It was New Year’s Eve, and we were celebrating with friends when my husband’s “best bro” suddenly clutched his stomach and crumbled dramatically into Ryan Maxwell’s arms. His face was ghostly pale. He weakly grasped Ryan’s hand and said: “Ry, my gut is killing me. It’s got to be your wife’s bad juju—she must have passed her period curse to me. Rub it better, big bro!” Ryan immediately pulled him closer, his face etched with concern, then he spun around and snapped at me. “This is your fault for having a goddamn period and making him sick, Jessie! Riley is taking on your suffering—now, get in there and make him some hot soothing tea!” Riley—my husband’s supposedly platonic male friend—leaned weakly against Ryan. The look in his eyes was pure, cold provocation. “Don’t mind me, Jessie,” he whispered, his voice purposely gravelly and low. “We’re just bros. Honestly, if I had a uterus, I’d give Ry the heir he deserves before anyone else.” I stared at the overly-masculine posture and the obvious, fake lump he used as a makeshift Adam’s apple, and nearly burst out laughing. Did he truly think I was as blind as Ryan and his pathetic friends? Did they believe I hadn’t known Riley was a woman for months? I was tied to a "Wish Fulfillment" New Year’s Gift System. Since you are so desperate to be fertile, I thought, I will grant your wish. Take the torrent of good fortune you asked for! ... 1 I glanced down at my phone, where a system interface only I could see had popped up. [New Year's Gift System Activated. Detected Wish: To Conceive and Bear.] [Issue gift to target 'Riley'?] I pressed Confirm without a moment's hesitation. Ryan was still wrapped up in worry, haphazardly rubbing Riley’s abdomen through his thick sweater. “Good boy, Riley. Rub it better. It’s all this useless woman’s fault.” He looked up and glared at me, his eyes burning with a hatred that suggested he wanted to devour me whole. “Jessie! What are you standing around for? Can’t you see Riley’s in pain? Get your ass in the kitchen and make that tea!” “Of course, Ryan. Right away.” I turned and walked into the kitchen, a cold, silent laugh echoing in my mind. Inside, I slowly boiled the water, and casually added a modifier in the system. “System, dial the effect up. I want it intense.” [Request received. Energy doubled.] When I carried the cup of hot ginger-molasses tea out, the scene in the living room had already shifted. Riley’s pain had been an act. Now, the terror in her face was real. Large beads of cold sweat rolled down her forehead. “Nngh… it hurts so bad…” Ryan was panicking, pacing back and forth. “What the hell? You were just fine a minute ago!” I handed the tea to Riley. “Here you go. Drink it while it’s hot.” Riley took one sip, and a fresh scream ripped out of her. “Ah! What is this? Why does it hurt more!” Ryan snatched the bowl from her hand and hurled it onto the hardwood floor. The ceramic shattered, and the steaming liquid splashed onto my bare foot. “Jessie! What poison did you put in this? Riley’s worse now!” “Are you trying to poison him?” I stared at him, my expression blank. “It’s just tea, Ryan. What poison could there be?” Ryan’s spineless friends in the room chimed in. “Jessie, that’s seriously messed up. Riley’s always been nothing but kind to you.” “Yeah, your husband’s bro is our bro. You’ve got a twisted heart, woman.” Ryan pointed a trembling finger right at my face. “Kneel! Apologize to Riley now! He took your curse, and you repay him by trying to kill him!” Riley weakly pulled at Ryan’s hand. “Ry, don’t blame Jessie. It’s my poor constitution… ugh!” Before she could finish, another tortured cry. “There’s something kicking me in the stomach!” Ryan and the circle of friends froze. “Riley, what are you saying? You’re a grown man. There’s nothing in there to kick you.” Ryan was half-shouting when he yanked up Riley’s thick sweater. As soon as the fabric was lifted, everyone in the room gasped. 