CHAPTER 23

“You believe her?” a familiar voice said hysterically.

“Mom, let me handle this. Just for now, please leave us alone,” Achetbir said tiredly.

I slowly opened my eyes. I didn’t know how many times I had woken up in the hospital, but this one was the scariest.

“Sis...”

I slowly looked in the direction of the voice and saw my mother sitting beside my bed while Blair was standing behind her. An angel seemed to pass by as silence filled the room. Everyone was sensing every movement.

I touched my stomach and weakly closed my eyes when I felt that the bump had shrunk.

“My baby?” I sobbed and slowly opened my eyes to look at them. “Where’s my baby,” I asked firmly and stared at my mother.

She looked at me softly and caressed my hair. “He’s in the NICU, dear,” she said calmly.

I cried in despair. I shook my head just thinking about my child's situation.

“I want to see him. Please, take me to him,” I pleaded in tears and forced myself to get up despite my trembling stomach.

“Dear, restrain yourself from moving. Your wound might open,” my mother said, concerned.

“Jandie, don’t force yourself too much,” Achetbir mumbled worriedly as he walked near me.

“No. Just stay there,” I immediately warned him. 

I looked at him and his mother in disgust. “I did everything…” I began and bit my lower lip to stop sobbing. “I was enslaved because I need a job. You heard nothing from me. I accepted all your badmouthing about me.” My voice cracked, and I looked at Achetbir’s mother, “Are you done? Are you now happy? Was it not enough? What do you want me to do to stop this shit?” I said in great sorrow as my mother hugged me tightly.

“The baby,” Achetbir whispered in his place.

I stiffened as my heart beat fast. I glanced at him slowly. I couldn’t read his objective.

“Is he my child?” he asked calmly as his jaw trembled.

I swallowed hard and averted my gaze. I looked at my mother as if I were asking for a guide. She gave me a simple smile and brushed my hair using her fingers. “Your child needs him,” she said.

I closed my eyes and heaved a deep sigh. I looked back at Achetbir. “Yes,” I confirmed.

He released a deep exhale, and his mother leered. “That’s impossible! You'd been separated for several months before you got pregnant!” his mother protested. “Mom, stop!” Achetbir yelled like his patience was finally at an end.

He observed my face to determine what the lie was and what was the truth. His eyes were sore and started to form tears.

“Why did you hide it from me? Why did you hide our son from me?” he asked, full of pain.

I laughed sarcastically and shook my head.

“Because it might ruin your name, Achetbir. You’re a respected businessman, and everyone looks up at you. Your mother disapproved of our relationship. Now tell me? How could I tell you?” I asked him sarcastically.

“Bullshit!” he exclaimed and disheveled his hair.

He looked at me with his bloodshot eyes and laughed sarcastically. “That’s it? Were those all your reasons?” he mocked.

I averted my eyes and sighed. “You’ll never know the struggle unless you are in my place,” I whispered loud enough for him to hear.

The room was filled with silence.

“I believe that he’s mine, but how? How did I impregnate you?” he asked, confused.

I bit my lower lip to explained the story.

“It’s me. It was all my fault.” A person entered the room and caught our attention

“Granny?” Achetbir uttered.

“What do you mean by that, mom?” Mrs. Villa Forca asked with her eyebrow raised.

She ignored the lady and just looked at Achetbir and me.

“I am the reason why Jandie got pregnant. I planned all of this just to ensure that Jandie will carry the next heir of our family,” said the most powerful member of the Villa Forca family.

I barely opened my mouth, and surely enough, everyone in the room was shocked.

Lord! What kind of game is this?

The old lady looked at me in guilt. “I’m sorry, hija, if I made you suffer because of my sudden decision. I hope you know that I was glad to meet you, and your relationship with my grandson was not concealed from my knowledge. So when Emily told me about Achetbir and Patriza getting married, I made a plan to get you two back to each other,” she explained.

I was dumbfounded.

“What kind of mess did you make, Mama? Don’t you think that she just wanted money from my son?” Achetbir’s mother protested.

“Stop, Emily!” she warned and leered at her. “You were also nothing when I let you and my son marry before. Why are you acting so high and mighty now? Have you forgotten your past? Of all people, I was expecting you to understand this young lady,” she reproached.

Achetbir’s mother remained silent in embarrassment.

“If she really wanted money, she should have said it from the start when Daizel confessed to Jandie that the father is Achetbir. But no! I also never expected her to sacrifice her life just to take care of my grandchild,” said the old lady in amazement.

Silence remained. No one dared to talk.

“Was she really a doctor?” 

She smiled and shrugged. “Daizel is one of my best friends. I can always count on her. So we observed you the last time you came back to the hospital to ask about your pregnancy. Honestly, I didn’t expect that it would work because we planned it spontaneously. All she did was inject the semen into your vagina.”

My face turned red after hearing the words.

It was not fate that played me; it was an old lady.

“With all due respect for my interruption, now that we all knew the truth, I think we can now calmly decide,” said my mother.

I automatically looked at Achetbir, who had been staring at me the whole time.

“Oh my gosh! Achetbir, you’re all over the news,” Mrs. Villa Forca shrieked as she held up her smartphone.

I saw Achetbir clench his jaw while staring at me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a deep breath. “I am willing to continue to hide my son,” I whispered.

His eyes gloomed, and he still gritted his teeth. “Our, Jandie. Our baby,” he corrected.

I sighed and tried to calm myself.

“And you are not hiding anymore. I will not allow you to decide for us, for me, again,” he said firmly.

My mouth parted as I saw how stern his face was. “B-but you’re getting married...you’ll possibly have a baby with Patriza,” I murmured.

“Nothing happened,” Mrs. Villa Forca suddenly uttered and averted her gaze. “It was all set up,” she whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Emily,” the old lady exclaimed, frustrated.

“I think it would be better if we left my sister and Achetbir alone for them to talk first,” Blair suggested.

“What? No, I will stay,” Achetbir’s mother disagreed.

“No, you are going with me, and we’ll clean your mess,” the old lady ordered and pulled her by the arm.

Blair and my mother chuckled and smiled at me.

“We are just outside, Sis,” my sister bid me goodbye and caressed my arm.

I just nodded, and my heart started to race at the thought that Achetbir and I would be all alone.

Silence enveloped us as our families walked out of the room. I couldn’t look at him or utter a single word because I couldn’t find the appropriate expressions. I felt him walk near me, which made me stiffen in my place.

“Look at me, Jandie,” he pleaded.

I closed my eyes and followed him. I could the tears forming in his eyes while he stared at me. “Can you please, just this once, fight for me?” he asked, full of pain.

My heart ached while seeing him struggle in such sorrow.

“Right after our talk, I will call a press conference immediately, and I will admit our relationship,” he informed.

“You’re being delirious. Your name will be ruined if you do that,” I said.

“It's not my name which I have been treasuring—it's you, Jandie!” he exclaimed.

I remained silent after he said that. I was shocked when he knelt down beside me as he held my hand.

“You are the only one I love, Jandie. I could lose everything, but not you. Please, don’t push me away,” he sobbed, proving that he could sacrifice everything just to have me back.

I covered my mouth when I heard him cry.

“I love you so much, babe. Just for once, just this time, please. Fight for me.”