After a while, the OB-GYNE's assistant called Angela. This was the doctor recommended to her after she was rushed to the emergency room earlier. The clinic was only on the fifth floor of the same hospital, so they got there quickly.
While seated inside the clinic, Angela still couldn't believe the result of the ultrasound. She thought the first doctor who examined her had simply made a mistake. She hadn't paid much attention to the possibility, but now that it was confirmed, she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
"H-How did this happen?" she asked softly, sobbing.
Clark remained silent, watching her cry. He himself wanted to be alone with the weight and tightness in his chest after hearing the news. In all the years of their friendship and the six months they had been together as a couple, this was the first time he had seen Angela so devastated. And that was why he couldn't bring himself to leave her alone.
For several minutes, only the sound of her sobbing filled the clinic. He, on the other hand, was doing his best to silence the noise in his head and calm himself down. He needed to be rational. He couldn't let emotions take over.
Even though, in truth, he couldn't fully grasp how he felt since the moment it hit him like a bomb when the doctor revealed Angela's condition.
After they stepped out of the doctor's office, Clark walked with her out of the hospital. When they found a quiet spot in the garden area behind the building, he finally spoke.
"Gel… who's the baby's father?" he asked, his voice laced with concern and confusion. He couldn't help but voice the question.
Angela froze and looked at him, clearly shocked by what she heard. "What?"
"You know we're almost always together. Don't you think you'd notice if you were seeing someone else?" There was a trace of hurt in his voice. It wasn't meant as an accusation—he just wanted to understand.
Angela clenched her fists and quickly turned away. "So that's it? You don't trust me?" Her voice was low but firm.
Clark cursed under his breath and immediately followed her. "Gel, wait!" He gently but firmly grabbed her arm. "That's not what I meant."
Angela lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as she continued to cry. She knew Clark wasn't blaming her, but she couldn't fault him for being confused. Especially when she herself didn't understand what was happening. Deep down, part of her wondered if it was somehow her fault. But how?
"Hush, baby. I'm sorry," Clark said gently, softly rubbing her arm. "Overthinking won't help you."
Angela sobbed again. "Clark… you're the only one I'm ever with. You know I don't have anyone else in my life… and we both know nothing happened between us." She paused, took a deep breath, then continued. "So how? How did I get pregnant?"
Clark simply shook his head in response.
"I know you're confused right now and probably doubting if I'm telling the truth or not. I swear to God, there's no other man in my life—only you! You're the only one I let into my life, and you know that!" Angela could no longer hold back her emotions.
A brief silence fell between them. They could both feel the weight of the situation. Clark tried to think, digging through his memory for any possible explanation—until something suddenly came to mind. He quickly took out his phone and began scrolling, his expression serious.
Angela raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
"I have a hunch, but I need to make sure first," he replied. "Because if I'm right… you have the right to fight and file a case."
The truth was, once he was certain there was no other man in Angela's life, another possibility entered his mind—something he didn't want to believe but knew had to be investigated. "What if I'm wrong? What if the truth is even more painful?"
"File a case?" Angela asked, gasping.
Clark held her hand and looked her in the eyes. "Gel, there's a possibility you became a victim of medical malpractice."
Angela's eyes widened, unsure how to react. But amidst the fear and confusion, part of her hoped they would find answers.
***
After a long day of investigation, Angela quietly entered the bathroom. She shut the door and leaned against it, slowly collapsing onto the cold floor. She hugged herself and finally let the tears fall—tears she had held back for too long.
She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen, her face pale. She could barely recognize herself.
"Why did this happen to me?" she whispered. "Did I do something wrong? Did I lack something?"
She recalled the past weeks—the moments when she felt tired, when she didn't feel well but still pushed herself to work. All the times her body felt off, but she ignored it.
"Maybe if I had been more careful… this wouldn't have happened."
Her chest tightened. Anger. Fear. Shame. All of it rushed in. Even though they told her it was an accident, even though Clark assured her it wasn't her fault, a voice inside her kept repeating:
"I should have been more alert. I should have known."
She placed a hand on her stomach, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She wanted everything to stop. She wanted to escape this nightmare.
But amid the crying, she slowly remembered Clark's hands always ready to catch her. His mother's warm embrace. The lawyer who looked at her not as a "victim" but as someone worth fighting for.
And there, in the midst of the void, a small voice echoed in her mind.
"You are not at fault, Angela."
***
With Clark's mother's help, they quickly found a lawyer and filed a complaint against the hospital. Two days after the investigation began, the shocking truth came out—not only Angela had been a victim. Other patients also suffered complications due to the negligence of a nurse and a doctor.
CCTV footage revealed that a tray of syringes was accidentally knocked over in the hallway when a child bumped into the nurse. In the rush, no one noticed the medicines had been mixed up in the tray, leading to incorrect injections for patients—Angela among them.
Though it wasn't intentional, the nurse and doctor were still held accountable for their negligence. Thanks to the legal team and Clark's family's connections in the medical industry, the case was quickly processed. But despite everything, Angela chose to keep her identity confidential. She couldn't bear to be the center of the news. She didn't want to be talked about again by the public.
For several days, she locked herself in a room. She didn't want to eat. She didn't want to talk. The question kept coming back: "Why me?" As if even with an explanation, the trauma remained unresolved.
Because of stress and fear, she almost quit her job. She was scared people might find out. But Clark's mother pleaded with her not to return to her apartment yet. She temporarily stayed at Clark's place for her safety. Every day, her boyfriend tried to talk to her, though she often replied with nothing but tears.
But one afternoon, while watching the rain fall outside the window, a strange calmness touched her heart. The fight wasn't over. She didn't have to stay in the dark. There were people who never left her side.
In the midst of all this chaos, one thing became clear to Angela—she was not alone. Despite the fear and uncertainty, there were people willing to fight for her.
And this time, she knew—she would fight back.