Chapter 244 I Changed My Mind
Staring at the needle approaching my body, I suddenly felt a great fear of losing the baby in my stomach.
I pushed away from the doctor nervously and jumped right off the bed.
“I’m so sorry, doctor. I changed my mind. think I want to keep my baby.”
As I scrambled to wear my pants, I stared at the doctor apologetically. I wondered if I was the first one who regretted the decision of abortion right at the very last second.
I thought the doctor would be mad, thinking I had wasted her time. But instead, she showed signs of no anger at all. She took off her mask and cast a genuine smile towards me.
“Every child is an angel. Please appreciate such a gift in the future.”
Upon saying that, the doctor turned and walked out of the operating room.
I did not know how and when I left the hospital. As I walked alone on the street, fear still lingered in my chest. The thought of my baby being gone if I had not change my mind at the last second ignited a sense of despair within me.
Even though I felt lost at the thought of the future of myself and my child, at that very moment, my instinct told me that I would not regret this. The baby was part of me now, and there was no way I would abandon it.
I touched my belly carefully. Although it was still too tiny to be detected, I could imagine it growing gradually.
Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head and looked at the sky. I had made up my mind. No matter how people would look at me, no matter how hard it would be to take care of a child, I would try my best to be a good mother.
Taking out my phone, I called Natalie to see if she was at home, and I was glad to know that she was.
After I arrived at her house, we chatted briefly before she suddenly mentioned Michael.
“Anna, do you know that Michael is getting engaged today?”
My friend stated the question carefully while observing my expression.
Before that, I was still in the joy of keeping the baby, but my smile vanished the instant I heard that man’s name.
“Of course I know about it. It’s the biggest news that’s trending all over now. Everyone knows about it.”
I knew Natalie was aware of my feelings towards Michael, but I still tried my hardest to seem calm.
“Don’t you have any plan? Since you like him so much, are you going to watch him getting married to another woman?”
Natalie was somewhat pissed by my calmness. In my heart, I knew she was a true friend who cared for my happiness.
“At this point, there’s nothing I can do anymore. As you know, there is no future between Michael and I.”
I knew Natalie was trying to encourage me, but I had lost all my courage. I was afraid that more courage would only bring more agony in the end.
“Anna, are you going to piss me off? How can you give up without trying? Didn’t you say that Michael also likes you?”
“Natalie, I have never expected a future of us. I feel content with having this baby. That’s all that matters to me now.”
I patted my belly gently; the child was my only spiritual sustenance right now.
“Baby? What baby? You’re pregnant?”
Natalie was stunned momentarily as her eyes widened in bewilderment.
“Yes, it’s Michael’s.”
Natalie was the only friend I trusted — I hid no secret from her. After all, she would find out about it sooner or later when my belly started to grow.
“What? Anna, you…”
Even though she had already suspected it, she was at a loss after hearing my confession.
“I know what you’re thinking. You must think I’m crazy.”
I had her Natalie long enough to know how she would feel about it.
I would not be able to comprehend my decision either if I was the old me. But I now realized that a mother would do anything to protect her child, even though it might seem insane in others’ eyes. I guessed that was the sacrificing love of a mother.
“Anna, are you out of your mind? Do you realize you’re pregnant out of wedlock? If you give birth to this baby, how will the world look at you in the future?”
Natalie stared at me with a panicked look on her face. But as a matter of fact, I had already considered every possible consequence she mentioned. That had been the exact reason I wanted to abort my baby. But when I was on the operating bed, I realized that all the pressure and critics from the world were nothing compared to my unborn baby’s life.
“I don’t care how people will look at me. There’s no way I could possibly kill my own child.”
At this moment, I could feel my deep connection with the baby in my belly. I knew I would not be able to forgive how inhuman I was for seriously thinking to abort my own child earlier.
“You… I don’t know what to say. Didn’t you use contraception when you had sex with him? You’re ruining your own life like this!”
Natalie knew she would not be able to change my mind, but she was still utterly concerned about my well-being.
“Don’t worry. I have decided to keep the baby, so I am prepared for whatever comes my way.”
The second I decided to keep the baby, I had decided resolutely that I would protect my child no matter what happened in the future.
“Fine. Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll support you. But… When are you planning to tell Michael? You are going to tell him, right?”
I did not respond to her question for quite a long time.
“No, I don’t plan to tell him. I’ll bring up the child myself,” I told her in an earnest tone.
“What? How can you not tell him? Anna, are you stupid?”
My response once again left Natalie in awe.
“Michael is already engaged, and they will be getting married soon. There’s no point of him knowing.”
I doubted if it would make any difference if Michael knew about my pregnancy.
“Anna, you’re not thinking straight. The baby belongs to him, so he has the right to know. Moreover, how could you possibly bring up the child all by yourself?”
My best friend disagreed thoroughly with my decision. However, regardless of how right she was about the burden of taking care of a child, I was still reluctant to inform Michael of this.
I lowered my head, seeming extremely dispirited.
“Anna, listen to me. The difficulty of taking care of a child is beyond your imagination. You must tell him now. Even if you don’t, he will find out when your belly starts to grow. Don’t forget that you’re still working at his company.”
