1 I’d just gotten back from sorting out the birth certificate when I saw my husband untying our daughter’s wristband. A prickle of suspicion chilled me. I was about to push the door open, but then I watched him swap out our daughter’s swaddling with another baby’s. Just then, a woman’s gentle voice drifted from inside the room. “Declan, I swear, I’ll raise your daughter as my own.” My husband, Declan Gray, looked up, his eyes brimming with a love and pity I’d never seen directed at me. “Liana, little Hope lost her father the moment she was born. Don’t worry, I promise to give her a complete family. She’ll grow up healthy, surrounded by a mother and father’s unwavering love. From this day forward, I am her father.” Outside the hospital room, I clutched the flimsy birth certificate, feeling like I’d been plunged into an ice bath. Liana Hayes, his unattainable ‘one that got away,’ the woman he still pined for. He wanted to give his beloved Liana’s daughter a complete family. What about our daughter? Inside, he held Liana’s baby with such tenderness, such intense focus and love. That look, so gentle and adoring, had never once been for me or our child. The warmth and affection on his face became a searing blade, striking me before I could even process it. An inexpressible, sharp pain tore through me, gutting my heart. I looked down, my eyes fixed on the pristine birth certificate, tracing our daughter’s name: Anya Gray. My vision blurred, tears welling. Was even her name a silent homage to their lost love? Only then did the realization hit me, slow and crushing: Declan didn’t love me. And he didn’t love our daughter either, this child I’d carried for nine months, enduring a full night of labor to bring into the world. The truth shattered me, leaving me trembling, barely able to stand, clinging to the wall for support. Declan’s voice, hoarse with emotion, reached me from the room. “Liana, the regret of our love, of what could have been, we’ll mend through this child. My first half of life was for you. The second will be for her. She’s the last thread connecting us.” The regret of a love that couldn’t be? I let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. Why must your regrets be mended at the cost of my daughter’s entire life? A sacrifice made at another’s expense. My love for him withered, replaced by a silent storm of disappointment and resentment taking root deep within me. I wiped the tears from my face, slowly pushing myself off the wall. Steeling myself, I pushed open the door, interrupting their intimate exchange. Declan’s face darkened the moment he saw me, his voice sharp with irritation. “What took you so long? Is that how a mother acts? Amelia Reed, can’t you learn from Liana? Her eyes haven’t left the baby for a second!” I lowered my gaze, hiding the disappointment and pain swirling in my eyes. In Declan’s world, I was always second best to Liana, even when he knew I’d just been getting our daughter’s birth certificate. Living in the same apartment building for years, he constantly compared me to Liana, always praising her, oblivious to the simmering tension between them. How blind I’d been not to notice their unspoken connection. My eyes fell on Liana, and a tight, bitter smile touched my lips, hatred gathering in my gaze. The baby in Liana’s arms was clearly my Anya! Sensing my stare, Liana subtly shifted, blocking my view. Just then, the baby in Declan’s arms began to wail. This time, he didn’t instantly blame me. Instead, he cradled the baby, murmuring soft reassurances. He hadn’t held our daughter once in the three days since she was born. Yet now, he looked down, speaking softly, an aura of paternal love radiating from him. The difference between love and indifference was stark, a brutal punch to the gut. I stared at him, my mind a battlefield, a bold and dangerous idea taking root. Liana turned, offering me a strained, bitter smile. “Little Hope lost her dad right after she was born. Seeing you two as a happy family of three… it really stings, you know?” She spoke with an air of self-pity, but a flicker of triumph, impossible to suppress, danced in her eyes. Declan looked up, his face etched with unconcealed sorrow, his eyes slightly red. “Liana…” I dug my nails into my palm, the sharp pain pulling me back from my daze. Liana sighed, then carried Anya to another bed. I took a deep breath, pushing down the bitterness, and reached out to take the baby from Declan, intending to soothe her. “Honey, is the baby hungry? I’ll go get some water for her formula.” Normally, Declan would have eagerly handed the baby over, but now, his brow furrowed in a tight frown. 