I'm Karla. I'm an only child of parents who are known in our community as model parents. I grew up in a family filled with love and respect. I admired my father even more because he was a bank executive—smart, responsible, and seemingly the perfect husband and father in everyone's eyes.
But one day, everything changed. I discovered a secret that rocked my world. I discovered that my father had an illegitimate child—meaning, he had a relationship with someone and they had a child before he met my mother. My illegitimate sibling was a year older than me.
I didn't tell my mom right away. I didn't know how to start, so what I did was talked to my dad secretly. While we were talking, I was crying because I didn't think he could do this. It was only then that I learned the whole truth.
Dad said that before he and mom met, he had a relationship with a woman who got him pregnant. When he and mom got married, he left that woman and chose mom with all his heart. But as a father, he did not leave his daughter and continued to help and fulfill his obligations.
He begged me not to tell my mother. He didn't want to break up the family and hurt my mother. He said he had no more contact with the woman, except to support the child. Now, both my brother and I are college students outside and I don't know how to handle the situation.
My mind is confused. I love my family. I don't want to break the trust and love we have. But this secret weighs heavy on my heart. Sometimes I wonder, does mom have the right to know the truth? Or should I keep quiet to maintain the silence?
I don't know how long I can keep it hidden. I discovered that no matter how beautiful and perfect others see a family, there are still secrets hidden behind the smiles.
