MY HUSBAND IS A GANGSTER

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

The Birth Plan

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Nine months of pretending to be pregnant had culminated in this moment. My nerves were on edge, and I felt like I was going to break any second. Neil's mom had made it clear: the baby must be born at home, with her overseeing every detail. How was I going to stage a birth in the house without them finding out?

Neil and I were in the living room, discussing every possible way to pull this off without getting caught. The tension in the room was thick, and I could see the worry etched on Neil's face.

"Rach, we need a solid plan," Neil said, pacing back and forth. "My mom isn't going to leave us any room for mistakes."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words. "I know, Neil. But how do we make it look real? We need Jenna's baby, but we also need to keep your mom from finding out."

Just as I was about to reply, my phone rang. It was Lilly. I answered it quickly, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Rachel! Jenna's gone into labor! I'm taking her to the hospital now!" Lilly's voice was frantic but also excited.

A wave of relief washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by panic. "Oh my God, Lilly. That's great, but... we need to figure out how to make this work with our plan."

Neil's eyes lit up with an idea. "Tell Lilly to keep us updated. We can use this. We need to get Jenna's baby here without my mom knowing it came from the hospital."

I relayed the plan to Lilly. "Lilly, keep us updated on Jenna's progress. We need to know as soon as the baby is born."

Lilly agreed, and I hung up, turning to Neil. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

Neil's brain was working overtime. "We'll have to fake the labor here. You need to act like you're in labor and keep my mom distracted. I'll get the baby from Lilly and bring it here."

I swallowed hard. "And what about the actual birth? We need blood, a placenta, the whole deal to make it look real."

Neil nodded. "We'll need to improvise. We can use some stage blood and a prosthetic placenta. I'll get everything we need."

As we were finalizing the details, Neil's mom walked in, her eyes cold and calculating. "Rachel, I trust everything is ready for the birth?"

I forced a smile. "Of course, Mrs. Carters. We're fully prepared."

She looked me up and down, her eyes narrowing. "Good. I'll be in the next room. Call me when it's time."

Hours passed, and the tension in the house grew. I practiced my labor breathing and tried to stay calm. Neil had left to meet Lilly and Jenna at the hospital, leaving me alone with his mom and the maids.

Finally, I got the call from Neil. "Rach, the baby's here. I'm on my way back with it now."

I took a deep breath and put on my best performance. "Mrs. Carters!" I screamed. "It's time!"

Neil's mom rushed into the room, followed by Raya and the other maids. "Stay calm, Rachel," she said, her voice surprisingly gentle. "You've got this."

I groaned and pretended to be in intense pain as Neil's mom coached me through the "labor." Meanwhile, Neil was on his way back with the baby, and I prayed he would make it in time. I convinced the doctors that I needed Mrs. Carters to go get my insulin for the diabetes I didn't have, but I needed her to be distracted until Neil could get there.

After what felt like an eternity, Neil burst through the door, holding a tiny, swaddled bundle. He quickly handed the baby to me, and I held it close, tears streaming down my face.

Neil's mom inspected the baby and nodded approvingly. "Well done, Rachel. You've given us an heir. A handsome young man."

Neil and I exchanged relieved glances. The plan had worked. Now, we just had to keep up the charade.

As Neil's mom left the room, I looked down at the baby in my arms. "Welcome to the world, little one," I whispered. "You have no idea how much you've saved us."

Neil leaned in and kissed my forehead. "We did it, Rach. We really did it."

I smiled up at him, feeling a newfound sense of hope. "Yeah, we did. And now, we just have to keep up the act."

We both knew it wouldn't be easy, but for the first time in months, I felt like we had a fighting chance.

{TOO BE CONTINUED...}