Lyudmila, meanwhile, increasingly regretted the day she had lied to her daughter and rudely sent Paul away. The young man had actually been good—he didn’t drink, he was hardworking, and most importantly, he loved Sonya with all his heart. What more could a woman ask for in happiness? Sonya, in turn, became even more withdrawn. She spoke only to the child she carried and continued to go to work, avoiding any conversations with colleagues. Relations with her mother remained strained.

Behind her back, they teased her, whispering that she had gotten pregnant out of wedlock and would now have to raise the child alone. However, the only person who supported her was her gynecologist, Dr. Peter Stone. Every time she came to see him, he encouraged her, trying to convince her that motherhood was the greatest happiness a woman could experience.

— Sonya, he would tell her with a kind smile, — you are young and healthy; you have a wonderful future ahead of you. It may be difficult now, but believe me, as soon as your little one comes into the world, everything will change. All your worries and anxieties will simply fade into the background.

After each visit to the doctor, Sonya began to believe in a better future again. She understood that she would have a child, and for that child, life was worth living. Time passed, and she found solace in her impending motherhood. But deep down, she couldn’t shake thoughts of Paul. It seemed that even months later, she hadn’t forgotten his touch.

However, an event soon occurred that turned Sonya’s entire life upside down. At work that day, she was distracted and even mixed up a patient’s lab results, sending the wrong person for an X-ray. The head nurse even yelled at her.

— Sonya, what’s wrong with you? Pull yourself together, for goodness sake! You can’t work like this, especially right before your maternity leave.

The girl herself couldn’t understand what was happening to her. But when she returned home after her shift, a luxurious Mercedes unexpectedly pulled up to their brownstone. Lyudmila, standing by the window, was astonished.

— Daughter, look! Some important person has come to visit someone. I’ve only seen a car like that in movies.

And then, suddenly, the doorbell rang. A surprised Lyudmila went to open it. A well-dressed man stood on the threshold. He smiled and asked,

— Good afternoon, Lyudmila Ivanovna! Is Sonya home? May I come in?

Lyudmila, not understanding what was happening, immediately let the stranger in. The man entered the living room, and Sonya came out to meet him. Suddenly, this elegant gentleman rushed to her, hugged her, and joyfully exclaimed,

— Sonya, it’s me! Paul! I’m back!

But Sonya angrily pushed him away and cried,

— How can you say that? Why did you suddenly decide to come back? You naively believed all those things my mother said, and you didn’t even try to talk to me and find out the truth. Where have you been all this time? Why didn’t you ever write?

Paul lowered his gaze, his face darkened with sadness. He sat on the sofa and invited the girl to sit beside him.

— Sonya, listen to me, he began, — you’re right. I believed your mother’s words then, and I left. It hurt terribly. I thought you were just playing with me. But then everything changed. Actually, I’m not a drifter at all, as you always thought. I’m the son of the famous millionaire, Alex Johnson. My family owns airlines and significant assets abroad. But when I lost my mother, my life drastically changed. So I ran away from home when my father brought a stepmother into our house, a woman who tried to take my mother’s place. I couldn’t bear it, and that’s how I ended up on the streets. That’s how I met you.

Sonya listened to him in silence, but then she abruptly stood up and declared,

— I’m not going anywhere with you. First, my mother is sick. And second, I’m pregnant.

Paul paled and asked in confusion,

— Pregnant? How? From whom?

Sonya couldn’t hold back and immediately slapped him.

— How could you think I’m not pregnant with your child? Did you really believe those rumors that I cheated on you? Get out of here with your millions. I hate you!

With tears in her eyes, the girl rushed into her room.

An enraged Paul immediately jumped up from his seat and left, slamming the door loudly.

Two weeks had passed since that day. Sonya was deeply distressed and now blamed herself for having driven Paul away. She realized she couldn’t live without him and pondered daily how to fix everything. Lyudmila watched her daughter’s suffering and realized it was all her fault. Every day she thought about how to rectify the situation.

And then, one day, through mutual acquaintances, she found out Alex Johnson’s address and headed straight to his home. With immense effort, she located the sprawling mansion in the Hamptons. Gathering her thoughts, she knocked on the gate. The security guard, hearing who she was, quickly contacted the owner. Alex, Paul’s father, instructed him to let her in.

When Lyudmila found herself in the study, she was a little nervous. But she summoned all her willpower and began to speak.

— Excuse the intrusion. I am Sonya’s mother, the girl your son was with. You see, they fell in love. But I interfered. I couldn’t come to terms with my daughter being involved with a common drifter. Now I realize I was wrong. I lied to Paul, telling him my daughter had a fiancé, and that he should leave. And now they are both suffering. I came to ask you to tell him the whole truth. He needs to know that everything I said was a lie.

Alex listened carefully, took off his glasses, and said,

— So, I’m going to be a grandfather soon? That explains a lot. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to my son. He’s in a difficult situation right now, but I’m sure he’ll understand everything.

When Paul returned home, his father was already waiting for him in the study. Alex began the conversation sternly.

— Paul, what’s going on? Lyudmila, Sonya’s mother, came to see us today. Do you know she’s pregnant?

— Yes, I know. But I don’t know what to do. Sonya is good, but I’m not sure it’s my child. Her mother told me she had another man, and that he lives abroad.

Alex frowned at what he heard.

— How could you believe such nonsense? Sonya truly loves you, and she doesn’t care about money or your status. She didn’t rush to you when she found out about your wealth. She pushed you away only because you doubted her. Understand, son, it’s not about money at all; it’s about trust.

Paul pondered, and suddenly realized how terribly wrong he had been. But his father continued the conversation.

— If you love her, run to her and make amends. His mother informed him that Sonya was crying right now.

Paul grabbed flowers and a cake and headed straight to Sonya’s brownstone. However, terrible news awaited him. The girl had been rushed to the emergency room with bleeding; there was a threat of miscarriage.

— Oh my God! How could I have let this happen? he thought anxiously, rushing to the hospital in Los Angeles.

There, he was met by doctors, and the gynecologist immediately tried to calm him down.

— The situation is critical, but we are doing everything we can. If you are the child’s father, we need your help. Donate blood immediately.