2 “My daughter will have breast milk, of course. Formula? Do you have any responsibility at all? Amelia, listen to me, we’re only having one child, and I want to give her the absolute best! Don’t you even think about a second or third child!” With that, he practically shoved the baby into my arms, gesturing for me to feed her. I turned my face away, my heart swelling with a mix of bitterness and anger. Before Anya was born, he’d constantly told me to formula feed her so his mother could take over after my confinement, urging me to go back to work. His harsh words still echoed in my ears: “Amelia Reed, I know your family is wealthy, but you need to learn to be independent, not just waste away as a stay-at-home mom! The baby will be raised by the nanny and my mother.” So, the only true ties that bound him were Liana and her daughter. My daughter wasn’t worth his concern, nor did she deserve to grow up in her mother’s arms. Indifference meant no thought, no care. It wasn’t until Anya, still in Liana’s arms, began to cry loudly that my self-pity was interrupted. Hearing my daughter’s cries, I involuntarily took a half step forward. Liana frowned, impatiently placing the baby on the bed. Then, as if an idea struck her, she quickly turned to Declan and me, explaining, “Crying it out, it helps train a child’s independence. After all, this child was born without a father. I can’t spoil her.” Anya sobbed heartbrokenly, yet Liana simply scrolled through her phone. Listening to her absurd justification, I clenched my fists, a furious heat rising within me. “A three-day-old infant? Training what independence? Liana Hayes, crying is a baby’s natural instinct! If you let her continue, she’ll cry herself sick!” My heart ached at Anya’s cries, and I lunged forward, desperate to pick her up. But Declan coldly blocked me. “Amelia Reed! What right do you have to lecture Liana? Who do you think you are?” My mind exploded. My blood ran cold, and I started to tremble uncontrollably. He knew. He knew the one crying her heart out right now was our child! My body rigid, I turned to Declan, my voice catching in my throat. “The baby is crying. Can’t you hear her?” Declan’s brow was deeply furrowed, his eyes utterly devoid of emotion. He looked at me with annoyance. “Liana’s own child. Is she not heartbroken enough that you, an outsider, need to step in?” I almost demanded to know how he could be so cruel. But the words died on my lips, replaced by a bitter ache, and I averted my gaze, unable to bear it. The conviction in my heart, however, only grew stronger. Anya cried until her voice was hoarse, but Declan seemed oblivious, his attention solely on the baby in his arms. He didn’t even spare Anya a glance. I tightened my fists, waiting for my chance. A chance to quietly switch the two babies back. Liana’s child might have been born without a father, but I wouldn’t let my Anya suffer the same fate. She deserved a life of privilege and love! I vowed silently, Anya, trust Mommy. I will ensure you have all the love of a mother and a father. Newborns were taken for a bath when they were three days old. I held this strange baby in my arms. This afternoon, I would get my Anya back. Anya had a tiny red mole behind her ear, a secret only I knew. From the day she was born, I’d been the only one to feed her, to change her diapers. Declan didn’t know, and Liana didn’t either. They thought by swapping swaddles and wristbands, they could steal my daughter? Ha. How naive. She was my precious girl, whom I cherished so deeply I barely dared to sleep at night. In the afternoon, Liana’s mother arrived. The moment she saw the sleeping baby on the bed, she snapped irritably, “A curse-bringer, a useless girl! Get her out of this hospital already, stop wasting money!” Liana’s husband had passed away two weeks prior, never even seeing his own child. A tragic story, indeed. Mrs. Hayes’s loud voice drew glances from other patients. Both babies in the room startled and began to cry simultaneously. Declan frowned slightly, seemingly displeased by my distraction. He snatched the baby from my arms, murmuring reassurances. My eyes never left Anya, her cries tearing at my heart. Mrs. Hayes, further annoyed