We’d been married for five years. My husband, Julian, had always been militant about protection, so I was stunned when he suddenly wanted a child. Two months into the pregnancy, I was hospitalized for complications. That’s when I first heard the voice. It was malicious, infantile, and coming from inside my own stomach. Owww, I’m gonna make it hurt! I’m going to toss and turn until you scream. Daddy said you’re not my real mommy. You’re just the delivery van. I stared at my abdomen, convinced I was having an auditory hallucination. I stumbled out of my room to find Julian, but I stopped when I heard him talking to my doctor in the hallway. "Mr. Thorne, your wife’s uterine lining is dangerously thin. If you insist on her carrying this pregnancy for Ms. Vane, she will likely be rendered infertile. Are you sure this is fair to her?" Julian's voice was casual, dismissive. "Serena is A-list. Her reputation can't take a hint of scandal, let alone a baby bump. Chloe has always wanted a child. She should be honored to carry this one for Serena." 1 I stood in the doorway, shaking so hard my teeth chattered. The baby I had prayed for, the baby I’d gone through three agonizing rounds of IVF to get... was for Serena Vane. "Just do your job," Julian continued, his voice hardening. "I don't want Chloe to know. You have no idea how much Serena is looking forward to this. I want this baby delivered, perfectly, with no complications." The cold, clinical devotion in his voice was terrifying. I walked back to my room in a daze. A nurse smiled at me as I passed. "You're so lucky," she whispered. "Your husband booked the entire floor so you could rest. And he hired a private nurse and stays here 24/7. He must love you so much." "I heard he cried when he saw the first ultrasound. A man like that? Total unicorn." If I’d heard this yesterday, I would have glowed. Now, it felt like swallowing flies. The fetus didn't like the praise, either. It started to kick, hard. Idiots! He loves Mommy! He loves SERENA! This bitch is just the help! She’s lucky I’m even here. God, I’m going to make her pay for this. A sharp, blinding pain shot from my pelvis. I gasped, cold sweat beading on my forehead. Almost simultaneously, I heard Julian roaring from down the hall. "You're all useless! I can't leave her for one minute? If anything happens to Chloe, I'll have all your jobs!" He rarely raised his voice. He really, really cared about this baby. I clutched my stomach, a grotesque smile pulling at my lips. A moment later, he burst into the room and saw me crumpled on the floor. He rushed over, scooping me up. "Chloe, what are you doing? You’re pregnant! You have to be responsible! You can’t just wander off. What if something happened?" His voice was trembling with what I once would have called "fear." I just felt numb. "It was stuffy. I needed some air." He visibly relaxed and carried me back to bed. He took the prenatal vitamins from the nurse and held one out to me with a glass of water. "Time for your folate, baby." I stared at the pill. I'm severely allergic to folic acid. It covers my entire body in agonizing, itchy hives. Julian knew this. For the last two months, I’d been living in a Benadryl-fueled haze, scratching myself raw in my sleep. "I don't want to." His brow furrowed. "Chloe, be good. It’s for the baby. You know it’s essential for neural tube development. A healthy baby." He knew I wanted a child more than anything. He knew I’d swallow poison if he told me it was for the baby. I took the pill. Within a minute, the familiar, maddening itch began. Red welts rose on my arms. I gagged, trying to spit the pill back out. Julian’s hand clamped over my mouth. "No, Chloe. Don't spit it out. You have to keep it down." He held my mouth shut with one hand and gripped my arms with the other, watching me with those cold, determined eyes as my body convulsed. The voice in my head cooed. Yesss, I love this stuff. It makes this bitch itch, but it makes me strong. I wish she had to take it ten times a day. Who cares if she suffers, as long as I get to meet my real mommy. 2 I was in the hospital for a month. I tried everything to get rid of it. I "accidentally" fell in the shower. I "accidentally" ate unpasteurized cheese. But Julian was watching me like a hawk. He’d anticipated every move. On my last day, he must have sensed my desperation. He sat on the bed, his voice laced with a strange anxiety. "Chloe, what's wrong? You've been... distant. Is the pregnancy making you unhappy?" I dropped my gaze to hide the bitter irony. "I've wanted this for years, Julian. After all the failed IVF... how could I be unhappy? Why would you ask that?" My flat denial seemed to calm him. He sighed, relieved, and handed me a folder. "I know it's been hard on you. This is just... a thank you. It’s the deed to that downtown condo you liked. It's all yours." I just stared at it. Thirty minutes ago, I’d been scrolling through Instagram. Serena Vane had just posted a new photo. It was also a deed, blurred but recognizable. Her caption: [The only beachfront villa in Malibu. In love, there’s no such thing as ‘first.’ The one who isn’t loved is always the third wheel. ?] I’d "liked" it. She deleted it almost immediately. The difference was so painfully clear. He gave me a condo. He gave her Malibu. I opened my mouth to refuse, but the door swung open. Serena Vane, in sunglasses and a perfect blowout, waltzed in with a fruit basket. "Julian, darling! I heard Chloe was here and just had to stop by. I hope I’m not interrupting." She was an A-list star. Beautiful, untouchable. I was a pale, exhausted woman in a hospital gown. The baby went wild. MOMMY! MOMMY’S HERE! I love you, Mommy! I’ll be out soon, Mommy, I promise! The high-pitched joy was like an ice pick in my ear. I turned my back to them. "I'm tired. I need to rest." I thought she’d leave. She didn't. She sat down next to Julian. He started massaging my calves, the picture of a doting husband. But under the blanket, I felt his foot move. Ooooh, Daddy’s foot is touching Mommy's foot! They’re holding hands! YAY! My parents are the best! This stupid carrier bitch is just in the way. I can’t wait to get out so I can ruin her life! Their movements became more obvious. Julian, thinking I was asleep, leaned over and whispered something to Serena. He kissed her. YES! YES! YES! They’re kissing! I hope she sees! I hope it kills this bitch! The baby was doing gleeful flips. I didn't know what hurt more, my abdomen or my heart. I didn't dare open my eyes. A minute later, they quietly left the room together. I followed them. In a utility alcove down the hall, they were pressed against the wall. "You shouldn't have come," Julian murmured, his hands in her hair. "I told you to be careful. What if Chloe saw?" Serena laughed. "But I missed you! You’re so mean, making her carry our baby just so I don’t get bloated. You have to let me reward you." She pulled his face down and kissed him, a deep, passionate kiss. The baby in my womb was cheering. Go, Mommy! Go, Daddy! I hope she’s watching! I stumbled back to my room, one thought repeating itself: I have to get this thing out of me. 3 A nurse saw me clutching the wall. "Mrs. Thorne? Are you alright? You're pale as a ghost." She saw the tears streaming down my face. "Oh, no... don't cry! It's bad for the baby! If Mr. Thorne saw you this upset..." I couldn't hold it in. A sob tore out of me, and I collapsed. ... When I woke up, I was at home. Julian was gone, but Serena was standing at the foot of my bed, her arms crossed. "That was a cute stunt. Fainting just to make him worry," she sneered. "You’re pathetic." "You saw us, didn't you? He loves me. He’s just using your body." I gripped the sheets. "How long?" "Two years," she said, examining her nails. "We met at the Met Gala. He told me he was in a loveless marriage. He said you were... fine, but boring. He’d never even sleep with me without protection. He wanted me to have his baby, but my brand is 'America's Sweetheart.' A scandal would ruin me. This... was his solution." She leaned in. "You know all those 'gifts' he gave you after your failed IVF rounds? Consolation prizes. All those 'late nights at the office'? He was with me. In this house. In this bed." She smiled, a victor's smile, and walked out. She passed Julian in the hall. He came in, his face a mask of concern. "Chloe? You're awake. I was so worried." I was already on the phone with a disposal service. "I want this bed... this mattress... I want it all gone. Burn it." "Chloe, what's wrong?" He tried to hug me. "You’re not well. You fainted. You need to be more careful. For the baby." I shoved him off. He sighed, thinking I was just hormonal. He called to someone in the hall. A middle-aged woman walked in. "Chloe, you're obviously not taking care of yourself. I've hired the best maternity nurse in the state. This is Mrs. Vance. She'll be staying with us." I looked at her. She seemed vaguely familiar. Julian walked her out. I could hear his low voice. "Mrs. Vance, Chloe's... she's a little fragile. Your only priority is the fetus. Do whatever it takes. Be firm." "I understand completely, Mr. Thorne." I knew why she looked familiar. The next morning at 4:00 AM, my door flew open. "Get up. The air is purest at this hour. We're going for a walk." I was barely asleep. "What? No. I'm exhausted." Mrs. Vance ripped the blankets off me. "This isn't a request. Your lazy lifestyle is bad for the baby. Get up, or I'll make you." "You can't be serious." "Try me." She picked up the ice water pitcher from my nightstand and dumped it on my head. I gasped, sputtering from the cold. Before I could move, her hand cracked across my face. SLAP. The sound was deafening in the silence. "You are a vessel," she spat, her face inches from mine. "Mr. Thorne was very clear. The package is the priority. Not you." I was too stunned to move. The voice in my head was cackling. Yeah, Grandma! You tell her! Teach that bitch a lesson! She better not disobey my family! Grandma. Of course. Mrs. Vance. Serena Vane's mother. The humiliation was so profound, I just sat there, dripping and shivering.
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