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When a shocking diagnosis turned this millionaire's life upside-down, his entire family turned against him after one dark secret came to light...
Family Man
When Richard Mason was fifty-five years old, his life irreversibly changed forever. Richard was a business tycoon who had made millions as the co-founder of a popular website. He had no idea that one doctor’s visit would throw things into turmoil…
It Was All A Lie
What Richard believed to be a routine checkup soon became a reason for concern. Before he could register the news, he learned something even worse than he ever could have imagined. Not only was Richard living on borrowed time—everything he had ever known about his family was a lie.
Smooth Sailing
From the outside, Richard was living the dream. He was a millionaire businessman with three happy sons. Richard's second wife, Emma, had accompanied him on a trip to Liverpool for a doctor’s appointment. Neither of them had any idea what was to come.
At the Hospital
Emma sat in the waiting room at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital while Richard was examined by the doctor. They had embarked the 65-mile trek from northern Wales to switch up the antibiotics Richard had been taking for minor lung inflammation...
Facing Complications
Richard and Emma had been trying for a child, but Emma was having difficulty getting pregnant. Richard knew the problem couldn’t be on his end because he had already fathered three healthy sons twenty years earlier. Other than some chest pain, he was fit as a fiddle.
Lung Disease
Still, Richard had been suffering from pleurisy for over a year. The lung inflammation was causing mild discomfort, which is why Richard and Emma had made the long drive from Wales to Liverpool. However, Richard had a history of life-threatening lung disorders in his family…
Bad News
In 1989, Richard’s sister had died from cystic fibrosis. Richard was also tested in the 1980s for the disease, but the results came back negative. When the doctor sat him down to tell him the news, he and Emma were dumbfounded.
The Diagnosis
“The consultant sat us down in his office and broke it to me as Emma said by my side,” he explained. “He said, ‘I’m really sorry to tell you, Richard, that you’ve got cystic fibrosis.” But the devastation didn’t end there…
Was He Infertile?
Richard’s initial reaction was one of sheer terror. Not only had he already lost a sister to CF, but his younger sister was severely ill with the disease, as well. The doctor then dropped the biggest bomb of all: 98% of male CF patients were infertile.
The Ugly Truth
Richard was stunned. It was impossible, he thought. Weren’t his children enough to prove the diagnosis wrong? Sadly, after seeing several medical professionals, Richard was certain that none of his three boys were actually his biological sons.
Hard to Process
“I was told that all of the patients with CF which [the doctors] dealt with at the hospital, no male had conceived a child,” he said. “After that, I just had that feeling of ringing in my ears after you hit your head really hard. Nothing seemed to sink in.”
Confronting His Ex-Wife
In the hospital parking lot, Richard composed a text to his ex-wife, Kate. He and Kate had been divorced for nearly a decade after what Richard described as a “cold and joyless” marriage, but there were no major problems between them. At least, not until now.
Something Wasn't Right
In the divorce settlement, Kate received a lump sum of over $5 million, on top of continuous child support that Mason had been forking over under the assumption that he was the father of the boys. Now, Richard was connecting the dots, and things didn’t add up…
Caught in a Slip-Up
When Richard and Kate were married, they went to an Indian restaurant together. Although it was Richard’s first time at the restaurant, the owner insisted that Kate had been there many times before. Of course, she denied it, and Richard had every reason to believe her.
New Religion
When Kate became pregnant with their first child, she took a sudden interest in Judaism. All three of their children, she said, were to have “Jewish” middle names. She refused to have them christened, which Richard found strange.
Was He the Father?
“I was hoping that you could relieve me of this further indignity by letting me know now if I am the father,” Richard wrote. “I am happy to go along with your advice as to how best to tell the boys. But, if you force me to go through these extra tests then I shall be telling them as I wish. I have no intention of suing you and would like to remain in the boys’ lives.”
Breaking the News
Kate responded a few minutes later. “Of course the boys are yours, no matter what the science might suggest,” Kate said. Richard wasn’t having any of it. He decided to break the news to his eldest son, 21-year-old Willem.
Heartbroken Son
Willem took Richard’s CF diagnosis in stride. However, when Richard mentioned that it was unlikely for men with his disease to father children, Willem broke down. “You’re saying you’re probably not my father?” he asked.
She Had Been Cheating
Richard felt totally helpless as he confirmed Willem’s worst nightmare. Two days later, Kate called. Willem confronted her, and she finally revealed the truth: Kate had been having an affair throughout the course of their 20-year marriage.
