Chapter 2

I was shaking with rage.

"Jason, three years! I've done countless IVF cycles. My stomach is covered in needle marks.

Now that I've finally succeeded, you want me to abort?"

Margaret chimed in with her snide remarks.

"Who's fault is it that you're useless?

Jason's been kind enough to keep going through this with you.

Anyone else would've divorced you ages ago!"

"I'm making the decision. Abort the baby. When Tyler's older, you two can try again."

I looked at my husband, my face pale. "Is this what you think too?"

He pulled me aside and lowered his voice. "It's just weak sperm. If it worked once, it can work again. Just listen to Madison."

I stared at him in despair.

He still didn't know that he now had azoospermia---no sperm at all.

"Jason, do you have any humanity left? That's your own flesh and blood in my belly, and you want me to abort it to raise your sister's kid?"

Jason grabbed my hands, looking aggrieved.

"Emma, please understand. Tyler is Madison's son, born after ten months of pregnancy. I can't bear to see them separated."

"But you can bear to let our baby die before it's even born?"

My eyes were red.

"Jason, we've been waiting for this baby for three years. I've done eighteen IVF cycles. How can you not want our baby?"

For this child, I'd taken ovulation shots for three years. My stomach was covered with tiny needle marks.

The egg retrieval was so painful I wanted to die. Back then, Jason had held my stomach and cried tears of heartbreak.

"Emma, you've suffered so much. From now on, you and the baby are my life. I swear, as long as I'm here, no one will hurt you."

But now, the man who'd sworn to protect us with his life wanted to be the executioner who killed his own child first.

Jason looked torn as he glanced at Madison.

"Madison, maybe we should think of another solution..."

"Another solution, my ass! Who else could we trust to raise Tyler? We're going today. From now on, Emma will be Tyler's mom!"

Margaret shoved Jason aside and dragged me toward the door.

I clutched the table desperately, screaming at the top of my lungs.

"Mom, this baby is your grandchild too!"

Margaret sneered. "My daughter is my blood. Her child is the true heir of the Smith family. You're an outsider. How can your child compare to my daughter's?"

"Besides, I'm not saying you can never have kids. Once you've put Tyler through college, you can have as many as you want. But this one has to go!"

I was trembling with rage.

"Margaret, I'm twenty-eight years old. Tyler is four. He won't graduate college for another twenty years. I'll be almost fifty by then. How am I supposed to have children?"