Chapter 5 Different Option

In the dimly lit room, the weight of Betty's unhappiness pressed down on her like a heavy cloak. She was unhappily married to Liam, yet was afraid of the poverty-stricken life she would return to if she left their marriage. Her sister's hospital bills had already been paid, all because Liam supported her. Aside from that, she didn't have to juggle between low-paid jobs to survive like she did in the past. After all, Liam was wealthy and provided her with a good life.

She gazed at the small photograph on her nightstand, her eyes fixed on the familiar face that stared back at her, frozen in time. It was a picture of Kevin, her ex-husband. Betty's father disowned her after he discovered that Betty had a secret marriage with Kevin against his wish.

Aside from being an adopted child, Kevin was poor, and Mr Jones never wanted anyone of his children to get married to someone poor. However, when Betty remained obstinate, Mr Jones disowned her as his child.

Just two months after their marriage, Kevin was nowhere to be found. Betty had tried calling his line and reaching out to his friends, but no one could tell of his whereabouts. So Betty concluded that something bad must have happened to Kevin, or he was probably dead.

The times they spent together were still fresh in her memory. She couldn't help but be drawn to those times when their love was filled with hope and promise. Now, her heart yearned for a past that seemed increasingly distant from her current reality.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she whispered to herself, "What could have happened to my sweetheart? Where in the world is he? I don't want to believe he's dead."

She held Kevin's picture in her hands firmly, tracing the contours of his face with her fingers, as memories of their time together flooded her mind. She remembered the way he had made her laugh, the way he had held her when she needed comfort, and the deep connection they had shared.

Suddenly, Betty heard footsteps at the door, so she quickly hid the photograph in her hands in between a book in the drawer beside her bed. The door pushed open and Liam walked in.

He stepped closer to Betty with a calm countenance, his voice gentle. "Betty, I know how much you want a child. I never wanted to hurt you like this..."

"You didn't just hurt me, Liam; you shattered my dreams. I thought we could build a family together when I agreed to marry you, but now that dream is gone."

"Betty, it wasn't something I chose, and I should have told you earlier. I'm sorry anyway."

Betty's tear-filled eyes locked onto Liam's. Her voice trembled as she responded, "Sorry doesn't change the fact that I'll never experience motherhood. I'll never have a child to love and care for."

Liam reached out to touch Betty's shoulder. "Betty, we can explore other options. There are ways we can still have a family, even if it's not in the traditional sense."

Betty's shoulders slumped, her anger giving way to a profound sadness. "Other options? Adoption, surrogacy? It won't be the same, Liam. It won't be our child."

"I have an option different from that," he came out clearer.