Chapter 1 A Child of My Own

After returning from the hospital, I drifted through each day in a daze.

A few days later, River came home from his "business trip." He had no idea that I already knew about his plan to use a surrogate and pretended as if everything was perfectly normal. But I had already made quiet plans of my own. What he didn't know was that the woman, once told she might never conceive, was now carrying his child.

"Baby, you've been distracted all month. Are you still worried about not being able to get pregnant? I love you. As long as you're by my side, it doesn't matter if we never have children." His gentle voice filled my ears. I stared blankly at him, only to notice the book in his hands—The Pregnancy Guide.

The memory of the hospital surged up all at once, and a bitter smile tugged at my lips.

River must have noticed the change in my expression because he quickly tried to cover the book title. "It's for a distant relative—an aunt of mine. She's having a geriatric pregnancy, and her health is fragile. I thought I'd study up so I could be of some help."

His excuse hit me like a knife, and my throat tightened as I rasped, "River, since when do you have some distant aunt pregnant at that age? And even if you did, why would you need to take care of her personally?"

Before the words had even settled, my mother-in-law's voice cut in, sharp and mocking as she washed fruit at the sink. "What does it matter if she's a distant relative or not? A woman her age can still get pregnant, which is more than I can say for you.

"Some women are just infertile, so of course they can't stand to see others lay eggs! If my son hadn't liked you so much, I would've told him to divorce you years ago. After so many years with no child, what use is a woman like you?"

Her words rang in my ears, each one sharper than the last, until my gaze turned blank.

I couldn't help but remember. When she had been hospitalized for her heart condition, short on money, I was the one who paid off every bill. I even invited an expert surgeon from abroad to perform her operation. During her recovery, I ran myself ragged, making sure every detail of her care was handled perfectly.

And when River's first startup collapsed and left him buried in debt, I was the one who called in every favor my family connections could pull, bringing in sponsors and investors. That was how Grayson Inc. had grown into what it was today.

Yet, after everything I had given, in her eyes, I was nothing but a barren woman. And to River, all my sacrifices seemed to mean nothing at all.