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After my funeral, my son Julian Lockridge, along with my sister–in–law Clarissa Sterling and my mom Eleanor Sterling, headed back to my house.
As soon as we walked through the door, Julian’s face darkened. He tossed his cap onto the floor, clearly irritated. “Man, these two really know how to hang on. After all that poison, they still
didn’t go down!”
I stood frozen. Was he talking about me and my husband?
Could it be that our deaths were intentional?
But how could that be? We were his parents! We’d given everything for him, and even left him
a huge inheritance when we died!
Before I could figure it out, Clarissa, tears in her eyes, clung to Julian.
“Yeah, it’s been such a long time. I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”
Julian knelt right down in front of her. “Mom, you’ve had it tough. I’m not complaining. I just
hate how these two kept hanging on, making it impossible for us to truly be a family.”
My mom’s grin couldn’t have been wider.
Listening to their conversation, everything clicked.
Years ago, Clarissa and I were both pregnant at the same time. But right before I was about
to give birth, my brother died in an accident. We were really close, so I looked after Clarissa through her whole pregnancy.
I paid for everything. The check–ups, the C–section, all the vitamins, the recovery center, and
even the baby’s clothes.
That money was what set Clarissa off.
She couldn’t stand that my son was born into wealth, while her own kid would grow up without a father. So she came up with the idea to swap the babies.
When my mom found out, instead of stopping her, she jumped in to help.
After the switch, they were terrified it would come out, so they had my son killed and put all
their love into Julian.
son!
That’s when it hit me. The child who died over twenty years ago wasn’t my nephew. It was my
All these years, I’d been raising someone else’s child, and that child turned out to be a
monster, a traitor, and a murderer!
My soul was shaking with rage.
I had to watch as the three of them laughed and celebrated, before everything went dark.
I don’t know how long passed, but when I opened my eyes again, Clarissa was still jabbering in my ear.
“Nadia, I can’t even begin to thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’d never have been able to ge. a C–section at this fancy hospital. Your brother would’ve been so proud of you. I know he’d be smiling down on us.”
As soon as I heard that, I knew it. I had been reborn.
D
Sat, 15 Feb
As soon as I heard that, I knew it. I had been reborn.
I was back on the day of my C–section.
Reginald, my husband, was sitting by my bedside, giving me encouragement.
Despite the burning anger inside me, I quickly calmed myself. After all, none of this had happened yet.
I thought it through. The baby swap was probably planned right after the C–section.
The recovery center had private rooms, so there would’ve been no chance to swap the babies later on.
Once we went home, the babies would look different. If they swapped them, they’d get caught.
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With that in mind, I forced a smile. “Clarissa, don’t worry about it. You’re like my big sister. Get some rest. You’ll be the first one to go in for the C–section.”
Clarissa was staring at my belly, practically salivating.
I pretended not to notice.
Once Clarissa was wheeled into the operating room, Eleanor rushed in after her.
I immediately jumped up. “Reginald, we’re going home. I’m not having the C–section today! I’m going to try for a natural birth. Let’s go!”
“Huh? Why… What’s going on? Didn’t you want to have the C–section at the same time as Clarissa?” Reginald was confused, though he was already packing up to leave.
My due date was still a few days away, but after Clarissa kept pushing for the C–section, I changed my mind.
I knew that if I told them I had been reborn, they’d think I was crazy.
And even if I tried to switch the babies later, they might retaliate and hurt my child.
The best solution was to give birth separately, so there wouldn’t be a chance for a swap, and my baby would be safe.
Plus, my brother had always been so good to me. I couldn’t bear to hurt his child.
After a bunch of back and forth, we finally left the hospital.
Albert, my father–in–law, was driving, still clearly puzzled. “Nadia, what’s going on? Why the sudden change? You were all set for the C–section, now you want to try for a natural birth?”
Reginald, flustered, stammered, “Maybe… maybe the C–section freaked you out? Are you
scared?”
Genevieve, my mother–in–law, shot Reginald and Albert a look that could freeze a hot stove. “What do you two know about childbirth? Nadia can decide when and how she gives birth. It’s none of your business. Got it?
Pregnancy’s already hard enough, and now you’re adding to it? Are you trying to make her lose her mind?”
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“We didn’t mean any harm. Just asking out of curiosity,” Albert explained meekly.
Genevieve snorted, giving them no quarter. “Unless you’ve got a uterus, you’ve got no business asking about childbirth.”
19:23 Sat, 15 Feb 50.
Albert quickly apologized.
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Genevieve turned to me, her voice soft. “Nadia, don’t worry. We support whatever you decide. If you change your mind and want the C–section later, just let us know. We won’t think you’re
indecisive. Don’t feel bad.”
Reginald was on the phone, asking his friends about the best hospital for natural births.
At last, I felt calm again.
We grabbed a quick bite before heading home. Albert didn’t leave until we were safely inside
the building.
Before getting out of the car, Genevieve took my hand gently. “Nadia, you’re almost full term.
It’s fine to wait a few more days. If you want the C–section later, you can always change your
mind. We won’t think you’re being flaky. Don’t feel embarrassed.”
My heart ached.
My mom had never cared for me; she’d practically wished I was dead.
But Albert and Genevieve spoiled me. They didn’t get upset at my little tantrum; they just
wanted to make sure I was okay.
How blind had I been in my past life to mistake wolves for family?
