Life can be quite humorous in a way that there are so many events that happen unexpectedly and so many things we cannot foresee. Whether it be financial situations, sicknesses or more, more than one surprise often come in our lifetime.
A Loving Father
When he heard the news, the tears started coming and just wouldn’t stop. He listened in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that such a thing could be real! A happy father of three, he had never thought that his children were not his. There was nothing that could lead him to think so.
A Loving Father
Businessman And Millionaire
Sadly, his happiness didn’t last forever. He eventually realized that what he believed all those years was not true. His whole life was actually a lie, but he was not just taking things sitting down. He decided to do something about the situation.
Businessman And Millionaire
Three Kids.
Now 55 years old, Richard Mason was all ready to get back at this woman for what she had done to him. A millionaire businessman, he was born and raised in the UK. Richard has been really successful throughout his life.
Three Kids
High Settlement
He co-founded the well-accomplished price comparison website MoneySupermarket.com. While he was building a career, he was married to Kate. The two met back in the 1980s.
High Settlement
The Day Everything Changed
The couple welcomed three beautiful boys into the word. Will (23), and a pair of twins, Ed and Joel (19). At the start of 2007, Richard and Kate’s marriage started falling apart.
The Day Everything Changed
Shocking Results
The couple was facing some troubles and they ended up deciding to go their separate ways. In 2008, their divorce was finalized. Their relationship may have ended poorly, but Richard did not feel any remorse for what happened. He was satisfied with the decision.
Shocking Results
Horrible News
The couple was not together anymore, but Richard never abandoned his children and was determined to provide them anything and everything they needed. In fact, Kate was provided a financial agreement of $5 million. This included tuition for all their sons.
Horrible News
Not For Long
According to Richard, his ex-wife kept following him for years, trying to get more out of him. For him, his marriage to Rachel was terrible and lifeless, but he was happy to have the boys. The children were the best part of the whole thing.
Not For Long
In Disbelief
Richard had no idea that a surprise was coming for him. After he had been long divorced from Kate, he received some news in 2016 which altered his whole life. What was it?
In Disbelief
Grasping At Straws
The successful and wealthy businessman stood up and went to his doctor’s appointment, which ended up completely changing everything that he knew. Richard was definitely unprepared for the fact his entire life would be changed.
Grasping At Straws
Feeling Dazed
Richard was only going for a general check-up. He didn’t really think the doctor’s appointment was going to be anything more than that. However, as soon as he stepped into the doctor’s office, Richard received some news which turned his whole life upside down.
Feeling Dazed
Almost 100% Sure
After Richard underwent several tests, he was informed of the results, which ended up changing everything he once knew. Richard was happy and successful, but that day, his doctor told him he had Cystic Fibrosis.
Almost 100% Sure
Looking For Answers
A person who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis will have long term lung infections. After some time, their lungs will deteriorate and will not be able to work to maximum capacity. This means that breathing problems will increase over time.
Looking For Answers
Deny It All
This condition is genetic. Richard’s sister suffered from it and passed away years before. He started to panic when he heard this news. He feared his children would also get it as well.
Deny It All
The Truth
However, he was consoled by what his doctor told him – the disease would not get passed on to his children. Once Richard heard this from the medical professional, he began to calm down. Unfortunately, when the doctor continued speaking, Richard’s nerves returned.
The Truth
Angry And Emotional
The doctor told Richard that his kids could not get it. This may sound like a good thing, but then the father of three heard even more devastating words from the doctor. “You are infertile because of your condition,” the medical professional said.
Angry And Emotional
Lack Of Legacy
Richard then thought that his three boys are medical miracles. He told the doctor that the medical professional was mistaken. Richard did have kids – three boys, in fact.
Lack Of Legacy
Her Confession
Richard felt confident telling the doctor the diagnosis was wrong. He was quite sure the doctor, a professional, likely felt embarrassed for misdiagnosing Richard. There was simply no other explanation seeing as he had three kids!
Her Confession
Into His Own Hands
However, Richard started to realize something while waiting in the doctor’s office. The revelation felt like an absolute smack in the face. He wasn’t sure if the truth was something he could handle. Can you guess what it was?
Into His Own Hands
Always His “Dad”
With the new bit of information, Richard reflected on his life. He thought about his ex-wife and the little details. His children did not really look like him, but he never questioned they were his. Richard was immediately heartbroken. Then, he became angry and called Kate so that he could get to the bottom of everything.
Always His “Dad”
The Consequences Of Her Lies
Looking for some answers, Richard quickly sent Kate an angry message. He told her he had gone to the Liverpool Chest Hospital. He told her he had Cystic Fibrosis and the other bit of news…
The Consequences Of Her Lies
Supporting Him
The hospital explained they have never seen a case of a man with Cystic Fibrosis who had kids, and even more, three! Richard explained to Kate that there was a 98% certainty that he was not his children’s biological father. Although she received the message, she waited to answer.
Supporting Him
An Empty Victory
While he was doing his best to remain calm and cordial, Richard was not getting answers. He told Kate he was hoping that she could save him from the stress of having more tests. However, she wasn’t cooperating.
An Empty Victory
His Challenge
Richard took things into his own hands. He told her if she would give him answers, he would agree to how she would like to tell their children, but if she wouldn’t, he would tell their sons whichever way he wanted to.