2 Riley’s previously flat abdomen, in front of all of us, began to swell like a grotesque time-lapse video. Once, twice… In just a few seconds, her stomach had pushed out into a distinct, high-riding curve, looking exactly like a pregnancy well into the second trimester. “What is this?” Ryan was terrified, his hands shaking. I put on a performance of shock, clapping a hand over my mouth. My voice trembled convincingly. “Oh my God, Riley! Your stomach is growing so fast! You… you couldn’t be pregnant, could you?” Riley stared down at her own stomach, her eyes wide with true terror. “Impossible! I can’t be pregnant!” Ryan was dumbfounded, tentatively touching the hard, tight skin of Riley’s belly. “Riley, what’s going on?” I pointed and shouted, “Look at her stomach! There’s something moving inside!” Everyone followed my gaze. Sure enough, a distinct, terrifying outline of a small foot pressed against Riley’s taut skin, kicking hard. “Ugh!” Riley screamed, curling into a tight ball on the sofa. “Ry, help me… it hurts so bad, I think my insides are tearing apart…” Ryan was completely lost, wanting to hold her but too afraid to touch that monstrous belly. “Hospital! Get him to the hospital, now!” One of the friends finally reacted, moving to lift Riley onto his back. Riley heard the word “hospital” and instantly lost it. Clutching her belly, she desperately burrowed into Ryan’s chest. “No! I’m not going to the hospital! Ry, please! It’s just acute gastritis, I just need to rest!” She yelled and desperately clamped her arms over her chest. I sneered internally. She’s terrified that once she’s in a hospital gown, the chest binder and her true gender will be exposed. “Riley, this is no time to be afraid of doctors!” I moved closer, feigning deep concern. “Look at that stomach. What if it… bursts if you don’t get medical attention?” “Ryan, you love your brother so much, don't you? Do you really want to watch her die in your arms?” Ryan was shocked into action. “Right! Hospital! Riley, listen to me, I’m with you! No one is going to hurt you!” He scooped Riley up without waiting for a protest and charged toward the door. Riley was still screaming in agony. Before leaving, Ryan spun back and spat a threat at me. “Jessie, if anything happens to Riley, I swear I will never forgive you!” “And you’re paying the medical bills! He’s suffering because of you, you’re responsible for everything!” I watched his frantic retreat, slowly pulled out my phone, and swiped his secondary credit card. “Responsible? Absolutely, I’m responsible.” I immediately canceled that secondary card and finalized the paperwork to place a lien on the only property under Ryan’s name. The down payment for that house came from my father. The renovations were paid for by me. I used to love him; I used to be a willing punching bag. Now, all I wanted was to watch them all burn. “Come on, everyone! Let’s go see this medical miracle. A pregnant man—you can’t miss this!” I waved at the gawkers and friends, and we followed the frantic Ryan to the emergency room. We were barely inside the entrance when Riley let out a horrifying shriek. “He’s bleeding!” I looked down. Riley’s gray sweatpants were suddenly drenched in a large patch of crimson at the groin. Blood streamed down his inner thigh, staining the white hospital floor tiles—a chilling sight. Ryan froze, staring blankly at the blood on his hands. “Riley… does your gastritis come with blood in the urine?” 3 I bit back a laugh, putting on a stern face to correct him. “Ryan, try to use your brain for once! That location, that volume of blood—she’s in premature labor! She’s miscarrying!” The emergency room erupted into chaos. “Doctor, please save my brother!” Ryan bellowed at the top of his lungs. A few nurses rushed over with a gurney. When they saw Riley, their faces tightened. “Massive hemorrhage? Quick, Room One!” Riley lay on the gurney, now unconscious. A male doctor approached and reached for the clasps on Riley’s clothing to examine the injury. Ryan lunged forward and shoved the doctor away. “What the hell are you doing? You trying to assault my friend?” The male doctor staggered, looking utterly bewildered. “I’m a doctor! He’s hemorrhaging! How can I locate the bleed without an examination? Can you please be rational?” “He’s shy, you idiot! He won’t even shower with us! You keep your hands clean, you male doctor!” Ryan yelled, his neck bulging. The nurses and patients around us stared at him like he was insane. I stood at the back of the crowd and offered a cool comment. “Ryan, Riley is practically dying, and you’re worried about him feeling exposed? Oh, wait, I mean, male-on-male exposure.” “Maybe a female doctor would be better. Riley is a bit more sensitive than most girls.” Ryan jumped on this idea. “Yes! A female doctor! Get a female doctor, now!” The doctor, enraged, threw his stethoscope onto the counter. “This is an emergency! We don’t have time for you to handpick a physician!” “I demand one! If you don’t, I’ll sue! If my brother dies, you’ll all pay for it!” Ryan started throwing a tantrum until security had to be called. Finally, the hospital relented and brought in a seasoned female physician, Dr. Reyes. Dr. Reyes walked in, her face set in