HER WOMB, HIS HEART

The Locket

“Don’t, sir! Let me do it myself!” Emily said, stopping Alan’s hand.

“Alright. I’ll close the curtain,” Alan replied, quickly drawing the curtain shut before waiting outside.

Emily tried to unbutton her clothes by herself, but the IV in her hand made it difficult. She stubbornly insisted on doing it alone without Alan’s help, until something went wrong.

“Ahh!” Emily cried out.

“Emily!” Alan pulled the curtain aside and saw that the IV needle had come loose from her hand. Blood flowed from the puncture wound where the tube had been inserted.

Alan immediately took out his handkerchief and wrapped it around her hand. Then he quickly pressed the emergency button beside the bed.

“If you’re going to be stubborn, at least don’t be reckless. Why do you always push yourself like this? There’s nothing wrong with asking for help,” Alan scolded her.

Dr. Tyson rushed into Emily’s hospital room.

“What happened? Blood? Is Emily bleeding again?”

“Wait a second!” Alan quickly buttoned Emily’s shirt.

Dr. Tyson stared at his friend’s back in surprise.

“Alan, don’t tell me you actually like this woman?” he wondered silently.

Emily’s heartbeat quickened. Her face flushed even redder, and her body temperature seemed to rise.

“You don’t need to be embarrassed, Emily. I’ve already seen everything,” Alan whispered with a chuckle.

Emily’s eyes widened instantly.

**

“Does this locket belong to you, dear?” Mr. Horison asked his daughter-in-law.

Soraya’s thoughts immediately scattered at her father-in-law’s question.

“Yes, Dad. The locket is mine.”

“I’m sorry, Dad. The locket actually belongs to Emily, not me,” Soraya thought silently.

Mr. Horison’s expression softened with sorrow as he stared at the small heart-shaped locket engraved with the initials DH on the back.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Mrs. Vior asked.

“It’s nothing, dear. I’m just emotional because we’ll soon be holding our grandchild,” Mr. Horison said as he wiped away his tears.

“So my daughter-in-law Soraya is the child I’ve been searching for all this time?” he thought.

“Tyson, come to my house. There’s something I need to ask you,” Soraya texted Dr. Tyson.

**

“How are you feeling?” Alan asked.

“Much better, sir,” Emily answered.

As the night grew later, the atmosphere became more awkward.

“Is there anything you want to eat?” Alan asked.

“No, sir.”

“You haven’t eaten anything since this afternoon. Come on, eat. I’ll feed you.” Alan opened a package of food from his favorite restaurant.

“I can eat by myself, sir,” Emily refused.

“Open your mouth. That’s an order. Don’t forget our contract. You have to obey all my instructions, especially when it concerns our baby,” Alan said, bringing the spoon toward her lips.

Emily obeyed him. Once again, she was amazed that her nausea suddenly disappeared.

“Does this mean the baby inside me wants to be fed by his father?” she wondered.

“See? You eat eagerly when I feed you. From now on, I’ll feed you until your nausea goes away. It seems our baby really likes his father,” Alan said with a broad smile.

“Our? Why does my heart ache every time Mr. Alan says that word? This child truly is ours. But after the baby is born, I’ll have to let go and watch him be raised by his father and another woman who isn’t his biological mother,” Emily thought.

After Emily finished eating and taking her medicine and supplements, Alan invited her to watch a comedy movie to ease the awkwardness. Emily let out a soft laugh.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen you laugh,” Alan said absentmindedly.

Emily looked startled.

“I’m sorry, sir. Was my laugh too loud?”

“You don’t need to apologize, Emily. Laughing is human. If something is funny and you laugh, it means you’re still a normal person,” Alan said as he looked at her intently.

“For me, the word sorry has been part of my daily life since childhood. Because I was born without a father, I had to accept being looked down on and apologizing even when I wasn’t the one at fault. Poor people like me have to give in and lower ourselves as much as possible just to avoid trouble, sir,” Emily said with a bitter smile.

“Is that what your mother taught you?” Alan asked.

“My mother was a nightclub hostess. We barely interacted because we rarely saw each other. At night she worked until morning, sometimes even into the afternoon. The only thing I remember is her wish to see me graduate from college and get a respectable job. But after she died, I was forced to replace her to pay off her debts,” Emily said as she began to sob softly.