by the crying, roughly yanked open the baby’s swaddling, her dirt-stained finger jabbing at Anya’s face. 3 “Cry, cry, cry, that’s all you do! Your father died because of your crying! If I’d known it was going to be a girl, I never would have let you be born!” Noticing the disapproving stares from others in the room, Liana, ever conscious of appearances, made a halfhearted attempt to intervene. “Mom, don’t say such things to the baby.” I watched Liana coldly. Her eyes hadn’t even left her phone. How could people like them possibly raise a child well? Yet, my husband was so blind and senseless, convinced the world owed Liana everything, willing to sacrifice anything to make it up to her! Mrs. Hayes scoffed, finally lowering her voice, but still grumbling, “I’ll take the child back to the countryside. Liana, you need to find another man while you’re still young! Preferably a rich one, so I can have something to look forward to in my old age…” As Mrs. Hayes’s rambling grew more outrageous, Liana finally looked up from her phone, her gaze instinctively drifting toward Declan. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she answered with a weary air, “Mom, I… I couldn’t marry the man I wanted back then. Now, it doesn’t matter who I marry.” Declan lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the baby in the swaddle, appearing calm. But I saw the profound sadness and loneliness in his eyes. He held the baby, no longer attempting to comfort her, his fingers unconsciously scrunching the bedsheets. Liana’s words had pierced him deeply. Yet, he showed no reaction to the thought of my daughter being taken to the countryside, branded as a father-killer. His mind was lost in Liana’s lament. I stared at his slightly pale face, my gaze fixed on him as I cautiously asked, “Honey, Liana’s baby… she’s quite pitiful, isn’t she?” My eyes never left Declan, searching for a flicker of compassion, reluctance, or even a hint of guilt. There was nothing. Declan suddenly looked up at me, his eyes cold. He pressed his lips together, then said softly, “She was born unlucky. No one is to blame.” I stared at him in disbelief, as if I’d never truly seen him before. Or perhaps, this was the first time I was truly seeing the man he was. The Declan before me was detached, callous. He casually dismissed her fate as ‘unlucky,’ a phrase that struck not just her, but my heart, with crushing weight. An unfamiliar emotion surged within me, suffocating me. The heavy atmosphere in the room made my heart pound, and I numbly turned away, unwilling for him to see the tears in my eyes. Declan’s gaze suddenly landed on me, his eyes sharp. “Amelia, you’ve been acting strange all morning. Since when did you care so much about other people’s business?” I took a deep breath, expelling the tightness in my chest, and smiled. “Just seeing the baby… it tugs at my heart, that’s all.” Declan’s brows furrowed even tighter. He paused, then a hint of mockery entered his eyes as he scoffed, “Hmph, well, you’re certainly overflowing with sympathy. Amelia, instead of worrying about other people’s children, why don’t you pay more attention to your own daughter?” When the nurse announced it was time to take the newborns for their baths, my eyes drifted to Liana, who remained unmoving. “Liana, aren’t you taking your daughter for a bath?” Liana glanced at Anya in the swaddle, about to say something, when Mrs. Hayes quickly interjected, “No. A girl? Not worth the money.” Anger flared in my chest, but I suppressed it, remembering my plan. “It’s free, Auntie. The hospital provides it.” Hearing my words, Mrs. Hayes’s eyes lit up. Driven by the thought of a freebie, she scooped up Anya from the bed. “Then we’ll go! Your city hospitals really do have good service!” Mrs. Hayes, holding Anya, followed me closely out of the room. In my peripheral vision, as soon as we left, Liana went over to my husband, who was sitting on the visitor’s sofa. His eyes met hers, filled with remorse. I bit my lip hard, frantically telling myself, Don’t act rashly. For our daughter’s happiness, endure this for now! At the infant bathing room, the nurse directed parents to queue up to drop off their babies, with families waiting outside. Anya went in first. Mrs. Hayes, bored while waiting by the door, struck up a conversation with me. When she found out I also had a daughter, she pursed her lips, her eyes filled with disdain. “Tsk, what’s the point of having a girl?” My expression instantly turned cold. I had no desire to speak further with such an ignorant and narrow-minded person. 