I thought I was imagining things until I saw my pregnant daughter laughing across the table with my best friend — the same man I trusted for years.
I had not spoken to my daughter for six months, but nothing prepared me for what I saw that afternoon. As I walked past a small restaurant near my office, I heard a familiar laugh. When I looked inside, my heart stopped. My daughter was seated there, one hand resting on her pregnant belly. Sitting opposite her was my best friend of 20 years — a married man and someone I trusted deeply.
Anger took over before reason could catch up. I walked into the restaurant and demanded answers. People turned to stare as I accused him of betraying me and taking advantage of my daughter. She tried to explain, but I refused to listen.
Then everything went wrong.
As my friend stood up to speak, he tripped, fell backward, and hit his head on the floor. He was injured, and my daughter screamed for help. An ambulance was called, and he was rushed to hospital unconscious.
Hours later, sitting in the hospital waiting room, my daughter finally told me the truth.
The baby was not his.
She explained that after leaving home, she had been dating someone else who left when she became pregnant. With nowhere to go, she turned to my best friend for help. He gave her a place to stay, food, and emotional support — nothing more.
The weight of my mistake crushed me. I had pushed my daughter away and wrongly accused the one person who stepped in when I failed.
Things became more serious when doctors said he needed urgent surgery. His wife was worried about the cost. Without hesitation, I gave her my savings to help cover the expenses.
Thankfully, the surgery was successful.
When he woke up, I apologized. Later, my daughter held my hand and said she would come home — but only if I promised to trust her and allow her to make her own choices.
I promised.
Sometimes, fear makes us react instead of listen, and healing begins when we accept our mistakes.
By Tuko