Alan pulled Emily into his arms and gently rubbed her back to comfort her.

**

Tyson came to Alan’s house to see Soraya.

“Come in. My in-laws decided not to stay over, so there’s no one inside,” Soraya said.

Tyson gently kissed her cheek.

Soraya blushed before wrapping her arms tightly around him.

“I missed you, darling.”

“I missed you too. Ever since you married Alan, we’ve never had any time alone together,” Tyson said as he softly kissed her forehead.

“I’m sorry, darling. Just be patient until the baby is born. Then we can finally live together and be completely happy,” Soraya said lovingly as she stroked Tyson’s hair.

“Oh right, what did you want to ask me?” Tyson asked.

“Are you hiding something from me?” Soraya asked.

“No, darling. Why would you ask that?”

“This!” Soraya handed him Emily’s ultrasound photo.

“Emily’s ultrasound photo? What do you want to ask about it, darling?” Tyson said with a smile, lightly tapping Soraya’s nose.

“The fetus is twelve weeks old, but didn’t you say Emily was only six weeks pregnant?” Soraya asked irritably.

Tyson chuckled.

“So that’s why you’re upset? I can explain everything, darling. The fetal age shown on an ultrasound and the estimated pregnancy timeline are often different. The fetus inside Emily is much larger than average, which is probably why the week count is different.”

“You’re not lying to me, are you?” Soraya asked, staring deeply into his eyes.

“Of course not, darling,” Tyson replied before kissing her cheek gently.

“Forgive me, Soraya. I don’t want you to change your plans. If you found out that child isn’t your flesh and blood, you would never let it live. I don’t want your hatred to consume you even more. Our only target is Alan,” Tyson thought silently.

**

“Sir, aren’t you going home? I’m feeling much better now. Poor Sister Soraya, she’s alone at home.”

“Soraya asked me to stay beside you. She’s very worried about you and the baby,” Alan said while fixing Emily’s blanket.

“You’re very lucky, sir. Sister Soraya is a perfect woman. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and very kind,” Emily praised.

“Yes, I’m a very lucky man to have married Soraya,” Alan replied with a broad smile.

“I hope the two of you stay happy. I’m sure this baby will become the luckiest child in the world. The baby will have a father and mother with good backgrounds,” Emily said with shining eyes.

“And the baby is lucky to be born to a mother like you. If I may ask, what are your plans after giving birth?” Alan asked.

Emily fell silent for a moment before giving a faint smile.

“I’ll move far away from this city, continue my education, and open a boutique.”

“I’ll support you, Emily. Don’t hesitate to ask for my help.”

“Sir, you can go home now. I’m fine. Go accompany your wife at home,” Emily urged.

“Are you sure?” Alan asked.

“Yes, sir. I’m feeling much healthier now,” Emily said with a smile.

“Alright. I’ll go home and check on Soraya. I’ll bring you some clothes and a few things you might need here. Call me if anything happens,” Alan said before leaving.

“Alright, Mr. Alan. Drive safely!”

Before heading home, Alan bought Soraya’s favorite snacks.

“Soraya will definitely love this blueberry cheesecake. I wonder what kind of cake Emily likes?” Alan suddenly thought of Emily and walked back into the bakery.

“Ma’am, I’d like this lemon cake and this chocolate cake too,” Alan said, pointing at the display case filled with cakes.

“Wow, these cakes must be for your wife, right?” the shopkeeper asked.

“Yes, ma’am. Are they all safe for pregnant women?” Alan asked.

“They’re all safe, sir. It sounds like your baby is a girl. Your wife likes sweet foods,” the woman replied with a smile.

“Really, ma’am? I’d be very grateful if our baby truly is a girl,” Alan said with a wide smile.

Alan returned to Emily’s room and found her already fast asleep. He placed the two slices of cake on the table beside her bed.

**

Tyson and Soraya spent the night wrapped in passion. Soraya’s soft moans echoed throughout the room while Tyson showered her slender body with affectionate kisses.

“Darling, you feel incredible,” Tyson whispered.

“So do you. I missed you,” Soraya replied.

Alan smiled to himself as he glanced at the cakes on the passenger seat. The rain poured harder, the wind blew violently, and his vision became increasingly blurred.

Suddenly, a car sped past him. Alan jerked the steering wheel and crashed into a large tree by the roadside.

**