The Alpha's Surrogate

Chapter 10

Vanessa's POV

“I will compensate you properly. How does ten million dollars sound?” Ivan asked. I searched his eyes, hoping to see a hint of unseriousness. To my dismay, I found none. He looked dead serious about it.

“It's a huge amount…” I muttered.

“Of course, it is. You don't have to do anything much either!” Ivan continued. “Just give birth and leave the baby with me. You don't have to be involved in its life. You can just take the money and live a good life with your brother. What was his name again?”

Ivan looked so excited right now.

“I am not interested!” I told him flatly. I watched as his excitement turned into shock and then a look of curiosity.

“You don't mean it, do you?” He managed to ask.

“I mean it, Ivan!” I replied firmly. I had thrown the ‘master’ title under the bus in this situation.

“Don't tell me you think the money is too small. You want to demand more, huh. Well, I am a billionaire. I can double that amount if you want! I can even give you triple. I have enough money to…” Ivan continued to say carelessly.

“It is not about the money!” I shouted at him angrily.

“Then what is it about?” Ivan asked. “You now want to pretend as if you have morals, huh!”

“Shut up!” I shouted at him. I had lost my temper there.

“They say the truth is bitter,” Ivan continued. “You even slept with me without any prior commitment. Fine, I accept it was mutual. Do you think I don't know why you want it to seem like you love me? You simply want to upgrade your status! You don't want to be a maid anymore, you want to be the madam of the mansion. I know that very well.”

“You are despicable!” I spat out furiously. “If you believe I am someone who would do anything for money, you are very wrong about me. Also, that one night stand was a mistake. I don't love you nor do I love your money. Got that?”

“You even changed to an angry tone. You should watch it if you intend to keep your job,” Ivan warned.

“Who wants to keep this damn job?” I threw back at him. “I quit! f**k you, Ivan!”

“f**k off!” Ivan shouted back at me.

I showed him the middle finger and walked out of the room. I felt like going back and saying everything I've kept inside all because I didn't want to offend him. I decided against that. He was a lot stronger than me. What would I do if he grabbed me?

I heard his voice behind me now.

“You will come back here and beg me!” Ivan shouted at me.

“I'd rather commit suicide than do that!” I replied in the same tone. I stormed out of his house with nothing but the clothes on my back. Don't ask me why I took nothing, it's not as if I brought anything with me in the first place.

**

Henry's room was small. It was barely enough for one person not to talk to the two of us. I began to wonder how I slept there before I got the job at Ivan's house.

“My room at Ivan's place was so big and nice. I had no idea I have been living like a princess since,” I muttered.

“You shouldn't have left!” Henry snapped at me. He had been angry since he heard about how I quit my job.

“Didn't I explain all that happened? How could you expect me to stay despite all that happened?” I asked him, angry that he didn't understand me.

“You are the one who needs him. You should have stayed no matter what. Do you think good paying jobs like that are easy to find?” Henry asked furiously.

“What's done is done!” I exclaimed. “You should go to work tomorrow and stop depending on your elder sister. You are old enough to hustle for yourself.”

“Of course, I am but this is a strange place and…” he tried.

“I don't care!” I shouted at him. “You will go to work tomorrow. That's the only way we will survive.”

I couldn't sleep that night. I wondered if I had made the right decision after all.

**

I searched the online marketplace for jobs I could do the next day. As for Henry, he listened to me and went out to search for jobs he could do. He was nineteen already. He was strong so it would be easy for him to work as a labourer.

I kept on scrolling through my phone to find a job for myself. Most offers I saw had conditions I couldn't fulfill. Most were academic. I was already frustrated when I received a call.

“Hello?” I answered the call.

“This is the emergency room at Blossom Hospital. Are you the guardian of Mr. Henry?” The caller asked.

“Henry is my brother…” I muttered weakly.

“He has been in an accident. Please hurry. We need your consent for surgery,” the caller replied. The moment I heard this, it was as if the whole world was slipping through my fingertips. As the call ended, my phone actually fell down from my hand.

I couldn't breathe well.

**

Henry had been in a car accident on his way to find a job as I had insisted. Now he had to go through bone correction surgery. He was in a bad state and I needed a lot of money.

For someone who had very little savings like me, this was a dilemma. The hospital bills were so long and as the doctor explained the surgery that would be done on Henry, I could only think about the bills.

“Miss Vanessa!” The doctor called. “Are you okay?”

I nodded sharply, “I am fine.”

“Please sign these documents to consent to the surgery. You should visit the administrative office to pay the medical bills immediately,” the doctor told me. He walked away, leaving me with the nurse who collected the signed documents. I was directed to the administrative office to make the payment but I just stood there, not knowing what to do.

“Can I pay in installments?” I eventually asked. The person in charge looked at me skeptically.

“I'm sorry, we don't do that here. Does the patient have medical insurance?” He asked.

I shook my head weakly, “No, he doesn't.”

“You will have to pay the medical bills…” he stretched the fact. “And in full.”

I was overwhelmed right now. At this point in my life, I remembered Ivan's offer that I rejected yesterday. If I had ten million dollars, I would be able to do a lot more than bring Henry back to good health.

And so, the decision was made. I would go back to Ivan and beg on my knees if I had to.