diff --git a/midv500/utils.py b/midv500/utils.py
index 8081dd2..2c7a886 100644
--- a/midv500/utils.py
+++ b/midv500/utils.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def list_annotation_paths_recursively(directory: str, ignore_background_only_one
 
                 abs_filepath = abs_filepath.replace("\\", "/")  # for windows
                 relative_filepath = abs_filepath.split(directory)[-1]  # get relative path from abs path
-                relative_filepath = [relative_filepath[1:] if relative_filepath[0] == "/" else relative_filepath]
+                relative_filepath = [relative_filepath[1:] if relative_filepath[0] == "/" else relative_filepath][0]
                 relative_filepath_list.append(relative_filepath)
 
     number_of_files = len(relative_filepath_list)
diff --git a/tests/test_unit.py b/tests/test_unit.py
index 0cfdf87..a3307ca 100644
--- a/tests/test_unit.py
+++ b/tests/test_unit.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ def test_list_annotation_paths_recursively(self):
         # read annotations paths
         annotation_paths = list_annotation_paths_recursively(directory, ignore_background_only_ones=True)
         self.assertEqual(len(annotation_paths), 90)
+        self.assertEqual(annotation_paths[3], '01_alb_id/ground_truth/HA/HA01_04.json')
 
     def test_download(self):
         from midv500.utils import download