PREGNANT BY CONTRACT
She had said that during a video call at dawn.
Her mother nodded slowly, her face pale but trying to smile. “Don’t push yourself too hard, dear…”
“Okay, Mom…” Bella replied before ending the call.
Now, Bella stared at her reflection. The face looked foreign—as if it wasn’t hers anymore.
“From today onward, you’re not the Bella you used to be,” she whispered softly.
Soon, she and Aaron sat side by side in the Travis County civil registry office. The room was air-conditioned, gray, with the scent of paper and fresh ink.