Giving birth to triplets from her rapist, Sarah sobbed loudly, and when out of desperation she got a job as a cleaner to feed her children, she suddenly froze in place, recognizing in her boss…

«Call it an investment in the future. I have money, connections. I can get them into a good school, then university.

They’ll get everything needed for a successful life.» «Why?» Sarah looked into his eyes, trying to understand. «Why do you want to help my children? You don’t even know them.»

He turned to the window. «Maybe because I have everything, but I’m unhappy. Maybe I want to do something good in my life.

Or maybe…» He faltered. «Maybe I feel I owe.» «Owe?» Interesting choice of words.

«I’ll think about it,» she said and hurried to finish cleaning. Spring came early. In April, apple trees bloomed, the city drowned in green.

Sarah took the children to the park where five years ago her life changed. Strangely, no fear anymore. Only sadness and fatigue.

The children ran along the paths, picking first dandelions. Mike taught his sisters to climb trees, Mary squealed with delight, Daisy cautiously climbed after her brother. «Your children?» Sarah turned.

Next to her stood an elegant blonde in an expensive suit. Wolf’s wife. Sarah recognized her from photos.

«Yes, beautiful. Especially the boy. Just a copy.»

The woman stopped, looking closer at Mike. «Oh my God! Something wrong.» Sarah felt everything contracting inside.

«No, just. He looks so much like my husband as a child. Amazing resemblance.»

The woman looked at Mike, then the girls, back to Mike. Understanding flashed in her eyes. «What’s your name?» «Sarah.»

«Sarah,» the woman repeated. «The cleaner from my husband’s office. He mentioned you.

Said he’s helping your children.» Sarah was silent. «What to say? How old are they?» «Five.»

«Five,» Wolf’s wife echoed. «March 2020. Interesting coincidence.

In June 2019, my husband. Anyway, doesn’t matter.» She pulled out her phone, quickly typed something.

«Nice to meet you, Sarah. I think we’ll see each other again.» And left, leaving Sarah standing in the middle of the path.

She felt the ground slipping away. Wolf’s wife understood everything. What now? The next day, Wolf called her to the office during the workday.

Sarah walked down the hallway, her legs like cotton. The secretary looked at her with barely hidden curiosity. Wolf stood at the window, back to the door.

Turned when she entered. His face was pale, dark circles under his eyes. «Sit.»

She sat. «My wife met you yesterday in the park. With the children.»

Sarah was silent. She sent me a photo. «The boy.»

His voice trembled. «He looks a lot like me.» Silence stretched.

«Sarah, I need to know. Are these my children?» She raised her head, looked into his eyes. «You don’t remember, do you? That night in the park, five years ago.

You were drunk.» Blood drained from his face. «What?» «June 2019.

I was returning from classes. You…» Her voice broke. «You raped me.»

He sank into the chair, as if his legs gave out. «God! My God! I… I don’t remember.» «Of course not.

For you, it was an insignificant episode. Got drunk, saw a girl, took what you wanted. For me, it ended my old life.

Sarah, I…» «Don’t!» She stood abruptly. «No excuses. No apologies.

They change nothing. I have three children I love more than life. Children born from violence.

Children who ask every day where their dad is. What to tell them? That their father is a rapist who doesn’t even remember how they were conceived?» Tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t wipe them. «I was silent for five years.

Worked for you, cleaned your office, accepted your help. For the children. All for the children.

But now you know. What next?» Wolf sat, head in hands. Shoulders shaking.

«I didn’t know. I swear, didn’t know. If I had known… What? What would you have done? Married me? Acknowledged the children? Don’t make me laugh.

I was different then.» His voice was muffled. «Drank, partied, thought everything was allowed.

Father died, left the business, money. I basked in power and permissiveness. It’s no excuse, I know.

But I’ve changed. I swear, changed.» «I don’t care if you’ve changed or not.

The question is, what now?» He raised his head. Eyes red. «I want to help.

No, I must help. These are my children. My children, whom I…» Voice broke.

«I’ll provide them with everything necessary. Education, housing, whatever needed. And you.

You shouldn’t work as a cleaner anymore. I’ll buy you an apartment, pay support.» «Stop,» Sarah raised her hand.

«You want to buy me off?» «No. I want. I must.

They are my children. They are my children. I birthed them, raised them, didn’t sleep nights when they were sick.

Where were you all these five years?» «I didn’t know.» «And? Does that remove responsibility for what you did?» Silence hung. Somewhere outside, seagulls cried.

«What do you want?» he asked finally. «Nothing. I need nothing from you.

Live your life, I’ll live mine. But the children? Don’t they have the right to know their father?» Sarah smiled bitterly. «Father? You want to be their father? Take them to the circus on weekends, buy toys, then return to your home to your legal wife and legal children?» «My wife.

