I’m the affair child? So you don’t remember that day? The day they took you away?”

I blinked. “Took me away? What are you talking about?”

He leaned closer, searching my face.

“We were twins, Billy. We did everything together. I remember our fifth birthday. Mom made a dinosaur cake. Half chocolate, half vanilla because you didn’t like chocolate.”

I started to deny it… but then something flickered.

A smell. Frosting. Sticky fingers. A small hand beside mine.

I shook my head. “No. My parents would never lie to me.”

He spoke gently. “I thought the same. Two years ago I took a DNA test. That’s when I found you. But you weren’t in the system yet.”

“Why don’t I remember?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe they wanted you to forget.”

I swallowed hard. “So what happened to us?”

“Our birth mom died in a car accident when we were six. We got separated in foster care. I was adopted. I thought you stayed with our real dad.”

My mind reeled. If that was true… then who were my parents?

“Did they adopt you legally?” he asked.

I didn’t know.

I stood up suddenly. “I need answers.”

“I’ll come with you,” he offered.

“Not yet,” I said.

We exchanged numbers, and I went home feeling like my life was balancing on a thread.

When I walked in, Mom and Dad were already sitting at the kitchen table, like they knew.

I dropped my keys and looked straight at them.

“Who am I?” I asked.

Silence filled the room.

“What are you talking about?” Mom whispered.

“I met Daniel. He says we’re twins. That you took me when I was five.”

Mom’s face went pale. Dad exhaled slowly.

“Billy… we were going to tell you someday.”

“When?” I snapped. “You said he was from an affair.”

“That wasn’t true,” Dad admitted. “I panicked.”

Mom’s voice shook. “You’re not our biological child. But we raised you as our own. Your birth mother was my friend. When she died, you were placed in foster care. We adopted you.”

“You knew I had a twin.”

“We didn’t know at first,” she said. “When we found out… we were afraid they’d take you away. We were selfish.”

The room fell silent again.

“So what now?” I asked.

“That’s your choice,” Dad said. “We’ll help you find the truth.”

I looked at them… then thought of Daniel.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I said. “But I’m done pretending.”