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After my funeral, Rickey brought Lessie and my mother, Celeste Caldwell, back to my house. The moment they stepped through the door, Rickey’s expression changed. He impatiently threw his hat to the floor. “Those two just wouldn’t die, huh? Took so many doses, and they finally
kicked the bucket!
If they knew the reason they died was because they insisted I study medicine, they’d probably regret it to death.”
I stood frozen in place. I wondered, “Is Rickey talking about Derek and me?
Could it be that our deaths… weren’t natural? Was it… Rickey’s doing?
But how is that possible? Derek and I are his parents! We worked tirelessly for him all these years, leaving him a large inheritance even after our deaths!”
Before I could make sense of it, Lessie, with tears in her eyes, hugged Rickey. “Yes, all these
years, it’s been hard on you.”
Rickey held her tightly. “Mom, you’re the one who suffered all these years. I didn’t. I only hated
that those two were still alive, keeping us from acknowledging each other.”
My mother grinned so widely that her face almost couldn’t contain it.
Listening to their conversation, I finally understood everything.
Back then, Lessie and I had discovered our pregnancies around the same time. However, during her pregnancy, my younger brother, Malcolm Caldwell, died in an accident. After careful
consideration, Lessie decided to keep her child.
Malcolm and I had always been close. To ensure Lessie had nothing to worry about, I took
great care of her.
From prenatal checkups, the C–section, pregnancy nutrition, and postpartum recovery, to
baby clothes, everything was paid for by me.
It was precisely because of this money that Lessie developed sinister thoughts.
She envied that my son was born into wealth and couldn’t bear the thought of her own child
growing up fatherless and in poverty. That was when the idea of swapping our babies came to
her.
When my mom learned about the plan, not only did she refuse to stop it, but she even helped
orchestrate it. In her eyes, my brother’s child was the rightful heir to our family, while mine was
just an outsider.
After the swap, they feared the truth would come to light. To ensure their child received all
the love, they decided to kill my baby. This way, they could seamlessly step into my home and
raise the child as their own.
Only now did I realize the baby who died more than twenty years ago was my son!
And for all these years, I had been raising someone else’s child, a heartless ingrate, a
murderer!
My soul trembled with fury.
Watching the three of them bask in their happiness, I plunged into darkness.
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Wed, 26 Feb
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Only now did I realize the baby who died more than twenty years ago was my son!
And for all these years, I had been raising someone else’s child, a heartless ingrate, a
murderer!
My soul trembled with fury.
Watching the three of them bask in their happiness, I plunged into darkness.
I didn’t know how much time had passed before I opened my eyes again.
Lessie’s voice was chattering away beside my ear.
“Angeline, I really can’t thank you enough. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even dare to imagine
having a C–section and recovering in such a good hospital. If Malcolm were still alive, he would definitely be so relieved.”
But as she spoke, hints of jealousy seeped into her tone. “You’re so lucky to have married
someone like Derek.”
Hearing those words, I realized instantly I had been reborn.
And I had returned to the day of my C–section. Everything was still within my grasp.
Derek sat beside my hospital bed, encouraging me with a warm smile.
Though my heart was ablaze with hatred, I quickly calmed myself. After all, nothing had
happened yet.
As I pieced things together, I realized that the baby swap must have taken place right after
the C–section.
Because after surgery, I had a private room. There would have been no opportunity to switch
the babies then.
If the swap had happened after we returned home, the baby’s appearance would have been
different, making it easy to spot the switch.
With that in mind, I forced a smile. “Lessie, don’t say that. You’re like a sister to me. Get some
rest, you’ll be the first to go in for surgery soon.”
Lessie’s gaze fell on my belly, her eyes filled with a possessiveness that made my skin crawl.
I pretended to be oblivious to her scheme. As soon as Lessie was wheeled into the operating
room, Celeste hurried after her.
I immediately stood up. “Derek, let’s go home. I’m not doing the C–section today! I want a
natural birth. I want to leave right now!”
“Huh? What? Didn’t you want to have the C–section on the same day as Lessie?” Derek looked
confused. Though he questioned me, his hands were already gathering our things to take me
home.
My due date was still a few days away. But because Lessie kept pushing me, I had changed
my mind from a natural birth to a C–section.
I knew that if I told everyone I had been reborn, they would think I had lost my mind.
I also knew that even if I tried to swap my baby back after birth, they might become
desperate and harm my child.
The best solution was to deliver separately. That way, there would be no chance for them to
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“Huh? What? Didn’t you want to have the 6–section on the same day as lessie? Derek looked confused. Though he questioned me, his hands were already gathering our things to take me
home.
My dus dots was still a few days away. But because lesse kept pushing me, I had changed my mind from a natural birth to a C–section
I knew that if I told everyone thad been reborn, they would think I had lost my mind
I also knew that even if i tried to swap my baby back ofter birth, they might become
desperate and harm my child,
The best solution was to deliver separately. That way, there would be no chance for them to switch the babies, and mine would be safer.
Besides… Malcolm had always been good to me, I truly couldn’t bring myself to hurt his child.
