bathroom, a plastic stick clutched in her h

gnancy test. Two star

had pressed "Off" on that alarm and never looked back. And yet, her body had betrayed her-or saved her, or damned her. She could n

ight of it made the air in her lungs feel thick and heavy. For one fragile moment, she allowed herself to imagine a different life-a child who belonged only to

ness washed over her. She needed water. She needed to think. She needed to tell Damien. That was what a wife did, wasn't it?

's voice from the study below. He was home early. The

ll, holding her breath. Her phone was in her pocket. Witho

w it's stressful for

. He was soothing S

e deadline is moving up. My uncle is circling. If I don't have a son before the board vote, I l

t to hear him state it so baldly, so brutally, shattered the last of her fragile illusions. And no

been crying on the o

er. "Don't cry. A second child is just... a necessary procedure. It won't change any

space in Alex's mind. She wasn't a wife. She was a surrogate. No,

and that had rested on her stomach curled into a fist. She would not tell him. She would not hand her child over to be

cording, her fingers cold and steady. Then she turned and walked silently back up the stairs, each st

it felt like to h

mising student at the top of her class in medical school. For Damien, she had given up her spot in

rn into this contract. And she would not let herself remain trapped in it either. If she was going to surviv

picked up her phone and fo

e past! Everything okay?"

en holding back finally broke free. She choked back a

immediately sensed the truth in her tone. "Okay, hone

ld change everything. "I haven't decided what to do about the p

le but firm. "I will help you. But don't make any decisions in one night. First, we make sur

en I'll need more than a

dn't opened in five years. Inside were her medical textbooks, her notes, and a neatl

rce lawyers yet. First, she created a password-protected folder and copied the recording into it. Before she closed the laptop, she noti

York" into the search bar. The tears had stopped. Her eyes were clear, cold, and resolute. For the first time