It Couldn't Be Him
Kate refused to name the man, but she let on that they had met up at a hotel in London during several overnight work trips. Despite this, she maintained that Richard must be the boys’ father since she always used protection.
Wounded Pride
Richard was in disbelief. How could this be happening to him? For almost ten years, he had paid thousands of dollars for his sons’ private school tuition on top of monthly child support. Kate lived in a seven-bedroom house worth $1.3 million. He was funding her lifestyle when he might not even be the biological father of her children.
The Ultimate Test
At the end of his wits, Richard hired a paternity fraud expert named Roger Terrell, seeking to have the divorce settlement reviewed in court, as well as damages for paternity fraud. Before they could proceed, Richard needed to have the test he dreaded the most: one that would determine whether or not he was infertile.
Worst Fears Confirmed
Unfortunately, Richard’s fears were confirmed. He was incapable of producing sperm and DNA tests proved that his twin sons did not belong to him. Willem, however, refused to get a test. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s my dad, and that’s that,” the eldest child said.
He Ignored Their Warnings
Even though Willem still viewed Richard as his father, he warned him that if Richard sued his mother, Willem would never speak to him again. Willem's brother Joel echoed this sentiment, but that wasn’t enough to stop Richard from moving forward with the lawsuit.
Sad and Alone
In the end, Richard won over $250,000 returned from Kate’s end of the settlement, but two of his sons had cut him off completely. Not only that, but Richard’s health was in decline. Miserable, he watched his family move on from afar through Facebook. Willem graduated from school, but he hadn’t extended an invitation to Richard.
He Was Struggling
“You don’t know what’s real and what isn’t—it’s as if I’m living in The Matrix,” Richard said. “Someone says to you, ‘All that you know and everything you thought to be solid and true is not real, and never did exist. You are not a father, you are never able to have kids, your name will not continue.” Finally, he decided enough was enough...
Going Public
Richard was desperate to learn the true identity of his boys’ father, but Kate refused to reveal it. Richard took his story to the press, and his family’s dysfunction became public information. Richard even went on Good Morning Britain to plead his case.
Missing His Sons
In an open statement to his sons, Richard emphasized that his door would always be open and that he hoped that they would one day understand why he went up against their mother. He ended his time on the program with a final blow to Kate, telling her to “stop being so daft.” It wasn’t long before one of his sons reached out…
A Kind Message
While Joel and Willem still refused to contact Richard, Ed, one of the twins, sent him a heartwarming message: “Dad, as I explained from the beginning you would never not be dad to me regardless of all this. Of course I’ll stay in touch, that will never change… I’m always here for you too and you will always be Dad. Love you x.” Richard was over the moon.
The Other Boys Moved On
Unlike his twin brother, 19-year-old Joel had no issue leaving Richard in the past. “We’re all OK,” he said in regards to his relationship with his mother. “She had just had an unhappy marriage and wanted kids. And here we are.” Joel opened up about his difficult relationship with Richard…
A Very Manipulative Man
Joel claimed that he cut off his father years ago due to Richard's behavior. Joel called Richard a “very manipulative man” and “not the kind of person you want to be with,” stating that he began to notice Richard’s pattern of manipulation at the age of 15.
Violation of Privacy
Joel has never asked Kate who his real father is, although he’s certain she would tell him. He and his brothers were shocked when they heard that Richard had spoken to the papers without their consent. “That was his doing,” he said. “Just something else after the long court battle.”
Doing What's Best for Them
Joel and Willem decided that Richard was a toxic presence in their lives. “He just wants the attention,” Joel said. “He is a big fan of starting a new business.” Neither of the brothers held it against Ed for maintaining a relationship with Richard even after everything came to light.
A Bleak Future
In about a decade, Richard knows that he will have to use an oxygen tank, which is what happened to his sister right before she succumbed to CF and passed away. The only solace Richard has found throughout the ordeal is his love for Emma.
Tough Luck
To make matters worse, Richard’s elderly mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, meaning that Richard had to explain the awful situation to her over and over again. Since Richard's diagnosis, his lung capacity already dropped from 84 to 72 percent.
Wishing for the Best
Richard and Emma understand that they’ll never be able to have children. Emma, having undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer, has become infertile as well. Richard hopes that one day, his relationship with Joel and Willem will be repaired.