I lay in the hospital bed, clutching my swollen belly as a contraction ripped through my body. I gritted my teeth, trying to breathe through the pain.

Where was Harris? He was supposed to be here with me, holding my hand and coaching me through this. But, he was doing this for his ex-lover, for someone else's baby.

I was fortunate that an old lady saw me on the road and immediately helped me get to the Hospital. I can't imagine what I would have done, had the kind lady not helped me.

I looked around the sterile hospital room, feeling a sense of panic rising up. The nurse was busy checking the monitors, but there was no sign of the baby’s movement.

The nurse rushed over to my side. She then said in a concerned voice, "Ms. Darcy, I'm going to check on the baby's heart rate. Can you try to relax for me?"

I nodded, trying to focus on my breathing. But my mind kept wandering back to Harris. Did he not care about me or his baby? How could he leave me alone in this situation?

I looked at the nurse, who was trying to avoid my gaze and was looking extremely worried.

"What's going on?" I asked her. "Why are you looking so worried?"

The nurse hesitated, looking uncomfortable. "I'm not supposed to say anything, Ms. Darcy. But...I think you should prepare yourself for the worst."

I felt a chill run down my spine. What did she mean?

But before I could ask any more questions, another contraction hit, leaving me gasping for air. The nurse rushed to my side, helping me to breathe through the pain.

As the contractions intensified, I couldn't help but wonder why Harris was not with me. Didn't he promise me that he would be with me when I would deliver the baby for him?

___

After going through the hard c-section surgery, I was advised to take a proper rest and then try walking along the corridor. After taking enough rest, I began walking along the corridor.

My legs came to an abrupt halt as I heard familiar voice coming from the door beside me.

It was Harris's voice. It sounded somewhat cute and funny. A female voice also sounded from inside.

I slowly opened the door, peeking through the crack to see what was going on. And what I saw made my heart feel like it had been ripped in two.

Harris was sitting on the couch. A huge smile had spread through his face as he played with a tiny baby. But it wasn't our baby. It was Cindy's.

I couldn't help feeling betrayed and hurt. How could he? How could he be so happy and carefree with his ex's baby, when just yesterday he had left me alone and in pain to go to her?

I watched, frozen in shock, as Harris gently put the baby on his lap, cooing and laughing with her. Cindy sat beside him, smiling and chatting with him like they were old friends.

“She is so cute! What will she call me, Cindy?” He asked excitedly,

“You are his Godfather, Harris! If you don't mind, I will let her call you DaDa.” She replied. Harris laughed before saying excitedly, “I like that. She will call me DaDa then.”

I felt a pang of jealousy and hurt. Why was he so happy with her, when he had never shown me that kind of joy and affection?

Just then, Harris looked up and caught my gaze over them. For a moment, we just stared at each other, with no one talking. The only sound that heard was the gentle cooing of the baby.

Harris face sank and he looked away, clearing his throat. He then turned to me, asking hesitantly, “Darcy, You...uh… What are you doing here?"

Then, as if remembering something only now, he looked down at my stomach. After noticing the lack of baby bump, his face instantly turned pale. He looked up to meet my eyes as he asked excitedly, “Have you delivered already?”

“Why are you asking now? Do you even care?” I blurted out. He chuckled. He immediately passed the baby to Cindy and stood up, saying, “Darcy, let me explain…”

I felt a surge of anger and hurt. Explain? He wanted to explain? After what I had just seen?

I shook my head in refusal. Tears were formed in my eyes but I didn't let them fall.

"No," I refused him in strict voice,” I don't think there's anything to talk about."

And with that, I turned and walked away, leaving Harris and Cindy alone with their happy little family. But, Harris chased after me, saying, “Darcy! You are taking me wrong. It's not like this…”

I walked as fast as I could, my legs trembling with anger and hurt. Harris chased after me, calling out my name.

"Darcy, wait! Please listen to me!"

But I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to hear his excuses or his justifications. I just wanted to get away from him.

I finally reached my ward’s entrance and burst through the doors, gasping for air. Harris followed close behind. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Darcy, please," he said in a hoarse voice. "Just listen to me." He requested with a pair of pleading eyes.

I brushed his hands off my arms. My eyes were burning in anger as I asked in cold voice,"What do you have to say, Harris? That you're sorry? That it was all a mistake?"

Harris hesitated for a moment before saying,"Darcy, I...I can explain..."

But I cut him off. I asked in a loud voice,"Explain? You want to explain? You left me alone in labor to go to your ex's side. You held her baby in your arms and smiled at her like you were still in love. What is there to explain?"

Harris was taken aback by my outburst, but he quickly regained his composure as he said in a low voice, "Darcy, I swear, it's not what you think. Cindy and I, we...we have a history, yes. But I'm committed to you, Darcy. I love you."

I laughed bitterly as I asked in a sarcastic voice, "You love me?"

"If you do, then you really have a funny way of showing it." I added.

Harris took a step closer to me, his eyes burning with intensity as he begged,"Darcy, please. Just listen to me. I'll do anything to make it right."

But I shook my head in refusal.

"It's too late, Harris," I said. My voice was cold and detached as I added,"I don't want to hear it. I don't want to see you. I just want you to leave me alone."

Harris's face fell, and he looked at me with a mixture of sadness and regret. But I didn't care. I just turned and walked inside my ward, he still chased after me. As he walked inside, his gaze fell on the empty criddle. His face turned dark as he asked in horrific voice, “Where is our baby?”

His words cut deep through my heart. I couldn't help laughing. I laughed ironically before asking, “Our baby? What do you think would have come of it after you left me alone in that situation?”

Harris’s face turned pale as he asked desperately, “What do you mean, Darcy? Where is the baby?”

“The baby is gone!” I replied without showing any emotion.

