All Chapters of My Billionaire Husband Gifted me a Surrogate for Christmas: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Catherine’s P.O.VThe ride home was mostly silent. I stared out the window, watching the lights blur past, my mind spinning too much for words. Xavier glanced at me once or twice, but didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t want to, or because he didn’t know how. Honestly, I just wanted to get home and crawl into bed.When we finally pulled into the driveway, I didn’t wait for him. I headed to the door and as soon as the guards held it open, I walked straight to the first floor, barely acknowledging Xavier’s presence behind me.“I’m going to bed,” I muttered, not even turning to look at him.“Okay,” he replied softly, his voice low, almost hesitant. I could hear him following me, the faint sound of his footsteps trailing mine.Once inside the room, I went straight to the bathroom. I washed my face, wiped off the makeup, and changed into my comfiest pajamas, feeling the weight of the night pressing down on me. When I finally collapsed onto the bed, I let out a lo

Catherine’s P.O.VI woke up to a strange light seeping through the curtains, and for a long moment, I didn’t even recognize where I was. The bed felt different, the pillows unfamiliar, the sheets tucked differently, and it took me a second to remember…this was the guest room.My head throbbed a little, my body heavy, like it had been drained of every ounce of energy. And then it hit me. Last night. Everything. I had slept through it all as if I were dead.Maybe my depression had finally claimed me for just a few hours, because I hadn’t only slept, I had slept past noon. Past noon. My chest tightened at the thought of how much of the day I had wasted, but at the same time, I couldn’t summon the strength to move. My body refused to cooperate. Every muscle in me was begging for rest, for just one more hour, one more minute, but I knew I couldn’t stay buried in the sheets forever. I had to start the day, had to face reality, had to… at least pretend to care.“Ugh,” I groaned to myself, d

Catherine’s P.O.VI sank into the couch, the weight of everything finally pressing down on me. “So… you’re telling me Lydia might have faked her illness,” I said slowly, staring at him, trying to make sense of the tangled mess of betrayal and secrets. “Just to get you to donate… sperm?”My voice was quieter than I wanted it to be, but the disbelief in it was raw. Xavier ran a hand through his hair and let out a long sigh, and I could feel the tension radiating off him.“Cathy, I… I didn’t know at first. I thought she was… I thought she was really sick. I didn’t question it. I trusted her. I wanted to help. My hands were tied.”I nodded slowly, letting him talk, though my chest felt tight.“I understand that, Zee,” I admitted after a pause, my voice trembling slightly.“I really do. But… why not tell me after the three-month period? Why keep me in the dark until Christmas Eve? I could have understood if you’d just… been honest after everything.”He looked down at his hands, twisting th

Catherine’s P.O.VI follow Xavier down the hallway without really seeing where I’m going, my legs moving on their own while my head feels too full, too loud. I hear Lydia behind us, her footsteps sharp and purposeful as she heads toward the guest bedroom, already talking to herself about drawers and space and what Caroline will need, like this is all settled and decided. When the bedroom door closes behind us, I finally exhale, pressing my palm against my chest as if that might steady my breathing.“This is completely unacceptable,” I say immediately, the words tumbling out of me before I can soften them, my voice low but shaking.“Xavier, you need to speak to your mother. You can’t just let her move her in like this. Not like this. Not without even asking me.”He turns to me, rubbing his face, his shoulders sagging in a way that makes my anger falter for just a second. “I tried,” he says, frustration sharp in his tone. “I swear to you, Cathy, I tried. I spoke to her just now, before

Catherine’s P.O.VI watched myself agree to it, heard my own voice say yes like it didn’t belong to me, like it wasn’t breaking something open in my chest.“Fine,” I said quietly, then louder when Lydia tilted her head as if she hadn’t heard me properly. “Fine. If this is how it has to be, then fine.”She smiled immediately, sharp and satisfied, and I hated how quickly she accepted my surrender.“Good,” Lydia said. “At least you’re finally being reasonable.”I swallowed. “Don’t mistake this for consent. I’m doing this because I don’t have a choice.”She stepped closer. “You always have a choice, Catherine. You’re just finally choosing the right one.”“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m choosing the least destructive one.”As she gathered her things to leave, she stopped by the door, her hand resting on the handle. She turned back to me, her face calm, controlled, cruel in its stillness.“Let me make something very clear,” she said. “If anything happens to Caroline while she is staying