Chapter 1
I was eight months pregnant when I finally learned the baby inside me wasn't even my own blood.
That day, I went to Atkins Hospital for a routine prenatal exam, and the nurse accidentally handed me the wrong file.
The file clearly stated that the egg donor for the baby was Nikki Blunt.
As for me? I was nothing more than a surrogate.
Nikki was my husband Eric Atkins's cherished first love. She was the woman he kept overseas for three years, the one he could never let go of.
I clutched the file and went to find him, but outside the hospital room, I overheard his voice.
"She's about to give birth. Don't upset her," Eric said.
The doctor lowered his voice. "But if Mrs. Atkins finds out the truth, she might refuse to go through with the C-section."
Eric's tone was calm. "She won't. She's been waiting for this baby for so long. She won't let it go."
Inside the room, Nikki was sobbing, tears streaming down her face as she asked, "Eric, when the baby is born, will she refuse to give it back to me?"
Eric gently reassured her, his voice soft, "No, she won't. She's carrying the baby for you. You're the baby's mother."
I stood outside the door, my fingers slowly curling into fists.
Every bout of morning sickness, every cramp, every stretch mark, every sleepless, suffocating night I endured was not the price for me to become a mother.
It was just so another woman could have her happy ending.
When the nurse came out, I'd already folded the file and slipped it into my bag.
When she saw me, her face drained of color. "Mrs. Atkins, what are you doing here?"
I lowered my head and gently touched my belly. The baby inside gave a soft kick.
Every time I felt the baby move, I'd always text Eric right away.
He always took his sweet time replying.
Eric: [Good girl, thanks for going through all this.]
I always thought it was a husband showing concern for his wife.
Now I realized he was worried his vessel might break.
Inside the room, Nikki coughed again, and Eric was on his feet in an instant.
He said, "Don't cry. The doctor said you need to stay calm. The baby is perfectly healthy. Just hold on a little longer. You'll have your baby in your arms soon."
He said the baby would be in Nikki's arms soon. But what about me?
During the first three months of my pregnancy, I was so sick from morning sickness that I ended up with stomach bleeding.
Eric made sure the servants kept an eye on me, forcing me to drink medicine every day.
Eric told me, "Just tough it out for the baby."
When my calf cramped up in the middle of the night, I called him, woken by the pain.
He answered impatiently, "Kiana, stop acting so spoiled. Pregnancy isn't easy for anyone."
That night, Nikki posted a photo of herself hooked up to an IV.
The caption read: [Someone told me I don't have to learn to be strong.]
Back then, I was so clueless. I really thought Nikki was sick, and it made sense for Eric to go see her.
It wasn't until today that I finally realized I was never the baby's real mother.
After Nikki couldn't have children, I was the one they chose to carry their baby.
From inside the room, I heard the doctor's voice. "Mr. Atkins, Mrs. Atkins' blood pressure's been all over the place lately, and the placenta's not in a great spot either. If we do the C-section early, it's really risky."
Eric was silent for a couple of seconds.
Then, he said, "Schedule it as soon as possible. Nikki can't wait much longer."
The doctor hesitated. "But Mrs. Atkins isn't in any condition for that right now."
Eric's voice turned cold. "I brought you here to fix the problem, not to remind me about it."
I pressed my hand to my belly, and the baby kicked again.
Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach.
It wasn't because of the baby. It was because my body had been used as a pawn in their scheme.
The hospital room door swung open, and Eric stopped in his tracks when he saw me.
His gaze flicked from my face to my bag.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
I looked at him and said, "Just here for a check-up. The nurse said she gave me the wrong file."
Nikki peeked out from behind him, her face pale and her eyes rimmed with tears.
"Kiana, please don't misunderstand. It's all my fault," she said softly.
Eric frowned and blocked Nikki from coming out, keeping her inside.
"Go inside and rest," he said.
Then he reached out to steady me.
"Kiana, let's go home first," he said.
I pulled away from his hand.
His hand hung awkwardly in the air, his brows drawing together in a frown.
"What are you upset about again?" he asked.
Again? When I had morning sickness, Eric said I was being dramatic. Insomnia? Same thing.
Even when I caught him sneaking out at night to be with Nikki for her prenatal exam, it was still me overreacting.
I looked up at him, my voice barely above a whisper. "Eric, whose baby is this, really?"
The hallway went dead silent.
A flash of panic flickered in Eric's eyes, but he shoved it down fast.
"Who filled your head with that crap?" Eric asked.
I took out the file and thrust it toward him.
The paper was creased from my tight grip.
I said, "Embryo number E-1736, egg donor: Nikki Blunt. Eric, care to explain?"
Eric read those words, and at last, his expression changed.
Nikki clung to the doorframe, tears streaming down her face.