"It's a girl!" Ruby announced. Reggie turned toward her, his face lighting up with excitement, while Nancy looked away, avoiding Ruby’s gaze. She didn’t want Ruby to see her face, so she remained still until Reggie entered the ward with Ruby. Once they were inside, Nancy quickly hurried to her doctor to continue with her diabolical plan.

Inside the ward, Reggie held his daughter in his arms as she cried, and he couldn’t help but cry, too. He could hardly believe he was a father. He was someone’s daddy now.

"She looks just like you," Esaaba said, exhausted yet joyful.

"And I hope she continues to look like me forever," Reggie replied with a smile.

Esaaba laughed lightly, "No, I carried her, so she'll start looking like me soon enough."

"Alright, lovebirds, I’ll grab something light for our new mom," Ruby said, excusing herself. Shortly after, Esaaba’s mother arrived to see the baby and offered breastfeeding tips. After some time, everyone left, allowing the couple to get some rest.

Reggie looked at Esaaba with gratitude. “Thank you for being so strong for us. I can’t believe we’re parents now.”

“I was scared at first, but I’m so happy for us,” she whispered. They kissed softly, neither realizing that it was his silent goodbye.

Later, after Esaaba had fallen asleep, Nancy and the doctor snuck into the ward and quietly replaced the baby with a stillborn. Reggie watched in silence, the weight of the decision pressing heavily on him.

Hours later, Esaaba woke up to feed her baby. Seeing Reggie asleep beside her, she smiled. But when she touched her baby, it was ice cold. A scream tore through her as she shook the baby frantically.

Reggie woke up, startled, “What is it?”

“The baby…” Esaaba stammered, her voice breaking.

"What’s wrong with the baby?” he asked.

“The baby... she’s gone,” Esaaba managed, her eyes filling with terror and heartbreak.

Other Chap: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22