The Married Billionaire’s Surrogate

Chapter 6

“I am PREGNANT!” Alicia shouted from the top of her lungs and Christina rushed into the bathroom.

“What? Are you sure?” She excitedly squeaked and the both of them stared at the two red parallel lines.

“Here it is! Oh my God! I… I am going to be a mother, Christy.” Alicia embraced her best friend and the both of them cried.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. Since they had returned from their dream and the Bahamas three days ago, Steven and she had barely exchanged a few words as he had been preoccupied with the fall of the shares on the stock or something like that. Left alone at the mansion in anticipation of his return and fulfilling Elizabeth’s desires, she had completely pushed the possibility to the back of her mind. Somehow she thought it far away. Like she wanted it so much to happen and in the same time dreaded the outcome. Now there it was. The proof of her love for Steven and she had nowhere to escape. What would Elizabeth and Steven say to that?

After wiping their tears and composing a little, the both of them locked the door of her small room. Christina sat on the bed while Alicia was looking for a place to hide the pregnancy test. Eventually, she decided that one of the drawers would do just fine.

“You mustn’t tell them,” Christina spoke at last.

“Who? Steven and Elizabeth?” Alicia sat next to her friend.

“Them. Who else? Don’t even think about it, Al. They will take your baby and you will never see it again.” Christina alarmingly took her hand.

Alicia gulped once feeling her throat shrinking. “Not even Steven? He has the right to know.”

“Look, sister. I’ve known you for my whole life and I am thinking only for your own good. These people… They have the world, Alicia. They have the money, the power and everything else in their hands. You think someone would listen to a poor girl like you and me? No, sis. Believe me! The dream you are in must finish and you have to think of your future and the future of your baby…” Christina told her.

“But I love him, Chris. I love him more than my life.”

“That’s a reason not to tell him yet. I’m not saying that you run away or keep it a secret forever. I only think that you should wait until you learn what his real plan for the baby is. Will he divorce Elizabeth? Take you? There are a lot of real stuff to consider. It’s not everything about the words of love and the dances in hotels, Al… Listen! You know my mistress right? She just recently found some guy and she brought him every night in the house. I know because she asked me to put lavender in the pillows every night. Yesterday, however, she came home drunk and alone. The guy left her for another after he had used her to get the passwords of her accounts and robbed her. Real truth, sis! Men are like that. You shouldn’t entirely trust them. Think about your…” Christina abruptly stopped and swallowed. “Never mind! You get my point.”

“My father, right? You meant my father.” Alicia sighed and glanced at Christina’s eyes which were still glassy. “Don’t worry! Steven is nothing like him. He would never abandon his child, Chris! I know him. He wouldn’t.”

“And you? How do you know that he won’t leave you?”

Alicia remained silent.

“In any case. Keep it a secret for a while. No one but you and I will know. Alright?” Christina patted her shoulder.

“Alright,” Alicia reluctantly answered hugging her. “What would I do without you?”

Maybe her best friend was right after all. Alicia couldn’t forget the night when Steven and Elizabeth had spoken about their problem during dinner. Now she finally knew what Elizabeth had meant by ‘the finest in America’. She had meant the doctors, who had examined her and had announced her infertility. She knew now what a child meant to the woman who couldn’t give birth to her own.

What if she was counting on Alicia to save her marriage? After all that’s what the three of them had arranged. Alicia to be a surrogate mother and they got to raise their child. Only it wasn’t theirs. It was hers and Steven’s now. All of those thoughts glued to her mind and she began dreading the loss of her child. She began panicking that once she brought it into the world, they would snatch it from her arms. No. She couldn’t tell either of them until Steven came up with a solution and guaranteed that the baby would stay with her. If that was possible at all.

“I have to go now, Ally,” Christina said and they separated.

“Thank you for everything, Chris,” Alicia told her. “I’ll walk you out.”

Shutting the door and resting her back on it, Alicia deeply sighed and stared at the ceiling. Her hand covered her stomach protectively and she whispered leaning a little. “It’s you and me, sweetheart. Only you and me.”

It was cold in the hall, the marble being too hard to get warm, and Alicia shivered despite the spring day outside. Everywhere around, in all the corners of the rooms, there were vases with fresh flowers and the smell of them gave a certain unique beauty and tranquility to the house. She adored that smell. And as much as it seemed strange to her, Elizabeth adored it too.

“Hmmm, how nice,” she spoke climbing down the stairs. “Everything smells so nice.”

“Thank you, madam. I just put the flowers out this morning.” Alicia approached her and she smiled.

“Good. Good. Well done, Alicia!”

Well done? Alicia thought. Elizabeth had never praised her work. She wondered what made her so soft toward her these days.

“Do you need anything?” Alicia politely asked.

“No, Alicia. I’m fine. I’ll go out now. Don’t worry too much about dinner. I think I won’t make it and Steven mentioned some delay in the office.” She went to the entrance door.

“As you wish, madam.” Alicia held the gray fur coat for her to put on and opened the door.