The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 975

That pure, unadulterated joy lasted exactly three more months.

Then, the moment she gave birth, her dreams shattered.

"Congratulations, it's a bouncing baby boy! A solid seven pounds. He's even heavier than his older brothers were."

The doctor's words hit Ivy like a localized earthquake.

She was entirely convinced the epidural had seeped into her brain and short-circuited her auditory nerves.

"Doctor, are you sure? There has to be a mistake. It was supposed to be a girl. How did it turn into a boy?" Ivy slurred through the lingering anesthesia, but the devastation and sheer disbelief in her chest were crystal clear.

Her highly anticipated, desperately wanted daughter had magically transformed into a son. How could anyone process that?

Out in the hallway, Jamison was equally floored when he heard the news.

But when he pulled back the swaddle and checked for himself, the physical evidence left no room for denial.

"How is Ivy? Does she know it's a boy?" Snapping back to reality, his immediate concern was his wife's mental state.

She had just delivered a baby. A massive emotional shock could interfere with uterine contractions and trigger severe postpartum hemorrhage.

The nurse sighed, looking equally helpless and apologetic. "Mrs. Windsor is stunned. She's in total denial. She kept demanding to know why the ultrasound said it was a girl."

The nurse added, "Dr. Beckett explained that ultrasounds aren't foolproof. Sometimes the umbilical cord gets positioned in a way that obscures things. It's rare, but it happens."

Jamison barely paid attention to his youngest son, who was currently screaming with earth-shattering volume. His only thought was getting into that delivery room to comfort his wife.

Even though he wasn't exactly thrilled himself.

Three boys. Their house was going to be an absolute warzone.

He had already bragged to Naylor Wilson about his impending 'daddy's little girl'—and the universe had just hit him with the ultimate punchline.

He threw on a sterile gown and rushed in. The second Ivy saw him, tears welled in her eyes. "My daughter is gone... my sweet little girl is gone..."

Jamison hurried to her side, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks. He offered the only consolation he could think of. "Having a son is great. You'll have four men in the house to protect you. You'll be the safest mother on the planet."

"That's not great! I wanted a girl! A daughter!" The logic completely failed to soothe her.

The tragedy of her 'daughter turning into a son' kept Ivy in a depressive funk for days.

To make matters worse, Caleb was incredibly strong from the moment he was born. He possessed a voracious appetite and a cry that could shatter glass. He practically never slept, which only fueled Ivy's exhaustion and irritability.

However, one person was absolutely ecstatic about the new arrival: Denis.

"This is the best! I have a baby brother! I have a sister and a brother! I win!"

The absence of a daughter would just be a bittersweet imperfection in an otherwise beautiful life.

At Caleb Ludwig's hundred-day banquet, the venue was packed with cheering friends and family.

Jamison stood proudly with his wife and three sons, posing for their newest family portrait under the envious gaze of the crowd.

"Dr. Ludwig has really won at life."

"Seriously. The only shame is that they never got a girl."

"Hey, nothing in life is perfect. A little imperfection makes the joy that much sweeter."

Amidst the joyful chatter, a barrage of fireworks exploded into the night sky, blooming in spectacular arrays of color that illuminated the faces of the guests below.

Jamison held his youngest son, his wife leaning comfortably against his side.

As their eyes met, the raw, unfiltered love between them was undeniable.

Nestled securely against his chest, their third little miracle was fast asleep, completely unaware that his father was sneaking a kiss from his mother.

Ivy's face flushed a delicate pink, her eyes sparkling with a radiant beauty that rivaled the fireworks bursting above them.

The fireworks would fade, but their love was forever.