chapter 3
1203 Words
I didn’t sleep.
Not even for a second.
I stared at the ceiling of the hospital waiting room all night, the dim lights above buzzing quietly. My heart pounded in my chest like it knew something big was coming. I had agreed to meet someone about a job I knew nothing about.
Was I crazy?
Probably. But I was also desperate.
By morning, my legs were shaking. I went into Mom’s room one last time. She was still asleep, pale and still. I kissed her forehead gently and whispered, “I’ll be back. I promise.”
Then I left.
The cab ride was quiet. I watched the city pass by, wondering if my life was about to change or end in disaster. The address I was given led to a tall glass building in the business district. The kind of place rich people walked in and out of every day.
I stepped inside nervously.
The receptionist looked up from her desk. “Do you have an appointment?”
“Yes. I’m here to see… Mr. Benjamin?”
She nodded, typing something. “Seventh floor. He’s expecting you.”
My stomach tightened. I rode the elevator up, my hands sweaty and my mind racing. I wasn’t dressed like someone who belonged in a place like this. My jeans were faded, and my jacket had a tear near the shoulder.
But I was here.
I walked down the hallway until I saw a door with his name on it.
Mr. Benjamin Harris – Legal Consultant.
I took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in,” a deep voice called.
I stepped inside.
Mr. Benjamin looked to be in his early forties, wearing a clean navy blue suit and gold-rimmed glasses. He stood to shake my hand.
“Miss Ava, thank you for coming.”
His handshake was firm, but his smile was polite. “Please, have a seat.”
I sat across from his big wooden desk.
“I’m sure you have questions,” he began. “This is an unusual job, after all.”
I nodded slowly. “What kind of job is it?”
He folded his hands. “You’ve been selected for a private surrogacy arrangement.”
I blinked. “What?”
He adjusted his glasses. “The client wishes to have a child but prefers the process remain private. They are looking for a healthy young woman to carry the baby.”
I stared at him. “You want me… to be pregnant?”
“For a year,” he confirmed. “All medical needs will be covered. You will be housed, protected, and monitored by professionals.”
My chest tightened. “I… I didn’t sign up for that. I didn’t know it was that kind of job.”
He remained calm. “You are free to leave, Miss Ava. No pressure at all.”
I stood up fast, panicked. “I—I can’t do that. I’m sorry.”
“Wait,” he said calmly, just as I reached the door. “Before you go… you should know the offer.”
I paused.
“It’s four million dollars.”
I froze.
“Two million up front. Two million when the child is safely delivered. Clean, legal, and fully protected by contract.”
My mouth was dry. “Four million?”
“Yes,” he said, like it was nothing. “For one year of your life.”
I turned back toward him slowly.
He opened a folder and pushed it toward me.
“Here’s the contract. You can read everything. There are no hidden conditions. The only thing the client requests is privacy. You’ll carry their child, take on their surname for the year, and live in a private residence during the pregnancy.”
I picked up the papers with shaky hands.
Four million dollars.
I could save Mom. I could restart my life. I could breathe again.
“I’ll do it,” I whispered.
He smiled. “Wise decision.”
We went through the contract slowly. I didn’t understand every legal term, but I read enough. I’d be safe. The client would never appear in person, at least not for now. But everything was legit.
“Sign here,” he said.
I picked up the pen and wrote my name next to the new one I’d carry for the year.
Ava Callahan.
Mr. Benjamin nodded and took out his phone.
“Please confirm your account details.”
I told him.
Within seconds, I got a message: Transfer Received: $2,000,000.00
I covered my mouth, shaking. “It’s… it’s real?”
He nodded. “You’ll receive instructions for the next steps soon. But for now… you can go.”
I couldn’t speak.
I just stood up, thanked him, and ran.
I didn’t take the cab back. I couldn’t wait. I needed to fly, but my legs barely listened. Somehow I got to the hospital, still staring at my phone.
Two million dollars.
It didn’t feel real.
I pushed through the hospital doors, heart racing.
But something was wrong.
I heard shouting from down the hall. Nurses were rushing in and out of a room.
My mother’s room.
I dropped my bag and ran.
“Mom!” I shouted.
A nurse held up her hands. “Ma’am, please stay back—”
“What’s going on?!”
“She’s in cardiac distress. We’re trying to stabilize her—”
I turned to another nurse. “Get the doctor! Prepare the surgery now!”
She hesitated. “Miss, we— She’s not scheduled—”
“I didn’t say I was asking!” I screamed. “Do it now!”
Another nurse stepped forward. “Miss, you don’t have the funds. The hospital—”
“I didn’t say it was free,” I snapped, digging out my phone and holding up the transfer message. “I’ll pay right now. Just save her!”
Their eyes widened. They rushed to action.
I watched as they wheeled my mother away, her eyes half open, her breathing shallow. I followed for as long as I could before they stopped me at the surgery wing.
“You can’t go beyond this point.”
I nodded, frozen.
And then I waited.
I must’ve walked around that waiting room a hundred times. I couldn’t sit. I couldn’t think. My mind kept spinning with everything that had happened.
I had sold a part of myself for money.
But I didn’t regret it—not even a little.
If Mom lived, it was worth it.
If she survived, I’d carry the whole world on my back.
Minutes passed. Then hours.
I stared out the window as the sun disappeared and the sky turned dark again.
Then finally… the surgeon came out.
“She made it,” he said.
I nearly collapsed.
“She’s sleeping now. Still under anesthesia, but the worst is over. She’ll need rest, but she’s stable.”
“Can I see her?”
“Not yet. Give it a little time.”
I nodded, wiping tears off my cheeks. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
I sat down again, finally able to breathe.
Mom was safe. For now.
But everything else… had just begun.
- Writer
