She brushes a gentle hand over her flat abdomen, her heart tangled with conflicting emotions. Deep down, she had clung to a faint, desperate hope that this child might mend the fractured bond between her and Jaison Beaumont.
A nurse walks in with a practiced professional smile, holding a sealed confidential document folder. She stops in front of Finley and hands over the file. "Mrs. Beaumont, the supplementary genetic analysis report you requested is ready."
Finley's fingers tremble slightly as she breaks the seal. She had only ordered the additional test out of caution, aware of the genetic medical history in the Beaumont family, craving nothing more than peace of mind for her unborn child.
She pulls out the report and skims through the lines swiftly, her heartbeat skipping abruptly. In the section labeled embryonic genetic origin, the paternal lineage is clearly marked: Jaison Beaumont.
Her breath catches in her throat for a split second. Dazed and numb, her gaze drifts slowly downward to the maternal genetic origin line. The name printed on the paper is not Finley Wright-it is Charlotte Wright.
A deafening silence crashes over her world. The only audible sound is the faint rustle of paper trembling in her grasp. The clinic's constant temperature-controlled air washes over her skin, yet it pierces like frigid winter wind, plunging her into an icy abyss.
Terrifying phrases explode in her mind-illegal surrogacy, contracted childbirth. She is not a wife, not a mother-to-be. She is merely a warm, disposable vessel they have coldly manipulated and used.
Every neglected detail of the past three years snaps into place with cruel clarity: Jaison's persistent coldness, his endless late nights away from home, and the perfunctory, passionless marital encounter a month prior. Every distant gesture now bears a calculated, heartless explanation.
Overwhelming humiliation and revulsion surge in her chest. She staggers into the lounge restroom, bracing herself over the sink as violent dry heaves wrack her body, nothing but bitter air escaping her throat.
She splashes cold water over her face again and again. Lifting her head, she stares at her reflection in the mirror-pale-faced, red-rimmed eyes, every trace of warmth drained away. Her initial shock and agony fade gradually, replaced by hollow, icy desolation.
She makes her decision in an instant, unwavering and final. This child cannot stay. It is the living proof of her betrayal, her deception, her reduction to a tool-a shame she will never bear.
Finley pulls out her phone, her knuckles whitening from the force of her grip, yet her movements are unnervingly steady as she dials the clinic front desk.
The call connects, and she speaks in a flat, emotionless tone. "I am Finley Wright. I need to schedule an abortion procedure. As soon as possible."
The nurse on the line falls into a brief, stunned silence, hesitation lacing her voice. "Mrs. Beaumont, are you certain? Would you like to discuss this decision with Mr. Beaumont first?"
"This is my body, and my decision." Finley cuts her off sharply, her tone cold and unyielding. "Schedule it. Now."
After ending the call, she folds the genetic report neatly and tucks it into her handbag, preserving every word as irrefutable evidence.
She walks out of the clinic, cold drizzle brushing her cheeks. She feels nothing, no cold, no pain, and strides straight toward the parking lot.
Seated in the driver's seat, she does not start the car immediately. She sits motionless in the dead silence of the vehicle for five full minutes.
When she finally opens her eyes again, every trace of fragility and grief is buried deep. Only bone-chilling cold and unclouded resolution remain.
She unlocks her phone, her gaze landing on the contact saved as My Husband. The label burns with biting irony. She skips past the name without the slightest hesitation, every thread of their broken relationship severed completely.
She scrolls through the contacts and dials a new number.
A steady, composed male voice comes through the line. "Nathan Hayes speaking."
"Nathan, it's Finley Wright." Her voice is terrifyingly calm, devoid of tremor or weakness. "I want to file for divorce."
There is a short pause on the line before Nathan responds solemnly. "I understand. I will start preparing the legal documents immediately. Do you have any immediate safety concerns?"
"No. He doesn't know yet," Finley states plainly. "But he will. I need you to be fully prepared."
"I am, Finley. We will fight for everything you deserve." Nathan's tone carries unshakable reliability.
Finley exhales a long, steady breath and starts the engine.
Divorce. Full custody of her son Esteban. Fair division of marital assets. The war for her freedom and dignity starts now.