Chapter 5

“Mom…” Amara hissed softly. Her heart broke hearing her husband insulted like that by her own mother.

Then Ratih continued her explanation. “Look at yourself, Adrian. You’re tall. You have a good body. You’re athletic. You’re handsome. You rarely get sick, right? That’s what I want! That’s why I’m paying you to plant your seed in Amara’s body, so my grandchild will be healthy like you!”

Adrian listened while looking at his reflection in the glass of the medicine cabinet. He knew his body was above average. But hearing it used as the reason to impregnate someone else’s wife still felt insane.

“So what do you want me to do, ma’am?” Adrian asked, baiting her. He played innocent, partly to convince Amara that this really was her mother’s order.

“Throw that syringe away right now!” Ratih ordered. “I want you to do it directly. Naturally. The way a husband and wife would. Make sure your seed goes in as deep as possible. That way the chance of pregnancy is higher and the quality of the baby is guaranteed.”

Silence.

Amara shook her head hard on the chair.

“No, Mom wouldn’t be this cruel…” she sobbed.

As if she could hear her daughter’s silent refusal, Ratih spoke again.

“And don’t you dare argue, Adrian. I’ve tapped the CCTV in front of your clinic. I know how long you two are in there. If you come out quickly and Amara isn’t pregnant this month, our deal is off. I won’t pay your father’s debt, and I won’t care anymore about your father being hunted by debt collectors!”

Adrian’s jaw tightened at hearing his father dragged into this. But resisting seemed pointless, since Ratih held all the power. He had no choice, because his father’s life hung by a thread.

“All right, ma’am. I understand,” Adrian answered coldly.

“Good. Do your job properly. Just enjoy it, Adrian. My daughter is beautiful, isn’t she? Consider her a bonus. Oh, and she hasn’t been touched by Doni in quite a while, so that’s your bonus on top of your father’s debt being paid off!”

Click.

The long, ear-hurting beep finally stopped when Adrian ended the call. He slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Now the mood had turned oppressive, and Amara felt the hair on her neck rise.

Adrian was the same. He stood still, staring at the syringe on the tray. That syringe was the only thing saving Amara’s dignity. But now it was useless.

Slowly, Adrian picked up the syringe, and as she watched, Amara felt that Adrian still valued dignity more than just money for a debt.

But that hope vanished when Adrian dropped the syringe and its contents into the medical waste bin in the corner.

Thunk.

Adrian turned around and walked slowly toward the exam chair, stopping right in front of Amara. His sharp eyes traveled over her from her feet up to her tear-streaked face.

“You heard it yourself, Mrs. Pratama. That wasn’t my request, and honestly I don’t want to do this either. But what can I do when the stakes are my father’s life, threatened by loan sharks?” Adrian asked in a sorrowful voice.

Amara nodded in jerky motions, her body shaking hard at the confession. “I’m… I’m sorry, Doc. I didn’t know this would happen. Please, just do it quickly, so we can both be done and owe each other nothing.”

Adrian pulled off his latex gloves and tossed them carelessly onto the floor. Moments later, he planted both hands on either side of Amara’s knees, pinning her in place. His face came close enough that Amara could feel the warm breath on her face.

Amara realized there would be no more sterile medical procedure with artificial insemination. That meant Adrian was going to touch her, skin against skin, and it would be the real thing.

“No. I don’t want this!” Amara shrieked hysterically. She tried to climb down from the high exam chair. Her hands gripped its sides, trying to haul her body out of Adrian’s reach.

But the effort was futile.

Adrian stepped forward and held both her shoulders in his big hands. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Pratama, I don’t have any other choice, this is the only way I can take!”

Amara went still, especially once she realized that Adrian didn’t really want to hurt her, or even force her. The touch of his hands on her shoulders a moment ago had no strength in it. He only wanted to calm her down.

“If you struggle, you could fall. Besides, your legs are still hooked in the supports. I don’t want you injured badly trying to pull yourself out of them.”

“Hold on, Mrs. Pratama, I need to examine you first.”

“Examine what? You already did.”

“That was for the insemination. The procedure is different now. I have to make sure your body is ready to take my size. I don’t want to hurt you, much less have you bleed and go home unable to walk,” Adrian answered, with no filter left.

The blunt words, spoken in a clinical tone, turned Amara’s face crimson with shame and fear.

Without waiting for permission, Adrian sat back down on the round stool between her knees.

“A little wider, ma’am,” Adrian instructed.

Amara shook her head weakly, but Adrian’s hand was already on her inner thigh, urging her wider. His gloveless fingers began a careful, deliberate check of how tense she was.

“Relax, ma’am, so you’re not so tight, and so I can be sure you’re okay after this procedure is over.”

Amara winced. It felt sharp and tight, and that was only from a touch.

Adrian, who realized Amara hadn’t been touched by her husband in a long time, could only frown. He drew his hand back and looked at her in disbelief. “Your muscles are very stiff, and your body seems to have trouble relaxing. It looks like Mr. Pratama never really touched you.”

The comment stabbed at Amara’s pride. She wanted to argue and say her sex life with Doni was happy. But she couldn’t lie. Doni had rarely touched her in the past year. And when he did, he was always in a hurry. Never patient like Adrian, who now carefully, almost tenderly, checked on her.

“None of your business,” Amara hissed sharply. “Just finish it, then take me home!”

Adrian shook his head slowly. “If you’re this dry, I can’t go in, ma’am. It’ll hurt you badly. I promised not to hurt you, but if you insist, you’ll end up raw and sore and unable to walk tomorrow morning.”

“And how big is yours, exactly, that you dare say that?” Amara challenged, desperate and wanting only for this to be over.

Adrian let out a long breath, then stood and walked to the medicine cabinet, ignoring her question. He took out a small bottle of clear liquid.

“This is a low-dose arousal aid. It’ll help you relax and let your body respond naturally. Take this first, ma’am, then wait ten minutes. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it afterward. As for the size, I can’t tell you. You’ll feel it for yourself. What I can say for certain is that I can give you pleasure Mr. Pratama never has.”

Amara’s eyes went wide at that. Pleasure her husband had never given her? The idea that she might actually enjoy this with a stranger made her sick with herself.

“Doc, don’t be crazy! I won’t take any arousal drug. And what you just said, what did you mean? That I’ll enjoy it once I’m with Dr. Adrian? Watch what you say, Doc!”

Adrian looked at the bottle, shrugged without much care, and set it back on the table.

“Fine, that’s up to you, ma’am. I’m only reminding you of two things. First, it’ll hurt if you don’t take this. Second, about you enjoying it, I’m not lying. I can take you straight up to the seventh heaven if you want. But only if you trust me.”

Adrian leaned in and spoke into her ear after glancing at the wall clock. “Oh, and Mrs. Pratama, we have one hour left before my office hours end and my assistant arrives.”

Amara looked at Adrian’s arms, thick and corded with veins. She thought, what would be wrong with doing it today? It was just this once. Besides, putting it off only meant waiting for the day Adrian would do this anyway.

Delay it or not, she would still end up playing this game with Adrian!