You weren’t prepared for this.

Eiran stood by the doorway, his secretary beside him, her luggage in tow. His voice was calm, almost indifferent.

“She’ll be staying with us throughout her pregnancy.”

Your stomach twisted. He spoke so casually, as if this arrangement were normal. As if this wouldn’t break you.

Eiran had always wanted a child, but you… you couldn’t give him one. So he found someone who could. In exchange for financial security, his secretary had agreed to carry his baby. And now, she was here, in your home, living under the same roof, under the same vows he once made to you.

“She has to stay here,” he had said before, his tone patient but firm. “It’s for the safety of the child.”

But was it?

You saw the way he cared for her, the way his hands lingered when he helped her out of the car, the way his voice softened when he spoke to her. He claimed this was about the baby, but you weren’t blind.

That night, you lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The space beside you dipped as Eiran slipped in. A moment later, his arms wrapped around you, pulling you against him.

He buried his face in the nape of your neck, breathing you in as if nothing had changed. As if he hadn’t just chosen another woman to carry his legacy.

“I know this hurts you,” he murmured, his voice low. “But it’s only for a few months. You know how much I want this.”