Chapter 1
After three years of marriage, Derek Lawson and I were finally expecting a child of our own. When the doctor told us it was twins, the joy felt almost unreal, like everything we had been hoping for had arrived all at once. Derek, especially, seemed transformed by the news. He cooked every day, slow-simmering soups and carefully planning every meal, hovering over me with a level of attentiveness so intense it sometimes felt unfamiliar.
"If you need anything, even just a glass of water, you call me, okay?" he said one evening, already halfway to the kitchen before I could answer. "You're carrying something too important right now. We can't take any chances."
My best friend, Vanessa Moore was just as excited as he was. She drove over every single day, bringing vitamins, organic snacks, and all kinds of prenatal supplements she insisted were the best money could buy. Watching her show up again and again, so invested in my pregnancy, I couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
I settled into the quiet rhythm of waiting for my due date, letting myself believe in this fragile happiness, until one night when everything shattered without warning.
"Don't worry, Vanessa. Our baby's doing just fine in there. And it's already taking nutrients from Joanne's son."
For a moment, I couldn't even process the words.
'What did that mean? One of the babies... isn't mine? It's theirs?'
Before I could even steady myself, another sound broke through the silence, not from outside the room, but from somewhere much closer.
From inside me.
"Mom, help me... I'm so hungry. That bad thing keeps bullying me..."
"Pathetic. Just shut up and let me drain you. When we're born, Dad's only going to want me anyway."
I lay there, completely still, as a deep, bone-chilling cold spread through my body, locking me in place.
Outside, Derek kept talking, his voice as gentle as ever, which only made it more sickening.
"Vanessa, you don't need to worry. I've already checked everything out. This procedure is advanced and reliable. Our baby's going to be the healthiest one."
Vanessa hesitated, then asked, almost delicately, "What about Joanne? What if she figures it out?"
Derek let out a quiet laugh, full of casual dismissal.
"Joanne? She's too naive, too easy to handle. There's no way she'll catch on. If anything, she'll be grateful for the chance to raise our child. And when the time comes, we'll just tell her one of the twins didn't make it. What can she do? At the end of the day, she's just a failed surrogate."
The word hit me harder than anything else.
Surrogate.
It stripped away everything I was, reducing me to nothing more than a vessel in his eyes.
I bit down hard on my lip to keep from making a sound, the sharp taste of blood filling my mouth as I forced myself to stay quiet.
"Mom... don't be scared. I'm here with you."
My son's voice was weak, but steady, like a flicker of light in the dark, giving me just enough strength to hold on.
Time dragged on until, at some point, the bedroom door slowly opened.
Derek walked in, and the faint scent of his cologne drifted toward me. It was the same one Vanessa always wore, something I had never noticed before, not until now.
He stepped closer and gently adjusted the blanket around me, his movements careful and practiced.
"Hey, you asleep?" he murmured softly. "You've had a long day."
I kept my eyes closed and my breathing even, playing the part of a peacefully sleeping, happily pregnant wife.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
The touch made my skin crawl, cold and slick, like something alive sliding over me.
'I have to stay calm. I can't let them know I already know.'
The next day, Vanessa showed up again as if nothing had changed.
She walked in carrying several shopping bags, her smile bright and effortless. "Joanne, look what I got you," she said, setting everything down with excitement. "I had someone bring this back from overseas. It's top-tier prenatal nutrition, seriously the best you can get for the babies."
She slipped her arm through mine like she always did, warm and familiar, and her hand naturally came to rest on my belly.
The second her fingers touched me, a wave of nausea hit so hard it nearly knocked the breath out of me.
"Mom, I hate her..."
My son's voice was filled with resistance and distress.
"She smells awful. It makes me want to throw up..."
Another voice snapped back immediately, full of hostility.
"You dare talk about my mom like that? I'll kick you to death!"
My body reacted before my mind could catch up. I shoved Vanessa away and rushed to the bathroom, dropping to my knees in front of the toilet as I gagged violently.
Footsteps followed close behind, and Derek was there a second later, crouching beside me, his hand pressing gently against my back.
"What's going on?" he asked, his voice tight with concern. "Did something you ate upset your stomach?"
