Esther stopped her. Please, do you remember a man that booked a hotel that night? He came in very late, maybe drunk. The woman scratched her head.
Men come here. I can’t say. Some go to the hotel after drinking, but I don’t know their names.
They asked two more staff, but no one had answers. Isabella and Esther walked out of the club slowly. Isabella looked down, her steps heavy.
No one knows him, Isabella whispered. What do I do now? Esther held her hand. Don’t give up, Isabella.
We’ll find another way. They walked quietly along the street. Isabella placed her hand gently on her stomach.
I don’t know your father, she said in her heart, but I promise to love you. I promise to protect you. I will raise this baby alone.
I will try. I will do my best. This baby didn’t ask to come.
It’s not the baby’s fault. Esther felt tears in her eyes, too. She hugged Isabella tightly.
You’re stronger than you think, she whispered. But I’m here. We will walk through this together, no matter what.
That night, Isabella couldn’t sleep. She kept thinking. She imagined the baby growing in her belly.
What would she say when the child asked, where is my father? What would she do if people mocked her? But one thing she knew, she would never abandon her child. The next morning, she went to work at the hotel. She cleaned rooms, washed towels, and smiled at guests even when her heart was heavy.
Nobody knew what she was going through. Nobody could see the silent pain in her eyes. But Isabella kept going, somewhere far in the city.
In a large mansion, Kelvin sat in his office. He looked at the empty space in front of him. He had no idea he had left a piece of his past behind, a gold necklace, and a baby growing in a poor girl’s womb.
In the mansion, Kelvin stood in front of his tall mirror, adjusting his black suit and wristwatch. He looked sharp and handsome as always, ready for another day at work. But something felt missing.
He looked around his room, then turned to his dressing table. His eyes scanned every corner. Then he stopped.
His gold necklace, the one with his family name on it, was gone. He frowned. Where is it? He mammored to himself.
He opened all his drawers, checked under the bed, flipped a pillow. Nothing. Then he called out, Mary.
His maid, an elderly woman, rushed in. Yes, so? When you were cleaning my room yesterday, did you see one of my gold necklaces? The one with my family name on it? Mary looked surprised. Oh, no, sir, I didn’t.
I cleaned your dressing table, but I didn’t see any necklace there. Kelvin sighed and rubbed his forehead. I don’t even remember the last time I wore that necklace.
So, if you want, I can search for the necklace again. Maybe it fell some way. Kelvin waved his hand.
No, it’s fine. You can go. Mary bowed her head.
All right, sir. She quietly left. Kelvin sat on the edge of his bed, still thinking.
That necklace. I’ve had it for years. How did I lose it? He shrugged it off and headed out for work.
He didn’t know that necklace was now with someone else. Someone he had met on a forgotten night. Back in Isabella’s world.
Isabella was alone. the hotel front desk, trying to keep her eyes open. Her eyes were red, and her head felt heavy.
It was getting worse every day. Her body was weak. She would be working, then suddenly feel dizzy.
She would be standing, then suddenly feel like sitting on the floor. She was now always tired, always sleepy. Even after sleeping all night, she still felt like closing her eyes the next morning.
And sometimes, her stomach would turn like it was doing a dance. One afternoon, she went to clean one of the rooms, but ended up sitting on the bed and dozing off. A guest came in and was shocked to see her sleeping.
The guest went straight to the manager. Later that day, Isabella was called into the manager’s office. He looked angry.
Isabella, what’s going on with you? He asked. I am sorry, sir, Isabella stammered. I’ve just been feeling.
You’ve been feeling sleepy, weak, dizzy, he said, finishing his sentence. You’ve been careless and slow. Guests are complaining.
Even your co-workers are saying the same thing. Tears welled up in Isabella’s eyes. I’m sorry.
I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what’s wrong with you, Isabella. But this hotel cannot keep someone who’s not fit to work.
Isabella froze. Her heart dropped. You’re fired, the manager said.
You can go. Outside the hotel, Isabella sat on a cement bench, crying her eyes out. She held her bag close to her chest and rocked back and forth like a child.
I just lost my job. I just lost the only hope I had. Her body shook as she cried.
She didn’t know what to do or where to go. That evening, Isabella returned to her small room. As soon as she opened the door, Esther rushed to her.
Isabella, you didn’t go to work? I’ve been worried. Isabella dropped to the floor, crying again. I was fired, she whispered.
Esther gasped. What? Why? What happened? Isabella explained everything. How she had been feeling dizzy, sleepy, weak, and how it affected her work.
Esther looked at her for a while. Isabella, I think this pregnancy is getting harder. Isabella covered her face with her hands.
How will I survive now, Esther? No job, no money, and I’m pregnant. God, help me. Esther hugged her tightly, tears in her own eyes.
You’re not alone. We will figure this out. Don’t give up, Isabella.
Please don’t give up. Meanwhile, in his mansion, Kelvin stood on his balcony looking at the sky. He had no idea that the girl crying on the floor, pregnant and helpless, carried his blood in her womb and his gold necklace in her drawer.
Five years later, Isabella was 29 years old. She was no longer that scared young girl sitting on the floor and crying. Life had not been easy, but she didn’t give up.
After losing her hotel job years ago, she later found another one in a small but busy restaurant across the city. The pay was small, but it helped her survive. She worked hard every day, serving customers, washing plates, and cleaning the floors.
She never complained. She just wanted a better life for her daughter. Yes, her daughter.
Little Vera was now four years old, a bright and beautiful girl. She had her mother’s eyes, a sharp mind, and the sweetest smile. Isabella raised her alone, without any help from a man.
Esther, her best friend, was always there in the early days, until she got married and moved away. Even though Isabella had no husband, she gave Vera all the love in the world. But some questions were hard to answer…
