The Surrogacy proposal

~Selina ~

I squinted my eyes tightly in a bid to get rid of the flashy beam of light that managed to settle on my face. At first, I wasn't quick to register my environment until Dr Tonia's voice broke through the silence.

“Hi, looks like you are awake,” my attention drew towards her corner and gradually, my vision began to clear up. Few hazy memories started adding up and by the time Dr Tonia reached my bedside, all my memories had returned.

“You knew everything, didn't you?” My voice came out like a whisper, very husky and sad.

Dr Tonia took in her lips and stared at the hospital floor in guilt, “I learnt very late, I never knew your relationship with that patient until yesterday when I was supposed to take you to the room,” she explained, her tone giving off nothing but sincerity.

I let out a long and meaningful sigh. “That was why you didn't want me to go, right?”

She didn't give me a response and that alone was enough answer for me, I gave a bitter smile as I glanced out through the window.

Everyone must have seen how pathetic I am. I had an accident a week to my wedding, my fiance left for no one but my twin sister and as if that wasn't enough, my own parents also approved of them.

Interesting!!

“Please relax, I need to check your vitals now,” Dr Tonia said with patience. I didn't even argue or disagree with her, I just laid back and pretended to close my eyes.

I mentally pictured all her movement till I felt her hand relax from my body. Urgh, finally!!! I can have my personal space.

Almost immediately, I heard someone push the door open and from the corner of my eyes, I saw a nurse pass something that looks like a note to Dr Tonia who Inturn returned it to me.

“You can stop pretending now, this note is for you.”

I groaned In frustration but that didn't stop me from extending my hand, she placed the note gently on it and I sat upright to check the content.

I removed the envelope and crumbled it to a corner, “who is it from?”

“Your parents,” I got a short response from her. My heartbeat increased and slowly, my hand began shaking, the previous peace I thought I had vanished in an instance.

“Why did they send me this? What is the content?” I couldn't resist asking. Dr Tonia shrugged and answered, “Noone knows, they might want to apologize for treating you badly.”

I let out a low scoff.

If only she knows, my parents have always chosen my twin sister over me and they have always been non apologetic about it so I don't think that will be the case but before then, let's check the content.

I unfolded the letter and slowly, my eyes skimmed through the content. My heart fell upon the reason for the letter, my eyes turned bloodshot as well.

Dr Tonia noticed the tear that hung in the corner of my eyes and that was when she got alarmed, “is everything okay? You are still recuperating and you shouldn't be crying with your condition,” her tone was full of love and genuine concern.

I smiled through the tear droplet and handed the letter over to her. Dr Tonia glanced through it and by the time she finished, anger bursts through her chest.

“Who the heck are these people? They mean, you have to pay your hospital bill and even that of your ex-fiance?” She blasted out, not speaking to anyone in particular.

It might have been shocking to her but isn't to me anymore, the content of the letter says because I disrupted a good family time, I have to pay for my ex fiance's hospital bill which is 2× high because of the earlier discharge request. Also, I have to pay my hospital bill myself.

I turned to the side of my bed, glanced down at my skinny purple purse then brought out a card from it. “Here, can you help me to check the balance? The pin is 2…” Dr Tonia didn't waste a second, she collected it and went out immediately.

I didn't know how much time she was gone for but it felt like eternity. Later, she returned with a sullen face.

“I am sorry, this card is empty.”

My eyebrow raised as I stared at her face, “empty? The last time I checked, I still saved up to a couple hundred thousand dollars there,” I tried to explain but my words seemed meaningless. I mean ,who would believe? The evidence is right there that my account is empty. Right now, I don't have any option on how to pay the hospital bills.

“If you don't mind me advising you, since they added a ownership document of a technology company to you, why don't you just sell it, pay the bills and probably do something good with the rest,” Dr Tonia advised.

I would have eagerly jumped on the advice but that technology company originally belonged to me, it was given to me by my late uncle and aunt but my parents forcefully took it from me and drove it to bankruptcy. Now, the company is nothing but crumbs and I will do anything to revive it.

“If that is not okay for you, how about considering a surrogate? It will be through IVF and it comes with very rich benefits,” Dr Tonia added and my eyes lit up In an instant.

“Surrogacy? For whom, if I may ask.”

“This is very confidential but I will tell you. It is for Ethan, the most eligible bachelor in los Vegas,” a gasp left my mouth. Something clicked in the head and I hurriedly grabbed Dr Tonia's lab coat.

“What is the first procedure? Can we start now?”

At this point, I don't know what lies ahead and I don't want to know either. All I know is that I am volunteering as a surrogate mother for someone I have never and will probably never meet and that will be a turning point in my life.