When my husband convinced me to carry his boss’s child, I thought I was making a sacrifice for our family’s future. I had no idea I was being used as a pawn in a scheme that would destroy everything I held dear.
I never imagined I’d be telling this story. If someone had warned me five years ago that the man I loved would turn my body into a bargaining chip, I would’ve called them crazy.
But I wasn’t his partner.
I was his stepping stone.
Doug and I’d been married for seven years when it all started. We had our son Ethan, who’d just turned five.
Money was tight, but we were managing. Doug worked at a massive marketing firm downtown, always chasing the next promotion.
I did freelance graphic design from home so I could be there for Ethan.
His boss, Monica, was something else entirely.
Early 40s, designer everything, the kind of woman who could make you feel small just by glancing at you. She had this way of calling me “sweetheart” that made my skin crawl.
On the night Doug came home with his brilliant idea, he had this excited and nervous look on his face.
“Babe, I need to talk to you about something,” he said, dropping his briefcase by the door.
I looked up from helping Ethan with his dinosaur puzzle.
“What’s up?”
“Monica’s going through something really personal right now.
She can’t have kids. Some medical thing.
And she’s looking for a surrogate.” He sat down across from me. “She asked me today if I knew anyone responsible.
Someone trustworthy.
I immediately thought of… you.”
My hands froze on the puzzle. “What?”
“Just hear me out before you say no.”
“Doug, are you serious right now? You want me to have your boss’s baby?”
“It’s only nine months, Rachel.
And she’d pay us really well.
We could finally be able to pay off the house. Start Ethan’s college fund.” He grabbed my hand.
“Think about what this could mean for us. And Monica told me point blank that if this works out, I’m next in line for senior director.
That’s a $60K raise.”
“So this is about your promotion.”
“It’s about our future.
Ethan’s future. You’re already an amazing mom. And it’s not like it would even be your baby to worry about after.”
“I need to think.”
But he didn’t let me think.
Not really.
For the next three weeks, it was relentless.
The story doesn’t end here –
it continues on the next page.
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