The call came while Alex’s childhood friend’s son took a tumble at preschool. He turned to his colle When I got the news, I was lying on a This was year three since Alex was diagnosed with a low sperm count, the "Name?" the doctor asked, pulling on his gloves for the final verification. I stared blankly for "Marcus," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "I'm not doing it. 1 Alex had been a nervous wreck ever since he took that call. After we both signed the consent form "Sarah, they've got it from here," he said, already inching toward the door. "Leo’s hurt. I I was following the nurse to get changed into a surgical gown, my own mind a million miles away. I barely registered his wor But the head nurse at the fertility clinic frowned. "Mr. Davison, this is a monumental moment for any couple," she said, her tone pro His phone buzzed Alex shot me a pained, apologetic smile, but his pale face betrayed a frantic energy. To an outsider, you’d think Leo was his son. The next thing I knew, Dr. Alex Davison, a man known for his calm, steady hands in the OR, was practically bolting out the door. He barely On the operating table, Dr. Ma I stared at him for a moment, then slowly sat up. "Marcus, I can' His eyes flickered down to my stomach, a roadmap of tiny bruises from the injections. His expression was ser "Are you sure, Sarah?" he asked. "You know his results. These are the only two viable embryos we have. You really want to throw that a He paused, and for a man of few words, what he said next landed like a ton of bricks. "You're a pediatric neurologist, Sarah. You of a He was right. And that’s "I've made up my mind," I insisted. "I have the right to withdraw consent." 2 By the time I walked out of the hosp I instinctively reached for the passenger door. Just then, the window roll "Oh, Sarah, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice dripping with feigned guilt. "The presc Her face was a mask of apology, but her e I glanced into the back. Her son, Leo, had a small bandage on his forehead. He was sitting in the car seat I had painstakingly researched and bought, completely absorbed in a game on my iPad. I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth. "Alex, I need Then I turned to Chloe. "Do you mind getting a taxi with your son?" She seemed genuinely surprised by my directness. For "Alex, maybe I should," she murmured, her voice becoming soft and vulnerable. Alex’s long fingers tightened on the steering wheel. With He leaned across her and looked at me. "Sarah, just get in the car." His voice It was the same calm, rational tone, as if he were simply a doctor concerned for a child's welfare. But after three years of marriage, I k I knew, with a sickening certainty, that he wanted a baby to anchor our marriage, which was already drifting into dangerous waters. He wanted a reason to pull himself back from the edge, to force himself into the role of a husband and father. But we both knew the real proble I took a step back, clearing a p "The subway station is two blocks that way." Chloe’s face went pale. She got out, opened the back door, and yanked the i Her movements weren't gentle. The five-year-old, ripped from his cartoon world, "I wanna watch my show! I want Uncle Alex to take me home! Waaaaah!" "Leo, "Why? Is Uncle Alex mad at me because Aunt Sarah is here? Does he not like me anymore? Waaaaah!" The scene was getting mortifyi "Sarah, can we please just talk about this at home?" Alex’s voice was low, his deep-set eyes boring into me. Chloe clutched her A suffocating tightness spread through my chest, a tinglin But this time, I wasn't going to fold. "Fin I took a deep breath, pushed past both of them, and walked to the back of the car. It to It's not like I was going to need it anymore. As I stood there, a sleek black SUV pulled up beside me. Marcus rolled down the w I shoved the car seat into the bin with a loud clatter and gave him a bitter, Marcus glanced over at the white sedan that still ha "Get in." As we pulled away, I felt li 3 Alex got home an hour after I did. I was sitting on the sofa in the dark, waiting. I heard him He held me fo "I want a divorce." I cut him off, calm and di His body went rigid. He tightened his grip, his voice laced with weary "It has to be the hormones," he sighed. "They’re messing with the calm, brilliant Dr. Evans I know. Leo is fiv "He got a bump on his head," he continued, "I "It has nothing to do with Leo," I said coolly. "And you know it, don't yo A small frown creased his brow. "Chloe? Sarah, I've known her for twenty years. If we were going to be together, don' He released me and moved toward the kitchen. "Don't overthink this. He leaned in to kiss me, but the cool touch of his lips on my skin only made my mind fe "Don't forget your heparin and progesterone shots after the transfer," he called out as he tied on a No one had told him I'd stopped the procedure. He was always so thoug One afternoon, I was hiding out on the roof of the library, devastated after getting a It was Alex. He had sat with me in silence all afternoon. As the sky turned orang That one sentence brought us together. Our friends and mentors joked that the ice queen had But I wasn't so bad myself. I'd trained under the best in my field and was the Watching Alex’s back as he chopped vegetables, I spoke into the silen "The fellowship in Germany," I said slowly. "I don't want to give it up." This was the other reason my mind had Alex didn't turn around. "Peds is always understaffed," he said dismissively. "Everyone's overworked. We already talk The vegetables hit the hot pan with a loud sizzle, and a cloud of steam billowed up. He finally turned "Sarah, you can lean on me. You don't have to work so hard. W I ran a hand over my stomach, Marcus was right. A child wasn't a bandage f His attempt to pull back from the cliff's edge might just be me walking straight into the abyss. My marria 4 Wednesday was Alex’s mom's birth We had agreed to go to his parents’ house for dinner after work. A family dinner felt like the right place His colleague looked He was scrolling through his phone, and his expression suddenly turned strange as he look Confused, I pulled out It was a photo. Alex, with The caption read: "Dad of the Year." Even though I had been preparing myself Then, I liked the post. And I left a comment. Nice t-shirts. If Alex was going to hang himself out to dry, the least I could do was kick the chair out from un When I finally got to his parents' house, I had several missed calls from him. The Instagram post w Alex opened the door. He stood there, blocking my way, his face a mixture of guilt and frustration. "Sarah, why didn't you answer your phone?" I looked down. "I was driving." He faltered, opening his mouth and closing it again, as if he wanted to explain but didn't know how. Before he could, Chloe's sickly-sweet voice floated out from behind him. "Sarah, please don't get the wrong idea. Leo's dad had an unexpected business trip overseas. I had no one else to ask. Alex was just helping out. As for the post, Leo was just messing around with his phone and posted it by accident." I didn't bother to question how a five-year-old could type and post to Instagram. My patience was gone. I looked straight at Alex. "Why is she here?" "Alex, please don't fight because of me," Chloe said, reaching out to tug on his sleeve. "What's everyone doing standing in the doorway? Come on, dinner's ready!" Alex's mom appeared at just the right moment to play peacemaker. She took my hand, her grip surprisingly warm. "Chloe's parents and us go way back, decades! I invited them over to liven things up a bit." I politely pulled my hand away and offered her the gift I’d brought. His parents had never been particularly warm to me. My family lived a thousand miles away, in a small city in the Midwest. They couldn't offer us much help, and their biggest contribution was staying out of our lives. In their minds, their son's ideal wife was someone like Chloe—a local girl from a "good family" with a respectable job. This sudden change in attitude could only mean one thing.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "385007", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel