Claire's pov My dad nodded, granting them permission to enter. I couldn't shake off the feeling of sadness and unease that settled within me. The resemblance between the young woman and my dad was uncanny, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was something he wasn't telling me.
I glanced at my dad's face, but his expression was unreadable. Feeling frustrated and confused, I stormed off to the living room. My mom's eyes met mine, and for a moment, it seemed like she was searching for answers. But her gaze quickly shifted to the newcomers behind me, and her expression changed.
It was a subtle shift, but I caught the flicker of surprise and concern that crossed her face. I sensed that something was amiss, and I couldn't help but feel that my life was about to take a dramatic turn.
Tears welled up in my mom's eyes, as if she already knew the truth. My dad rushed to her side, attempting to calm her down, but she pushed him away, refusing his touch. My dad began to plead with her, insisting that whatever she was thinking, it wasn't what it seemed. However, my mom's anger and hurt boiled over.
"How can you explain this?" she shouted, her voice trembling. "You tried to convince me last time, but not anymore! How can you explain that your first love has a daughter who's a female version of you?" My mom's words cut deep, and she addressed my dad by his name, Clifford, for the first time.
The truth hit me like a ton of bricks: the woman at the door was my dad's first love. My dad, overcome with emotion, begged my mom to hear him out, but she wasn't listening. I felt tears streaming down my face as I watched the scene unfold.
"Clifford, what have I done to deserve this?" my mom cried, her voice cracking. "You've been deceiving me the whole time!" Those were her final words before she collapsed, going into premature labor.
I rushed to help my mom, along with my dad, and even in her unconscious state, tears continued to stream down her face. I felt a surge of bitterness and resentment towards the woman who had caused this chaos. I glared at her, searching for any sign of remorse, but instead, I saw a faint smile playing on her lips.
My dad and I quickly rushed out of the house, carrying my mom to take her to the hospital. To my surprise, the woman and her daughter followed us. I couldn't understand why they would do so, especially since they seemed to show no regret for their actions. Their presence only added to my anger and confusion.
We arrived at the hospital, where my dad works, in under 30 minutes. We rushed in with my mom, who was still unconscious, and she was quickly taken to the emergency room. I was surprised when the hospital staff asked my dad not to enter the emergency room, considering he's not only a doctor but also a shareholder in the hospital.
My dad and I waited anxiously in the waiting area, typically reserved for relatives of patients. Before long, a doctor approached my dad and informed him of another emergency that required his attention. I looked at my dad incredulously, wondering how he could possibly focus on another case when his wife was in critical condition.
My dad reassured me not to worry, stating that he had to go, as it was a matter of life and death. After some hesitation, I agreed with him, but my anger and resentment towards him for putting my mom in this situation hadn't dissipated. I blamed him for my mom's premature labor, and the guilt and worry etched on his face only confirmed my feelings.
I remained in the waiting area, anxiously awaiting news about my mom's condition.
Agatha's pov
I trailed behind Clifford and his wife to the hospital, unaware of the drama that was about to unfold. Three days earlier , I had taken pictures with him, pretending it was a chance encounter. In reality, I had been following him to discover where he lived. When I arrived at his residence, a pregnant woman answered the door - his wife, I presumed, given his earlier claim of being married.
A mix of anger and jealousy swirled within me. An idea began to form in my mind, and I couldn't help but smile. Clifford was my former fiancé, with whom I had a four-year relationship. However, I had disappeared for two months after discovering I was pregnant. Fearful of his reaction, I struggled to find the courage to tell him, especially since we were still in school.
When I finally gathered the strength to reveal the truth, a friend informed me that Clifford had already moved on and was dating someone else. I was devastated. Seeing him with his new girlfriend confirmed the news, and I chose to keep my pregnancy a secret.
Fate brought us together again at the hospital, but it wasn't a coincidence. A friend had tipped me off about his connection to the hospital, and I devised a plan to confront him about his past actions.
I opted for a different approach, choosing not to confront Clifford again. Instead, I took a picture with him, leveraging the fact that my daughter bears a striking resemblance to him. This would become a crucial element in my plan, which was slowly unfolding, that was the reason I showed up with my daughter in Clifford house , which went as I expected.
My plan was unfolding seamlessly, and I felt a sense of satisfaction at my own cunning. The surgery that Clifford had just been called to perform wasn't a coincidence - it was all part of my intricate plan. I had secretly hired someone to orchestrate the emergency, ensuring that Clifford would be absent and distracted.
It was no accident that the pregnant woman in need of surgery was one of the nurses who worked with Clifford. As one of the hospital's top obstetricians, Clifford would naturally be called upon to perform the surgery. My plan relied on his absence, and now that he was occupied, I could set the next phase of my plan in motion.
As I prepared to leave and check on Clifford's wife, I inadvertently overheard a nurse breaching hospital protocol by revealing the identities of a gestational carrier's child's parents. This was a clear violation of medical confidentiality, and I knew it was a mistake that could have serious repercussions.
I smiled inwardly, recognizing an opportunity to exploit this situation to my advantage. I approached the nurse, tapping her on the shoulder, and she spun around, clearly startled. Her expression revealed that she knew she had made a grave mistake.
I played back the recording of her conversation, and she immediately dropped to her knees, begging for mercy. "Please, ma, I don't want to lose my job," she pleaded.
I instructed her to stand up, reassuring her that she wouldn't lose her job, but there was a condition: she would have to do my bidding. Given the precarious situation she found herself in, she was willing to agree to anything I asked of her.
I presented my condition to the nurse, and she hesitated, clearly torn. I didn't hesitate to use leverage, subtly threatening to expose her mistake by playing the recording again. The pressure was enough to break her resolve, and she reluctantly agreed to my terms.
My plan was unfolding seamlessly, and I felt a sense of satisfaction at my own cunning. Everything was going smoothly, just as I had orchestrated.
Nurse's pov
I stood there, frozen in shock, as the weight of my actions threatened to overwhelm me. How could I bring myself to harm an innocent baby and its mother? The baby didn't deserve to be punished for any mistakes committed by anyone in the family.
Still reeling from my doubts, I realized I didn't even know if the surgery had been completed or if the mother and child would survive. Before checking on them, I needed to come up with a plan to save at least one of them.
To clear my head, I decided to check on another patient who had been in labor 30 minutes ago. I had been with my colleagues in the delivery room earlier, but had excused myself. If only I had known what awaited me, I might have stayed.
As I entered the patient's room, I found that she had given birth but was still unconscious. However, my attention was drawn to the baby, and my heart sank. The baby was no longer breathing. The prolonged labor had taken its toll, and the baby boy had passed away, likely just minutes ago, while my colleagues were away.
A calculated idea flashed through my mind, and I couldn't help but smile.
I made up my mind to follow through with my new plan, as I couldn't bring myself to harm an innocent baby. Earlier, the lady. had assured me that the CCTV wouldn't be a problem, which gave me some reassurance.
I rushed to find the room where Clifford's wife and baby had been moved. I arrived just as the medical staff was leaving. The doctor had instructed a nurse to find the woman's daughter, since Clifford was still in surgery and the woman's condition was critical - she had less than two minutes to live.
With the doctor and nurse gone, I was left alone in the room. Time was of the essence; the woman's life was slipping away, and I had to act fast. My plan would now focus solely on the baby.
I had managed to put my plan in motion before leaving the room. As I exited, I encountered the daughter and the nurse, and then I decided to take a walk to clear my head.
Claire's pov
After waiting for over an hour for news about my mom's condition, and with my dad still in the surgery room , I got up to use the restroom. The pressure had been building for a while. Afterwards, I decided to grab a cold drink from the hospital canteen.
As I made my way back to my seat, I ran into a nurse who claimed she had been searching for me. "Your mom wants to see you," she said. However, her expression wasn't reassuring - it seemed somber, hinting that something might be wrong. I tried to brush the thought aside.
As I followed the nurse, we approached the hospital room, and I was suddenly jolted by my dad's anguished voice. "No! This can't be true!" he shouted. My heart racing, I rushed into the room, and what I saw made my world come crashing down.