Chapter 3: The Secret Babies

"Oh, shit! How can I be pregnant? Why now?" Sara said, feeling disappointed as she held the pregnancy strip in her hands.

After a few months of arriving in California, she found out she was pregnant, realizing it late. Although she saw the signs, she assumed they were due to stress. She started experiencing symptoms and decided to test with a pregnancy strip to clear her doubts.

After the urine test, she found out she was pregnant. She became worried and blamed herself as her life had been a rollercoaster of emotions with one problem after the other. She thought about who could be the father of the child, then immediately remembered the unprotected one-night stand she had with a stranger.

"Oh, my life! How could I ruin my own life? Why would I have unprotected sex with a total stranger? I am so ashamed of myself," Sara said as she cried loudly.

She didn't even know the stranger. She didn't have his number or any way of reaching out to him. She couldn't even remember his face; she could only recall his physique, which anyone could have. She hated herself for making such a great mistake.

Then she decided to go to the hospital the next day to carry out some tests to confirm if she was actually pregnant, giving the pregnancy strip the benefit of the doubt. She disposed of the strip, washed her hands, and laid on her bed, hoping for the best as she dozed off.

The next morning, she woke up feeling tired, feeling something in her stomach. She started feeling nauseous and feverish, experiencing early morning pregnancy symptoms like mild spotting, bloat and cramps, frequent urination, breast tenderness, and nausea.

Sara knew she was really pregnant as the signs were clear. She quickly got up to prepare to go to the hospital.

"Congratulations, you are four months pregnant," the doctor said, offering her a handshake.

She was in shock and disbelief. "Four months," she said, surprised at how far along the pregnancy had progressed.

"And the scan shows you are pregnant with triplets," the doctor said excitedly.

"Triplets!" Sara shouted in disbelief.

The doctor nodded, stating her husband must be a very lucky man and would be happy to hear the news.

"Triplets? How? How will I raise them without any support? This is too much. I waited for a child and now I have three," Sara said.

She was absent-minded and didn't hear when the doctor called her. He had to tap her before she responded.

"I was saying something, but it seems you were lost in thought. I understand because this news is really overwhelming, right?" the doctor said, smiling as he waited for her response.

She nodded, not knowing what to say. She had mixed feelings about the news - it was great news, yet it weighed heavily on her, especially since it happened when she was no longer married. She felt like God was punishing her in a way for her past mistakes.

"You will have to register for antenatal care. Meet one of our nurses, and she will guide you on what to do," the doctor said.

Sara stood up, feeling light-headed and her legs trembling as she was still in shock. The idea of being pregnant and carrying triplets was a lot to comprehend. She walked over to one of the nurses for registration. As she was about to leave, she heard her name being called. Sara was surprised and wondered who could have known her in this new place.

"Hi, Sara!" the person called out.

Sara stopped and turned, trying to locate the voice. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder, finding out it was someone she knew.

"Oh, Ken, it's you," Sara said, surprised.

"Yeah, it's me. I've been calling you for a while, but it seemed you were lost in thought," Ken replied.

Ken was a close friend of Jose, but he had left due to work. As a doctor, he was posted to California. Ken was surprised to see Sara here as well.

"Sara, what are you doing here, and how is Jose?" Ken asked, surprised.

Sara's mood changed from happy to sad. She didn't know what to say. Ken noticed her mood and suggested they find a private place to talk, to which she agreed.

"All this happened to you? Why did Jose do this to you?" Ken said angrily at the heartbreaking news.

"I knew your friend was up to no good. She was always all over Jose during those years. I'm sorry about everything," Ken said, handing her a handkerchief to dry her eyes.

"Thank you," Sara said, taking the handkerchief to wipe her tears.

"So, what were you doing at the hospital? Are you ill?" Ken asked.

At that moment, Sara didn't know what to say, feeling ashamed to tell him the reason. She wondered how he would react if she disclosed the one-night stand that led to her current situation.

"Are you pregnant?" Ken asked curiously.

As a medical practitioner, he could tell the signs of pregnancy. Sara was surprised by his question, realizing she couldn't hide it any longer.

"Yes, I am pregnant," Sara said, bowing her head with shame.

"Who is the father?" Ken asked, looking at her.

"I don't know who the father is. I don't know anything about him," she replied.

"What do you mean? Wait! A one-night stand?" Ken asked, surprised.

Sara nodded in response to the question.