His Challenge
Heartbroken
Kate reassured Richard their boys were of course his. While he still didn’t know what to believe, at that point, he was already sure she was lying. She made a big mistake by behaving like this. He didn’t have any problem playing this game.
Heartbroken
Angry
Richard talked to their eldest son and told him about the situation. Will surprisingly reacted in a calm manner despite only being 23 years old. When Richard said he had Cystic Fibrosis, his son didn’t really show much of a reaction.
Angry
Everything Hurts
Richard continued to explain that the possibility for a person with cystic fibrosis to have kids is very low. His son told him he understood what his dad was saying. Will knew, at this point, that Richard was not his father.
Everything Hurts
Confrontation
Richard was completely devastated by the fact that he wasn’t his sons’ biological father. He had a hard time getting the words out, but thankfully, Will said it for him. The young man also told Richard things wouldn’t change and Richard would always be young man’s father.
Confrontation
They Met
Extremely emotional, Richard was filled with anger as well. He had just received two pieces of terrible news. He didn’t know how to deal with everything. Richard strongly felt that children define a person, so he wasn’t just going to take things sitting down. He had to do something.
They Met
Getting Help
He had just found out that on top of having a horrible disease, he could not have kids either. He had no legacy. His sons were actually not his in reality. For Richard, this was the worst thing that he could hear.
Getting Help
DNA Test
Will confronted his mother, so Kate responded to Richard two days after receiving her ex-husband’s message. In a phone call, she explained to Richard the truth. She finally came clean. She told him she had been seeing another person the entire 20 years they were married.
DNA Test
Legal Proof
Even worse is the fact that Richard met the guy once before. He was a Barclays Bank employee. He and Kate would meet up at a London hotel when she was on business trips as a union official.
Legal Proof
Calling Dad
Although Kate admitted to the affair, she wouldn’t come to accept the truth that Richard was not the father. Naturally, he felt helpless, so he decided to call some experts. He phoned a paternity fraud expert by the name of Roger Terrell. Hopefully, the professional would help Richard get to the bottom of things.
Calling Dad
Heartache
After Richard underwent many tests, the results showed he could not have kids. After this was certain, his sons’ DNA samples were taken so that he could find out the truth. The tests ultimately showed he was not related to his twins.
Heartache
Touching Message
The hardest part about this was their eldest son being unwilling to give a DNA sample. According to him, Richard was his father. That was what was important. Nevertheless, Richard was still able to take legal action against his former wife.
Touching Message
Exposed
In December of 2016, the trial against Kate started at Birmingham County Court. However, Will told his father that if Richard went through this, he would never talk to his father again.
Exposed
An Empty Victory
Will remained true to what he said. He would not budge. Richard felt his heart ache as Kate’s lies were imploding. However, the twins felt something totally different as the case carried on.
An Empty Victory
Need To Know
The twins still think of Richard as their father, in spite of not being related to him. Richard received a beautiful message from one of the boys. The young man assured Richard he would always be there for his father despite the shocking news. He said he would never leave Richard.
Need To Know
Not Giving Up
In the young man’s message, he said that no matter what Richard would always be a dad to him and they would always be in contact. Their relationship would not change at all. The young man told Richard he loved him and would always be there for him.
Not Giving Up
Still His Sons
In court, Kate’s terrible lies were revealed. In the end, Richard won the case and she was made to pay him $300,000 as a fine. She agreed to settle but on one condition – she did not want the real father of her children to ever be exposed.
Still His Sons
Matrix
Richard felt it was an empty victory. He had a lot of things he wanted to say to his sons’ biological father. He was hoping the man would read this article one day and come forward.
Matrix
He said this because Richard strongly felt like the boys ought to know their real father. Richard does hope they will always think of him as their dad, but he still thinks the boys meeting their real dad is important too.
Sueing
In spite of everything that happened, Richard did not give in. He was set on finding the boys’ real father. He offered £5,000 to anyone that could help find the man’s whereabouts.
Sueing
Breaking The Silence
Richard partly did this because the man was not contributing financially in any way. Regardless, Richard said in an interview he still thinks of the three boys as his own. He also told the media that he misses them a lot.
Breaking The Silence
Huge Secret
As the case proceeded, it was uncovered that Mrs. Mason got interested in Judaism at the time she was pregnant. In fact, she wanted to give the boys Jewish middle names. Richard felt this piece of information could help him track down the boys’ biological father.
Huge Secret
Years
Richard felt as if he was in The Matrix. It was difficult for him to identify what was real and what wasn’t. All of a sudden, everything he knew in life was gone. He knew he was a father, but he found out he can’t even have kids. He has no legacy, and this was big for him.
Years
The Real Reason
Richard says it’s so difficult to watch the boys from afar. He feels as if everything was taken from him. He is a father that loved his kids with his whole heart, but he had to force his wife to make this confession.
The Real Reason
Why Now?
When they initially got divorced, he was ordered to pay a £4 million settlement. Richard said he sued his ex-wife because she lied to them all those years. He wanted to give the boys an honest role model.
Why Now
Pleading
Richard said that the boys were really intelligent. He hopes that they understand why he had to do what he did. This statement was released a couple of days after one of the twins spoke to the media.
Pleading
The Betrayal
Joel, one of the twins, said their dad Richard was manipulative. Going on TV, Richard tried to get his boys to talk to him, but this secret was not revealed to the boys. It was also really difficult for them to come to terms with.
The Betrayal