“Darcy…” He called my name before pulling me in his embrace, saying gently, “It's okay! We will have another.”

My knuckles were tightened on his words. I was enraged on his facade, but I remained calm and said nothing. He broke our hug after listening to the Nurse’s voice. The Nurse rushed in, saying, “Mr. Salvador, your wife is feeling dizzy and can't take care of baby. The baby is crying continuously. Can you please go and help her?”

“What? What happened to Cindy?” He blurted out. He subconsciously took a few steps forward, rushing to see Cindy, then came to abrupt halt after realizing how Nurse mentioned Cindy. He looked up at me, his eyes showing guilt and concern at the same time. He wanted to say something, maybe explain why they addressed Cindy as his wife. But, he was more worried about their safety than my feelings and immediately left without any word.

However, I didn't need him to explain anything to me. He took Cindy to the hospital, stayed with her the whole night and helped her during contractions. It was obvious that the staff would take them as couple. Seeing me lost in my thoughts, the Nurse commented, “See, how worried this man is for his wife. But, where is your husband? Shouldn't he be here, with you?”

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry on her words. The person she was praising was also the person she was cursing. Just then another Nurse who attended my surgery walked in, holding a baby boy in her hands. She announced in excitement, “Congratulations, your baby is out of NICU. He is okay now.”

Yes, I gave birth to a baby boy. But, he had drunk dirty water before birth and had jaundice. So, he had to be admitted to the NICU. I had only mentioned that the baby was gone for treatment but Harris assumed he was gone forever. But now seeing him so concerned about his Ex’s child to not even bother asking about his child’s body if he assumed him dead, I thought it was good that he thought that way.

Just then a man came out of the Hospital’s curtains. He looked up at me with questioning eyes before asking, “So, what have you decided then?”

“I’m going to divorce him.” I said flatly.

As soon as the words left my lips, the man nodded in understanding. "I'll start preparing the papers," he said. "But are you sure you're ready for this, Darcy? Divorce can be a complicated and messy process."

I took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I'm positive," I said. "I deserve better than a man who would abandon me in my time of need and prioritize his ex's feelings over mine."

The man nodded again and turned to leave, but not before saying, "I'll be in touch soon. And Darcy?"

"Yes?"

"Be prepared for a fight. Harris Salvador is not a man who gives up easily."

I watched him leave, feeling relieved that despite being disconnected with my family for three years because of Harris, my brother still came to support me with one phone call. Now, I was ready for whatever lay ahead, as long as it meant I could move on from Harris and start a new chapter in my life.

Just then, the nurse who had brought my baby boy over handed him to me, saying, "Here, mom. Time for some bonding."

I took my baby in my arms, feeling a wave of love and protectiveness wash over me. I looked down at him, and he gazed back up at me with big, round eyes.

"What am I going to do with you, little one?" I whispered, smiling.

As I rocked my baby back and forth, I couldn't help but think about Harris and how he had missed out on this moment. He had missed out on the chance to hold his own son in his arms, to look into his eyes and feel that overwhelming sense of love and responsibility.

And in that moment, I knew that I had made the right decision. I deserved better than a man who would so callously abandon his own family. My baby and I deserved better.

As I sat there, holding my baby close, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I knew that the road ahead would be tough, but I was ready. I was ready to move on, to start anew, and to give my baby the life he deserved.

And as for Harris? He could stay in his past, with his ex and his guilt. I was moving forward, and I was taking my baby with me.

As my brother, Liam, said, he came back in an hour with the paperwork for my divorce. My baby needed some extra care that the current hospital could not provide. So, Liam asked me to hurry up. I signed the papers and handed the file to the nurse attending Cindy to pass it to Harris. After that, we left the Hospital with my baby.

My baby was further admitted for ten days while my brother helped me in the postpartum period. When I was getting discharged from the hospital, I was struck in my way. My brother noticed that I was not following him and turned to look up at me as he asked, “Why did you stop?”

“Where will I go?” I suddenly asked a question I didn't raise before. I had cut connection with my family three years ago when I ran off with Harris and blocked everyone. I was now a divorcee with a little baby in my hands and had no job. Where could I go in such a situation?

But, Liam laughed at me. He came up to me and hugged me, saying, “Are you crazy? Your family is with you. I have already booked the flight ticket for us and told Mom about your arrival. She is desperately waiting for your arrival. Don't let her wait anymore. Come, let’s go.”

***

After I sat in the flight, I fed my baby and got him to sleep. Only after that I got time to switch on my phone. As soon as my phone got connected to the internet, it started buzzing with several notifications. Each one of them covering the news of the young business tycoon Harris Salvador becoming a new father. The headlines read as follows.

“The famous Harris Salvador is seen coming out with a baby girl in his hand. There was also a woman by his side. Is she his wife?”

“Congratulations to Harris Salvador for becoming a father of a baby girl. In his recent interview he shared the news of soon to be a father. It seems like his wife has finally delivered the baby.”

“Look how happy our new father, Harris Salvador, is looking with his family. It’s really adorable.”

All the headlines carried a picture of Harris coming out of the hospital, along with Cindy. He had carried Cindy's daughter in his laps and was supporting Cindy in walking. After staring at it for a while, I realized the news was not exaggerated.

I chose the most engaged post and wrote a comment from my official account. “They are indeed looking adorable to watch. It would look more adorable only if the woman he was supporting was his wife, not his mistress and the girl he was carrying was his daughter, not his mistress’s ex’s.”

Soon my phone began flickering with several responses, my comment getting many reactions and replies.

I smiled ironically before I turned off the internet. I didn't want to spoil my mood because of the media showing what Harris was doing with his mistress and her daughter, then I blocked Harris from my contact and switched off the phone.