Amidst the unexpected and strange things I was hearing from his mother, I struggled to react. Our baby decided to arrive at the worst possible time. I was rushed to the hospital, and I focused solely on my baby, blocking out the negativity. The nine-month struggle had ended, and a baby boy resembling Raymond was in my arms.
Raymond entered the room, walking toward me with a smile, a rose in hand. I locked eyes with him, trying to gauge his reaction to all that had just unfolded. I asked, "What was your mom saying at the church earlier?"
He hesitated, eyes downcast. "Honey, I don't know how to explain this but don't believe my mom's words. She kept saying we were siblings after our outing. How could we be? We don't look alike at all."
His stammering made me suspicious. I insisted that his mother come in, and when she arrived, I could see the sorrow in her eyes. I asked, "Is there something I need to know?"
She started crying heavily. "I was a young, ambitious woman, following my father's footsteps in the family business. Every year, there was a season when gangs would fight to prove who was in charge. My father assigned a bodyguard to watch over me. Things took a different turn between us, and we fell in love. My father never approved, so we were forced to leave. A few months later, after having our first child, my father sent people to take her away."
I didn't fully understand the story but stayed silent, eager to hear where it was going.
"We returned to fight for our daughter, but my husband was beaten badly. We left again, hoping to come back stronger in time, but before we could, my father's gang was attacked. That's when I lost my child. I searched everywhere, using every connection, but she was gone and like that, I lost her."
At that moment, I couldn't hold back anymore. "What does this have to do with me?" I asked.
She looked at me and said, "You are my lost daughter."
Fury built up inside me. I turned to Raymond. "Did you know about all this?"
He shook his head. "I had no idea, Jasmine. I'm just as shocked as you are. All she ever mentioned was having a lost sister."
The weight of everything crashing down hit me hard. I knew it was no longer just about Raymond and I; it was about our child, my career, and my future. I motioned for the nurse to take them out while I tried to process everything. I lay back, thinking deeply, before finally dozing off.
A few hours later, I spoke to Raymond, handing him the ring. "I don't know how to deal with this right now. I need time to process it. But Raymond, this is your ring. I can't marry you if you are my brother. I don't care what you or your mother think, I'm keeping the baby."
Raymond looked at his mother, anger in his eyes, and stormed off. His mother remained tears in her eyes, silently pleading with me. "I don't care if you keep the baby. I just want to be a part of your life and be the mother you never had."
Her words were difficult to accept, so I asked her for space. After a few days, I was discharged with my newborn. I tried my best to keep everything out of the press, but, inevitably, the media got hold of the story. The world now knew about the drama unfolding in my life.
Breaking up with Raymond was going to be incredibly hard, but it was clear we couldn't be together. The complexity of our situation was too much to ignore, especially with a child involved.
I found myself lost in thought whenever I was alone. Luckily, Bela was there, keeping me grounded with her nagging, but it wasn't enough to erase the pain of what Raymond and I had shared. It would have been nice to have a brother, but not in this way, not with the man I had loved. How could I ever explain to my child that his father was his uncle?
One thing I knew for sure was that I would never disown my child. After weeks of processing everything, I invited Raymond and his mother to the villa. When she saw the baby, she smiled but her approach felt unsettling.
"I don't know what to call you, and it feels strange to call you mother. But after thinking about your words, you can visit your grandchild whenever you want. As for our relationship, I'll let time decide. It doesn't mean I've forgiven you, but I'm trying to move forward, enjoying the moment."
I asked for a private moment with Raymond while his mother played with the baby. I could see the hurt in his eyes, but I had to say what was on my mind.
"Raymond, I'm not saying this lightly, but we cannot get married if we are siblings. Society won't accept it. I care about you, I truly do, but we can't be together. It's not either of our faults. Life has been cruel to us. You can stay in the villa or leave, but most importantly, you can never tell our child the truth about being his father. I know the public will forget in time, and we'll move on."
I saw the disappointment in his eyes. Letting go of him was the hardest decision of my life. I loved him more than words could express, but I knew our story would be forgotten with time, and it was something we both needed to move past for the best of our child.