We’re divorcing. She filed yesterday evening.» «I’m sorry.

But that changes nothing.» «Sarah, please. Give me a chance.

Not for me, for the children. They’re not guilty in how they came into the world. But they exist, and they’re mine.

I want. No, I’ll be part of their life.» «I’ll think,» she said tiredly.

«Now I need to go. Shift ends.» She left the office on wobbly legs.

That’s it. Secret revealed. What will happen now? The next days passed in a fog.

Sarah mechanically did work, answered children’s questions, cooked dinner. And in her head spun Wolf’s words. They are my children.

I’ll be part of their life. Does he have the right? Legally, yes. DNA test will confirm paternity, and then.

Then what? Joint custody? Weekends with dad? Children torn between two homes? On the other hand, don’t the children have the right to know their father? Even if he entered their life in such a terrible way, he exists. And, apparently, wants to participate in their upbringing. On the third day, Olivia called.

«Sarah, you’re being transferred to another site. From Monday, clean at the bank on Garden Street.» «Why?» «Order from above.

Nothing personal, just staff rotation.» Nothing personal. Wolf was removing her from sight.

Or conversely, freeing her from seeing him daily. In the evening, the doorbell rang. Sarah looked through the peephole and recoiled.

«Wolf! Children in bed?» he asked when she opened. «May I come in?» She reluctantly let him in. He looked around.

Small two-bedroom apartment, bought with a mortgage using family credit. Modest furniture, children’s drawings on walls, toys in the corner. «Sorry for coming uninvited.

But I needed to talk.» «Talk.» She sat on the sofa, he remained standing.

«I remembered a lot. That night. Not all, but… Enough.»

He sighed heavily. «I was a monster. No excuse for what I did.

And I understand your hatred.» «I don’t hate you,» Sarah said tiredly. «I have no energy for hatred.

I consulted a psychologist. And a lawyer. The psychologist said children need to know the truth about their origins.

Not now, of course, but when they grow up. And the lawyer?» «The lawyer said I have the right to demand joint custody.» Sarah tensed.

«But I won’t,» he added quickly. «Won’t demand anything through court. That would only harm the children.

I just want. Want to be near. Help.

See them grow. If you allow.» «And your family? Wife, children?» «Wife already filed for divorce.

She. She knew a lot about my affairs. This story was the last straw.

Children, they’re 17 and 15, almost adults. Live with mother, don’t want to see me. I don’t blame them.

So you decided to switch to my children?» «No.» He sat opposite her. «Sarah, I’m not looking for a replacement.

I’m trying. Trying to fix something. I know the past can’t be undone.

But the children exist. And they’re half mine, whether we like it or not. I’m not asking for much.

Just allow me to help. Financially for start. And then, maybe…» «What?» «Maybe they can get to know me.

Not as father right away, that would be too much. But as? Family friend? Uncle Michael? I don’t know. But I want to try.

Sarah looked at him. Strangely, now he didn’t seem the monster from her nightmares. Just a tired middle-aged man, crushed by guilt.

«I’ll think,» she repeated. «Thank you. And also…» He pulled out an envelope.

«Here are documents for the children’s account. I’ll transfer money there monthly. You can spend on their needs.

Clothes, education, whatever you see fit. This isn’t a handout or buyoff. This is my duty as a father.»

He placed the envelope on the table and stood. «Can I look at them? Just a peek?» Sarah nodded. They quietly went to the children’s room.

The triplets slept in their little beds. Mike sprawled like a star, kicked off the blanket. Mary hugged a teddy bear.

Daisy curled up, hand under cheek. Wolf stood in the doorway, tears streaming down his face. «They’re beautiful,» he whispered.

«Yes,» Sarah agreed. «They’re beautiful.» The decision was hard.

Sarah thought for two weeks, weighing pros and cons. No one to consult; parents wouldn’t understand, no friends left. In the end, chance decided.

Mike came from preschool thoughtful. «Mom, why do others have dads, and we don’t?» He asked this before, but today his voice had special sadness. «We have a show tomorrow.

Need to come with parents.» The teacher said, «Mom and dad.» «And we only have you.

I’ll come for sure.» «But you’re not dad,» he said stubbornly. «Johnny says without dad we’re not a real family.

Sarah hugged her son. «We are a real family. Just.

Not like others. Where is our dad?» And then she decided. «Mike, want to meet a man who… who really wants to be friends with you? Is that our dad?» The boy’s eyes lit up.

«It’s… complicated. Let’s meet first, then talk, okay?» On Saturday, she called Wolf. His voice trembled when he heard her decision.

«Thank you. Thank you, Sarah. Where to meet?» «In the park by the pond…