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Tanggal publikasi:
2026-05-19 21:12:11
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Surrogate to the Alpha 12
The door clicked shut behind Beth and Corrine, and suddenly the room felt like it had shrunk to the size of a shoebox. A shoebox containing me… and a very large, very irritated man. To say I was reconsidering a lot of my life choices would be an understatement.Derek didn’t speak at first, which only made me nervous, twitchy, and unable to decide whether to stare at my shoes, the table, or literally anything that wasn’t his face.He just stood there, staring at the door like he was still deciding whether to rip it off its hinges. Then his eyes shifted to me, and I swear the air temperature dropped ten degrees.I sat very still and made myself very small despite the obvious shiver running down my spine. His eyes narrowed slightly more and I gulped. I was painfully aware that I wanted to convince him to give me another chance, and now I wasn’t saying anything. I couldn’t get my mouth to work. Brilliant. Where was this frozen state last time I saw him and practically screamed in his
Surrogate to the Alpha 11
“Wait, just… just hear me out. I can explain.”The words flew out of my mouth before my brain could stop them. The room froze. For a brief second everything was still, suspended in time. You could have heard a mosquito sneeze.Beth’s pen hovered mid‑air. Corrine’s smile sharpened like she’d been waiting for this exact moment—though I can’t imagine why. Maybe watching someone (me) dig their own grave deeper and deeper is her idea of premium entertainment. Derek’s jaw flexed—once, twice—like he was physically restraining himself from walking out or giving me a shove into the aforementioned grave.The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, flickering like they were nervous too. Fine, that may have been my overactive imagination embellishing the scene, but the tension absolutely deserved dramatic lighting.I swallowed. “Okay, so—”“No.” Derek’s voice cut through the air like a blade.It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t shouted. It was worse—controlled. Cold. Final.But I was already in free‑f
Surrogate to the Alpha 10
By 3 a.m. — who needs sleep anyway — I had washed my hair twice, shaved my legs (for no reason), moisturised like I was preparing for a skincare sponsorship, and laid out three outfits that all screamed different levels of “I’m stable, I swear you can trust me with your baby.”By 7 a.m., I settled on the one that made me look the least like a raccoon who’d lost a custody battle.The morning air slapped me awake the second I stepped outside. I drove my car — my very much returned car — to the agency, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing tethering me to reality. The tyres hummed smoothly on the road, which was unsettling considering they were brand new and I had no idea who paid for them.I arrived at the agency early — EARLY — which was a miracle in itself. The building looked even more beige than I remembered. Beige walls, beige carpet, beige chairs. Beige air. Beige soul. Even the potted plant in the corner looked like it wanted to give up green and turn beige.I ch
Surrogate to the Alpha 9
The ward’s receptionist looked up as I walked in. I didn't usually come by in the morning. Too many people would see me and remind me of the bills I needed to pay. I usually opted for later, after conventional busuness hours were finished.“Hi, Josephine.”“Mornin’, Claire. Is my mum up yet?”“You know she is. She’s been asking for you.”Of course she had. I didn’t come visit yesterday like I was meant to. Guilt pricked at me immediately — the kind that sits behind your ribs and taps like an impatient woodpecker. I headed down the familiar hallway, sans disguise and without stressing about who might chase me for money. For once, I wasn’t calculating which bill collector might be lurking behind a corner.The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, the same tired hum I’d grown accustomed to, not giving anyone an indication if it was light or dark outside. I could walk these hospital hallways blindfolded.Mum was sitting up in bed, knitting something that looked like it might one day become
Surrogate to the Alpha 8
JosephineBy the time my shift ended, my feet were killing me, my back ached, and I smelled like grease and desperation. The kind of smell that clung to your soul, not just your clothes. The kind of smell that made people on the bus subtly lean away from you and pretend it was because they needed more elbow room. But I couldn't go home. I had a car to take out of the impound and I didn't have much time before it closed for the day and another day's fees would pile on top.Because of course the universe looked at my life and said, “You know what she needs? A ticking clock and financial ruin.” It never missed an opportunity to kick me while I was already face‑down on the pavement. If there was a cosmic suggestion box, I was convinced someone had written “ruin her” in permanent marker.I clocked out, shoved my tips into my pocket (all seven pounds of them), and limped toward the bus stop like a Victorian orphan with rickets. Honestly, if someone had tossed a coin at my feet, I probabl
Surrogate to the Alpha 7
DerekDerek hated being back in the city.Every night he went back home and things felt right, so by the time morning came he’d forgotten how suffocating it felt — the noise, the fumes, the endless stream of people who walked like they owned the pavement and drove like they’d never passed a test in their lives. Every day the same, on a loop, with not much to show for that effort. Over the past week he’d commuted here every day, and every day he questioned why he still bothered trying to run a business in a place that seemed determined to test his patience.At least there had been no further traffic incidents. Small mercies.Five people in his company had already lost their jobs because they seemed to think confidentiality was optional. The information they leaked hadn’t been catastrophic — just enough to redirect a few contracts to companies run by their relatives. Annoying, yes. Corrupt, absolutely. But Derek had to admit, begrudgingly, that at least one of those companies was doing
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