a grim expression. “Family out. We need to examine him.” Ryan refused to budge. “I’m staying! What if he gets scared?” Dr. Reyes fixed him with a stare. “This is a trauma room, not your bedroom! Get out!” Ryan finally backed out, muttering curses, but not before telling Riley, “Don’t worry, Riley. Your bro’s right here protecting you.” Less than two minutes later, a gasp of disbelief came from inside the room. “How is this possible?” It was Dr. Reyes’ voice, filled with shock. Ryan knew something was wrong. He kicked the door open and charged in. “What happened? Did you hurt him?” Dr. Reyes held a stethoscope, staring at Riley’s stomach as if she’d seen a ghost. “This gentleman has a fetal heartbeat! And this level of distension and hardness is clearly the result of uterine contractions!” Ryan froze for three seconds, then erupted into hysterical laughter. “Doctor, are you insane? My brother is a pure man! Do you think I wouldn't know if he had a uterus? You quack, are you trying to scam me?” Dr. Reyes’ face turned dark red. “I’ve been practicing for thirty years. I don’t mistake a fetal heart for a stomach rumble! If you don’t believe me, we’ll do a sonogram!” “Fine! Bring it on! Who’s afraid!” Ryan scooped up Riley. As he passed me, he shot me a deadly glare. “Jessie, did you hear that? This whole hospital is a joke! When the results come back, I’m suing them for everything they have, and then I’m coming for you!” I shrugged, utterly unconcerned. “Sounds good. I’ll wait to see the miracle of a man giving birth.” On the way to the ultrasound room, Ryan was already on his phone, calling for backup. “Mom, get to First Hospital, now! Riley’s here because that crazy woman, Jessie, poisoned him, and now these doctors are humiliating him by saying he’s pregnant!” 4 I could hear my mother-in-law, Elaine’s, shrill voice through the phone. “What? Pregnant? Riley is my angel! Who dares to insult him like that?” “That jinx, Jessie! I knew she was bad news! You wait there, I’m bringing the family!” I listened to the call and smiled bitterly. My mother-in-law, Elaine, had always thought I wasn’t good enough for her son, treating me like a servant. Riley, on the other hand, was charming and sweet-talking, completely winning her over. Elaine had told me to my face more than once that if only Riley had been a girl, I would have been replaced long ago. Well, now Riley was “fertile.” Let’s see how she handled this. Less than twenty minutes later, Elaine arrived, flanked by several family members, her face a mask of rage. As soon as she saw me, she charged forward, her hand raised to strike. I was ready. I sidestepped, catching her wrist firmly. “Elaine, we’re in public. Public assault isn’t a good look.” “You dare dodge me?” Elaine was shaking with fury, pointing her finger at my face. “Jessie Maxwell, you black-hearted, husband-cursing witch!” “Riley is such a good kid, and you’ve tortured him like this, and then bribed doctors to say he’s pregnant? Are you trying to destroy him?” Ryan chimed in, “Exactly, Mom. You didn’t see that doctor, she sounded completely convinced.” “Jessie must be scared that Riley’s going to take my affection, so she’s resorted to this dirty trick.” I looked at the three of them—this bizarre family unit—and laughed out loud. “Fine. If you all think I bribed the doctor, then let’s prove it to the public. Right now.” “Ryan, you said Riley is a pure man. Do you dare do this ultrasound live for the world to see?” To prove his innocence and to extort money from the hospital, Ryan stuck his chin out. “Bring it on! I dare you! When the results are back, you will crawl out of my house on your hands and knees!” Riley, lying on the gurney, his stomach now swollen like a ceramic bowl turned upside down, was in too much pain to speak. He could only stare at Ryan with pleading eyes. “No… go home…” “Good boy, Riley. Don’t be afraid.” Elaine stroked Riley’s forehead, her heart clearly breaking. “We’re just going to get a picture, humiliate these scam artists, and make sure they never say such a thing again!” At Elaine’s insistence, Riley was wheeled into the ultrasound room. Ryan and Elaine demanded to go in, and the technicians, overwhelmed, allowed them behind a privacy screen. I calmly took out my phone and started streaming. “Elaine, you love Riley so much. If he really can bear a child, will you finally let me go?” Elaine sneered, her face full of disdain. “Of course! If Riley can give my son a child, I’ll kick you out that minute and bring him into the family!” My heart filled with a terrible glee, but I feigned a