Shayla in Tears When Anthony Find out the Final DNA of Kai 😱

Scene: Living room. A manila envelope lies unopened on the coffee table. Tension hangs in the air.

[Anthony enters the room slowly. Shayla is sitting on the couch, eyes swollen from crying.]

Anthony:

(quietly)

Is it here?

Shayla:

(nods without looking up)

It came this morning.

Anthony:

And you didn’t open it?

Shayla:

I couldn’t. My hands were shaking. I… I couldn’t do it without you.

[Anthony sits across from her. His jaw tightens. He reaches for the envelope slowly, then stops.]

Anthony:

Before I open this… I need to know. Is there anything you want to tell me?

Shayla:

(voice cracking)

Anthony, I swear… I didn’t know for sure. I thought—back then—when I found out I was pregnant, I thought it was yours. I wanted it to be yours…

Anthony:

(coldly)

Wanted it to be? Shayla, we’ve been raising Kai for seven years. Seven years thinking he was my son.

Shayla:

He is your son! You’re the only father he’s ever known!

Anthony:

That’s not what this says. (He points at the envelope.)

Shayla:

I made a mistake. It was one night. You and I were going through a rough patch. I thought we were done… and—

Anthony:

(cutting her off)

You chose to lie to me.

Shayla:

No—I chose to protect this family. I thought if I told you, I’d lose everything. And I couldn’t bear that.

Anthony:

You should’ve told me then. Not now. Not when it’s too late.

Shayla:

I didn’t want to lose you, Anthony. And I still don’t. Please… whatever the results say, it doesn’t change how much you love Kai. How much he loves you.

[Anthony finally opens the envelope. Pulls out the paper. Reads.]

Anthony:

(softly)

…It says I’m not the father.

[Silence. Shayla breaks down in sobs, covering her mouth.]

Shayla:

I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry…

Anthony:

(voice hollow)

All this time… I gave him my name. My love. My whole damn heart. And now…

Shayla:

You’re still his father, Anthony. DNA doesn’t erase the memories. The bedtime stories. The scraped knees. The birthdays…

Anthony:

(angrily)

But it erases the truth, Shayla! You stole my right to choose. You let me build my life around a lie.

Shayla:

I didn’t mean to lie forever. I just kept pushing it down, hoping it would go away. But it didn’t. It just grew heavier every year.

Anthony:

Does he know?

Shayla:

No… I couldn’t tell him. Not until I knew for sure. I wanted to protect him.

Anthony:

Well, now the truth is out. So what do we do?

Shayla:

Please… don’t walk away from him. From me. I know I don’t deserve it, but Kai does. He needs you.

Anthony:

(tearfully)

He’s the only reason I’m not out that door already.

[Silence stretches again. Anthony runs his hands over his face, trying to collect himself.]

Anthony:

I need time. I don’t know if I can forgive you, Shayla. Not yet.

Shayla:

I’ll wait. However long it takes. I’ll wait.

Anthony:

But Kai… he’s innocent in this. He’ll always be my son. Nothing changes that.

[Shayla looks up at him, crying harder now, but with a flicker of hope in her eyes.]