Chapter 100: Missing

Chapter 100: Missing

Swapping her with another baby? Eve pulled away and stared at the woman in astonishment. “Mum, what did you just say?”

“I’m horrible, right?” Her mother covered her face and sobbed. “I understand if you don’t forgive me, Eve. I don’t think I deserve it. I wasn’t in my right mind, I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought…” She trailed off and kept on sobbing.

Eve opened her mouth, but no words came out. The accidental swapping wasn’t an accident? Her Mum did that?

“M–Mum, why did you…” Eve held back her tears from falling, trying her best to control the sudden grief compounding her heart. “Mum…”

“Please don’t call me that. I feel bad when you call me by that name. After what I did…”

“Do you really hate me?” Eve sniffed. “What did Dad do for you to hate me so much? What did he do for you to abandon me?”

“I don’t hate you now, Eve.” Her mother shook her head and looked up. “I am just ashamed to come near you. I am ashamed to be close to you after what I did.”

Eve lowered her head as her vision became blurry.

“Evelyn.” Her mother held her shoulders. “Can’t you see I’m the most horrible mother in existence? Whatever explanation I give to you, it won’t justify my actions. I acted like a fool. I was a coward to direct all the hate to you when it wasn’t your fault.”

“Mum…”

“Your father had an affair when I was pregnant with you. I caught him with his secretary. I pretended as if nothing happened. I kept it inside and it ate at me. Unknowingly, I transferred all the hate to you… And I didn’t think twice before swapping you the moment you were born.”

“Why, Mum. Why did you do that to me?” Eve wiped off her tears. Of all reasons, this wasn’t what she’d ever anticipated. And she’d like to believe that her mother was just making it up.

“I’m so sorry, Eve.” Her mother cupped her cheeks and used her thumbs to wipe her tears. “I’m sorry for everything. I understand if you don’t want to forgive me. I will never see you again if you don’t want me to. B–But please let me have just a glimpse at my grandchildren.”

“How can you think of never seeing me again?” Eve shook her head and hugged her. “What you did was wrong, Mum. Do you know how much I’ve wanted you to hug me like this?”

“I’m so sorry.” Her mother sobbed. “Eve, don’t force yourself to forgive me.”

“But I want to.” Eve sniffed. “If I don’t forgive you, I’ll hold a grudge. And you know what a grudge can lead to.”

Her mother pulled away and stared at her in surprise. “You’re an angel, Eve. I must have given birth to your body, but definitely not your heart.” She hugged her again and sobbed louder.

“I didn’t do all those because of Mia. In fact, I pity that girl, Eve. No matter what I did for her, I couldn’t stop feeling guilty for taking her from her parents.”

“It’s alright, Mum. Since you have the heart to admit your mistakes and apologize, you don’t have a bad heart… You just have a fragile one.”

“I owe everyone an apology.”

“And I owe you an apology, Selina.” The door opened and Eve’s father stepped in with a crestfallen look. “If– If you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“Oh, Jason.” The woman rushed to him and hugged him tight. “How can I not forgive you? See what I did to our daughter.”

“It was a one-time thing, Selina. I swear I never saw her again. I feel guilty about all this. I should also apologize to our daughter.” He hugged her back and sighed heavily.

Eve got down from the bed, wiping her tears. “Mum, Dad… Please don’t. We’re all back together, and that’s the most important thing.”

They pulled her into their middle and they both hugged her. “Our daughter has a kind heart, Jason. We’re both bad people, how can the heavens bless us so.”

“You’re not bad people.” Eve shook her head. “You’re both my parents.”

The whole family came in and joined in the embrace. As her parents, sisters, and grandfather all hugged her, Eve’s gaze strayed to Ethan who was standing by the door, and more tears dropped from her eyes.

“You’re crying too much, Eve,” Ethan murmured, holding her in his arms as they both sat on the bed. The family had left long ago, but Eve’s tears never dried.

“I’m just happy.” Eve sniffled. “My Mum is back. The family is happy. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve this.”

“You deserve all the happy things in life, Eve.” Ethan kissed the tip of her nose and wiped her tears. “You are a kind person.”

But she wasn’t kind in her past life. She made so many mistakes. The heavens were too kind to have given her this second chance. But she was more than grateful. She finally had a complete family, and everyone was happy.

“Ethan, I wish that in our next lifetime, things will still be like this. I’ll have the same family. And we’ll end up together.”

“I wish so too.” Ethan smiled. “Then you can give me these adorable babies.”

Eve glanced at the cribs. The babies were fast asleep. “Mum couldn’t put Little Mimi down. She said she looks exactly the way I looked when I was born.”

“I told you so.” Ethan kissed her cheeks. “She takes after you.”

Eve breathed out softly and shifted on the bed then rested her head on his chest. “The staff will come in later and take them away. Do you think we should go home soon? Your grandfather is already feeling better. We can get discharged early so I can spend time with my babies at night.”

“I’ll see to that,” Ethan said. “The staff only take them away so you can have a proper sleep at night.”

Eve nodded and closed her eyes to take a nap. When evening came, the staff took the babies to the nursery while Ethan left the ward to go check up on his grandfather.

Eve was deeply engrossed in playing games with her phone. After some time, she dropped the phone on the table beside the bed and rested her head on the pillow, yawning.

And in the middle of the night, she woke up to an unsettling feeling in her heart. Her eyes went to Ethan who had returned and was deeply asleep on the couch.

She got down from the bed after taking a sip of water from a glass, then she entered the bathroom.

Eve patted her chest as she came out of the bathroom, that unsettling feeling increasing. When she was just about to sit on the bed, the light went out and suddenly, everywhere was darkness.

Her heart dropped to her stomach at that moment and that unsettling feeling expanded.

“E–Ethan.” She scoured for her phone then found it and turned on the flashlight. “Ethan, wake up.” She hurried up to him and tapped him awake.

“What is wrong, Eve?” Ethan opened his eyes.

“The light went out!” Eve exclaimed.

“That is strange.” A deep frown appeared on his face and he sat up and reached for his phone. “Let me call the security—”

“No, that can wait.” Eve grabbed his phone, her heart pounding. “L–Let’s check on our babies, Ethan.” She pulled him up and hurried out of the ward, holding his hand.

“Eve, slow down. You’re being paranoid,” Ethan walked behind her and said tiredly. “It is late, Eve. The lights might return soon.”

“There has never been a power outage in this city.” Eve shook her head. And she didn’t like this strange feeling in her heart.

When they arrived at the nursery, Ethan took her to the area where her babies were kept.

“See, Eve,” he said calmly. “Our babies are… Missing!?” He yelled out the last word and Eve dropped on her knees.