tearful sadness. “Fine. You heard her. You all witnessed it.” Inside the ultrasound room, the doctor placed the probe on Riley’s grotesquely high belly. The monitor quickly showed an image. The ultrasound tech, a fresh-faced young man, stared at the screen, his mouth agape. “It’s… it’s a human shape!” Ryan shoved the screen aside, his roar vibrating through the room. “What the hell are you saying! Look closer, you idiot!” He lunged toward the monitor and instantly froze. On the screen, a clearly outlined, small humanoid shape was curled up. You could even see the regular, flashing light of a beating heart. I calmly pulled out another piece of paper. This was a paternity and amniocentesis report I had redeemed from the System moments before. “Yes, Ryan. Not only is he pregnant, but it’s yours.” 5 Ryan snatched the paper, his disbelief absolute, and read it over and over. The System guaranteed perfection. This detection report was, even in the hospital’s system, a perfectly legitimate document. The live stream comments went wild. [OMG! He’s really pregnant? A 21st-century medical miracle!] [That guy’s stomach is bigger than mine was at six months. How fast is this baby coming?] [The streamer is amazing! She’s broadcasting the drama of the year!] Elaine’s elderly eyes practically glued themselves to the screen. After a long look, she slapped her thigh. “Oh, my! It’s a big fat boy!” She turned and grabbed Ryan’s arm, her face alight with manic joy. “Ry, this is a miracle! Riley has secured our family line! You listen to your mother—divorce Jessie now! Marry Riley!” Ryan’s face was a study in conflicting emotions—white, then green, then purple. He looked at the monstrous human shape on the screen, then at Riley, writhing in pain on the bed, his mind a complete wreck. “Mom, what are you talking about? Riley is a man!” “And so what?” Elaine’s eyes bulged, spittle flying. “A man who can bear a child is a godsend! It means our family is blessed! Jessie, that barren hen, has been taking up space without producing results—she should have left long ago!” She turned and rushed at me, her finger nearly poking my eye. “Witch! Did you hear that? The Maxwell line is safe! Pack your things and get out! Divorce!” I held my phone steady, the lens focused right on her. “Elaine, we’re live. The whole country is watching. Are you sure you want to demand your son divorce his wife for a man who can give birth?” Elaine paused, momentarily intimidated by the camera, but the ecstasy of having a grandchild quickly overwhelmed her. She didn’t back down; she leaned into the camera, looking even more self-righteous. “Let them watch! I’m telling you all, my son is lucky! His brother is a divine man who can bear his child!” “I demand an heir for my son! Jessie can’t deliver, so she has to yield her position to the one who can! It’s the law of nature!” Riley, lying on the bed, heard this and, despite the pain contorting his face, a triumphant smile touched his lips. He grabbed Ryan’s hand, his voice a ragged whisper. “Ry… I’m really having your baby…” Ryan finally snapped out of his trance. He violently flung Riley’s hand away, his eyes a mixture of terror and utter disgust. “Shut your mouth! It’s impossible! We’re both men!” He spun around, grabbing the ultrasound tech by the collar. “It’s you! You rigged the machine! You worked with Jessie, didn’t you? Tell me! How much did she pay you!” The young tech started to cry. “Sir, I didn’t… the machine doesn’t lie…” “To hell with your machine!” Ryan went completely insane, grabbing a nearby chair, ready to smash the ultrasound equipment. “Stop him!” The hospital security guards rushed in. Several men struggled to pin Ryan to the floor. I watched the spectacle coldly, then spoke into my phone camera. “Everyone, you see my husband, Ryan Maxwell. Because his ‘brother’ is pregnant, he is attempting to destroy hospital property, assault a doctor, and throw me out of the house.” “The down payment for that house came from my parents, and I paid for the renovations. Now, the Maxwells want a man to usurp my role and steal my property.” Elaine was still screaming. “The house is in my son’s name! It belongs to the Maxwells! You’re an outsider! You have no right to speak!” Just then, the ultrasound room door flew open again. Dr. Reyes walked in, holding a chart, her expression grave. “Stop yelling! The pregnant patient’s condition is critical! The contractions are too fast, and the fetal heart rate is crashing! If we don’t operate now, we will lose both mother and child!”
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