Chapter 1 The Offer

Naya pecked her mother on the cheek as she ate her last spoon of meal and placed the plate on a small side table.

“As I promised,” Naya pulled out a document. “I got you some coupon codes for your online courses.” She showed her mum, who reacted positively. She could tell that her mum was trying to speak, but her mum wasn’t audible enough.

“It’s okay, mum,” she hugged her softly. “As soon as you feel better, I will register you for your online courses, and you will be able to learn machine learning. That’s what you want, right?”

Her mum nodded promptly. Her mum was just a 50-year-old lady with a full life ahead of her. Stroke was a bastard to try and cut her life short like that. Luckily, Naya wasn’t ready to lose to it soon, and she would do everything in her power to get her mother back to normal. She didn’t care how much she had to spend or what she had to do to make it possible. Her mother was her world and she would walk over coals for her.

“I got more coupon codes too for your online shopping addiction,” she pulled out a ticket from her purse. She hadn’t forgotten how much her mum loved shopping. “Get better soon so that we can spend as much as we can, and show the whole world how beautiful our bond is!” She said with a large grin. Her mum nodded. “You know what, mother. I remember that time we used to walk around town and everyone thought you were my elder sister. I can’t wait for those moments to come back. You will dress like me, and we will deceive everyone by lying that we are siblings, and we come from the same mother.”

Her mum felt excited about it, and grabbed her hands. As she struggled to say words which Naya assumed were happy remarks, Naya paid attention and listened pretending she understood each and every sentence her mum said.

“Yes mother, you are so right,” she nodded with a smile. “I agree with everything you say without any doubt.”

Her mother chuckled and stretched her hands to her for a hug. Naya hugged her back, before grabbing the plate to return it to the kitchen.

“Your super girl is about to do the dishes,” she said as she went to the door, almost knocking over a stool. “Guess who won’t break a dish today.”

Her mum gave her a cautious look, as if warning her not to try anything stupid. Naya threw her a kiss and walked out, shutting the door behind her. As soon as she left, she leaned against the door for a while, before walking to the kitchen. Her smile changed to a worried look as she placed the dishes down into the sick. As she turned out the tap, she felt nauseous and hurried to the washroom to throw up. Her stomach felt terrible, and her headache felt like it was gonna kill her. It had been three months since she went to the club or drank alcohol, but still, life had to treat her unfairly and struck her with a sickness. She rarely even falls sick unless she eats too much chocolate. Her mind skipped to the previous week, and she recalled that she definitely ate too much chocolate.

“I really have to go to the hospital! This isn’t good at all,” she thought to herself as she threw up for the third time that day. She wasn’t even sure what excuse to give her Aunt regarding her poor health.

“Stop eating chocolate! You won’t listen! Are you happy with your health now?” Her aunt mocked her when she eventually spoke up.

“It is no big deal,” she brushed it off. “They will probably give me an injection and that’s it.”

“It’s your money anyway,” her aunt said as she handed her a bottle of water. “Do whatever you want with the peanut salary you earn.”

“Working at a gas station isn’t bad, okay?!” She argued with a frown before heading to the hospital.

She ran some tests and the nurses mumbled to each other before directing her to an office where she would be consulted. She stood before the doctor’s office and knocked before walking in. It was a beautiful slender lady who offered her a seat.

“I heard you showed pregnancy symptoms,” the doctor began as she opened her record.

“No I didn’t say I was pregnant. I only said I ate too many chocolate and…”

“Relax,” the doctor calmed her down. “I am Doctor Doris, a gynecologist. If you had issues with just chocolates, the general doctor won’t direct you to me, would he? I have your test results here, so I guess all is good.”

Naya shook her head promptly.

“You are mistaken. I am not pregnant…”

“According to these results, you are 14 weeks pregnant. Congratulations to you,” Doctor Doris congratulated her.

It was at this moment that her mind drifted to the one-night stand she had a couple of months ago. It wasn't something she planned. It just happened. She'd woken up that morning in the arms of a stranger. Her legs were covered with a dried white fluid and...and blood. She was a virgin! This pissed her off and she couldn't think straight. Her memory of their moment was vague, and she couldn't even remember what the guy looked like. That morning she wore her outfit and hurried out without thinking. All she remembered of the man was that he had blonde hair and a muscular build, but that was it. She doesn't even remember the tone of his voice.

"Excuse me?" Doctor Doris brought her memory back to the moment. "Are you fine?"

Naya couldn't be alright. She was more tensed than ever.

"You do not understand. I can’t be pregnant. I do not want to be pregnant. I have no idea who the father of the child is or if I can take care of a child at this point of my life. My mother is sick, nothing is going well with me, my whole life is already a mess. How can I bring up a baby in this situation?" Naya questioned in confusion.

“I am sorry, but I cannot answer that question for you,” Doctor Doris apologized. “Unless maybe you want to give it up for adoption or do something else for me.”

Naya looked desperate.

“I would do anything to not have this child…aside from aborting it. I do not want to end the child’s life.”

The doctor understood. She drew closer to her and said.

“There is a couple in desperate need of a child. The wife is in need of a surrogate as soon as possible. Unfortunately, her eggs aren’t strong enough. The few ladies we have tried this on experienced miscarriages due to how frail her eggs are. I do not know how to tell the poor woman that she can't have her own flesh and blood. She will need to adopt someone else's child."

Naya sympathized with the woman. That was deeply disheartening, but she didn’t understand what it had to do with her.

“What does this have to do with me?” Naya asked.

“I want you to pretend to be their surrogate,” the doctor suggested, and Naya’s jaw dropped.

“What?!”