4 Mrs. Hayes couldn’t stand still, constantly looking around. She seemed to spot something exciting, turning back to instruct me, “Hey, Amelia, can you pick up that little brat for me later? Auntie will be right back!” My heart skipped a beat. This was the perfect opportunity. I quickly nodded. Mrs. Hayes hurried off towards the bustling crowd. At that precise moment, I handed the prepared clothes and swaddle to the nurse. When the nurse brought Anya out after her bath, she was wearing the tiny outfit I’d prepared. I held her close, my eyes never leaving her, as if cradling a lost treasure I’d miraculously found again. My eyes were stinging with unshed tears. By the time Mrs. Hayes returned from her distraction, the two babies had, through my careful maneuvering, swapped identities once more. From this day forward, my Anya would grow up safe and sound under my protection. She would have the complete love of both her mother and father. My gaze swept over the infant in Mrs. Hayes’s arms, and I had to avert my eyes. I was sorry. My heart was small, only holding enough space for my loved ones and my daughter. There was no room left for anyone else. Back in the room, I expected everything to have returned to normal, unnoticed. But to my shock, the moment Declan took the baby, he knew something was wrong. His eyes were fixed on the infant’s face, his expression grim, dark as a storm cloud. A terrible premonition bloomed in my chest. Sure enough. He roughly tore open the baby’s swaddle, ignoring her sudden startled cries, and sharply demanded, “Amelia Reed, where is my daughter? What have you done with my daughter?” Declan’s eyes were bloodshot. As if a sudden thought struck him, he thrust the baby into my arms and strode out of the room. I held Anya, trying to stop him, but he brutally slapped me. Smack! “Amelia Reed, get out of my way! I’m going to find my daughter!” I had just given birth. The force wasn’t immense, a light slap, but it left my mouth numb and stinging. I grabbed Declan’s arm, my voice a raw, ugly rasp squeezed from my throat. “Our daughter is right here, honey. Look at her. She’s our Anya…” Declan flung me away, his gaze poisonous, as if he wanted to tear me to shreds. “No! She’s not mine! She’s just your Amelia Reed’s daughter, never the precious baby I wanted!” I stood there, holding our daughter, a sharp pain in my chest, as if tiny ants were gnawing at my heart. It wasn’t an intense pain, but it made tears well in my eyes. I forced my eyes wide open, looking at Declan, and asked with a bitter laugh, “Declan, do you hate Anya? Or do you just hate me? Are you truly so unwilling to raise our child?” He glared at me with hatred, his lips trembling, trying to speak but failing. I watched him in silence, my eyes frighteningly red. Yet, when I looked at him, there was still a hint of pleading in my gaze, perhaps even unknown to myself. Deep down, I still harbored hope for Declan, for our family. I still loved him. In the silent standoff, Declan’s face was alarmingly pale. I offered him a forced smile, reaching out to steady him. “Honey, my body hasn’t fully recovered yet, I…” Just then, Mrs. Hayes walked in, holding the endlessly wailing child. Hearing the baby’s cries, Declan cruelly pushed my hand away and snatched the child from Mrs. Hayes. His hands trembling, he pressed his face against the infant’s tiny one, his eyes filled with tender love. “Don’t cry, baby. Daddy’s here. Good girl.” I looked at my empty hands, humiliation and pain washing over me. In my arms, my daughter slept soundly, her little mouth smacking. Perhaps she was dreaming, for she even smiled sweetly. The tears I’d held back now streamed down, soaking her swaddle. Anya, forgive Mommy. Maybe I can’t give you a complete family anymore. But believe me, I will love you with all my strength. Behind me, I heard Declan soothing the baby, and Liana standing beside him, a possessive, protective stance. The hospital room fell into a dead silence, all eyes on him, then on me. I wiped away my tears, and by the time I turned around, I was the calm, decisive Amelia Reed again. If a forced connection brings no joy, then I’ll simply let it go. I looked at Declan and said calmly, “Declan, let’s get a divorce.”
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