Still, the woman endured it all.
And finally, the day of the birth arrived.
When she heard her baby cry for the first time, she closed her eyes in relief.
But only seconds later, she noticed the expressions on the faces of the women around her.
No one was smiling.
“What is wrong with my baby?” she asked in fear.
When the newborn was finally placed in her arms, she understood.
The baby had been born with a cleft lip.
The mother was shocked at first, but she immediately pulled the child tightly against her chest.
Not long afterward, the father arrived with his mother.
The older woman had barely looked at the newborn when her expression suddenly hardened.
She turned to her son and said coldly,
“Your child could never have been born like this. This is not your baby. Leave them.”
The young mother stared at the man, waiting for him to defend her.
