2. The Failed Program

"What? My mom has to get surgery right now. How is this, what should I do?" I exclaimed in panic.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, you need to prepare the money so that the surgery can be done immediately,” the doctor said before leaving me. 

After leaving the hospital, my mind was only filled with the doctor's words until I made a mistake at work.

 “Can't you do your job properly? How many losses do you think you've made today? Even your salary this week can't cover all these losses!" 

I can still hear my boss yelling at me for my mistake in calculating a customer's total purchase.

Not wanting the issue to spread and give the supermarket a bad image, the boss decided to let the customer go free of charge.

Of course, today's loss will be taken from my salary. I can't think straight because my mom's condition is getting worse and I don't know how to get the money to pay for her surgery. 

Suddenly I remembered the couple's offer yesterday and decided to reach out through the contact left yesterday. 

"Hello, this is Nikkie. I want to ask if yesterday's offer is still valid?" I asked because I decided to sacrifice myself so that I could afford my mother's hospital bills.

"Nikkie? It’s great that you finally got in touch with us!” Krystal said on the other end of the line.

Her warm voice moved me, and tears welled up in my eyes. "I don't think I have any other choice anymore. I hope you can get the money ready soon. My mom doesn't have much time left," I explained in a shaky voice. 

Krystal on the other side could be heard letting out a long sigh. Before ending my call, Krystal told me to wait in the hospital lobby for the next hour.

Krystal arrived an hour later with Richard. The three of us immediately headed to obstetrics.

There were a few people lined up at the obstetrics and gynecology clinic but we entered from the doctor's door and got special treatment to be served first.

"So, you decided to use a surrogate mother as a solution to your problem?" the obstetrician asked. 

“We don't have much time left, our family needs an heir," Richard said in a tired tone. Krystal nodded her head in affirmation.

"This is Doctor Aaron Baldwin, the gynecologist who will be assisting us in the surrogate mother program. Also, me, Richard, and Doctor Aaron have known each other and have been friends since high school," Krystal introduced. He is a tall man with brown hair and eyes. 

Doctor Aaron nodded, "Alright, first of all, we will do a gynecological examination first.”

Based on Dr. Aaron's explanation, Richard's sperm cells will be taken first followed by Krystal's egg cells. Only then will in vitro fertilization be performed. The embryo that was formed would later be implanted into me. 

Richard's sperm retrieval process went smoothly and did not take long. Next was Krystal's turn. 

Richard and I sat outside the examination room in silence. The process that Krystal would go through took a little longer. More than 30 minutes passed, and Richard and I were called back into the room by Dr. Aaron. 

"Where's Krystal? Is she okay?" asked Richard when he didn't see his wife inside. Doctor Aaron asked us both to sit down first.

"Krystal is fine. She is currently unconscious. I regret to inform you that Krystal's egg is very weak. The retrieval process was difficult, we did it several times because the egg always died after coming out of her body. This put a strain on her body that made her faint," Doctor Aaron explained at length.

"What do you mean by her egg cell being weak?" Richard hurried to ask.

"That means the surrogate mother program cannot continue. I'm sorry," Doctor Aaron said with a sympathetic look.

Richard froze in place, his fine, thick eyebrows knitted tightly together. His expression hardened, he didn't say anything for a split second. 

"We will excuse ourselves, for now, Aaron. I hope you can keep this a secret from Krystal. I'll be back later," Richard said. 

“Nikkie, let’s go,” Richard called me before getting upand walking out of the room. 

I thanked Doctor Aaron before following Richard's long strides.

My mind was in turmoil, I didn't pay attention to my surroundings and only followed Richard's steps. What will happen to my mother after this? Even though I had just found a solution, who would have thought that the solution was wrong?

Suddenly I felt my forehead slam into something solid. I tried to regain myself, but I realized that I bumped into Richard's sturdy back. I quickly took a step back while muttering an apology.

"Are you okay, Nikkie? We should sit down in the cafeteria first, I need a cup of coffee to calm my mind," Richard turned his body around and flashed a faint smile.

"Krystal and I have been married for five years. Ours is arranged based on our family. We've known each other since high school," Richard started his story as soon as we sat down in one corner of the hospital cafeteria.

This scene was very familiar to me, just as Krystal had drawn me in to listen to her story yesterday. Unfortunately this time I had no inkling that this would work in my favor. I had already been eliminated from the possibility of becoming a surrogate mother, my only hope of escaping the suffocating financial situation was now gone.

"Like any other billionaire couple, we were required to have a successor. We've been working on it for 5 years and are almost at the deadline. Our parents are getting impatient, there's chaos everywhere and it's even affecting our company stocks," Richard took a sip of his coffee. 

"I honestly don't agree with the surrogate mother method. But I feel sorry for Krystal who is already under pressure from the demands of our family. If we still don't have an heir within the next year, then I may have to divorce."

I listened to Richard's every word, even though deep down I couldn't relate to this rich man's problems.

"This divorce will be very detrimental to me and my company. In short, my company is not in good condition. If the divorce happens, automatically all my companies that have merged with her family's company will belong to her family. I won't have anything left."

I began to understand that Richard and I were both in economic distress but with different levels of distress. 

I swallowed my saliva which somehow felt bitter. "Unfortunately I no longer have the opportunity to help you," I said softly. 

"There is still another solution. Krystal doesn't have to know if the surrogate program fails. You can still give birth to a child for us,” Richard said.

"What do you mean...?" I knew this was a rhetorical question, my brain still trying to digest what Richard had just said. Across the table, Richard nodded as if agreeing with my thoughts.

"We do it without insemination. We do it for real. I will make you pregnant with my child.”