The Surrogate CEO's Child

"I'm disappointed in you, Cesilia!"

A man threw a magazine at his wife, who was in the midst of applying makeup to her beautiful face. Alexander Prakarsa, a thirty-five-year-old man, seemed unable to contain his emotions after seeing Cesilia's face featured in a beauty magazine.

"Why disappointed again, Lex?" Cesilia sighed, glancing briefly at her husband. "That shouldn't be the words coming out of your mouth. You should be proud of me instead of cursing like this."

"Proud, you say?" Alexander pointed to the magazine on the vanity. "You want me to be proud of all this? No! After you promised me to give up your entire career and focus on our pregnancy program on our sixth wedding anniversary. But instead, you accepted this offer, even though tomorrow is our anniversary!" he retorted, his face turning red and his jaw clenched.

Alexander felt the urge to vent his anger towards Cesilia even more, but he managed to maintain his composure for the sake of their marriage.

"Alexander, listen." Cesilia rose from her seat. "It's just a two-year contract. And becoming the brand ambassador for this product is the pinnacle of the modeling world. It has been my dream since forever. Didn't you promise to support all my dreams, Lex? So, this is the time." She straightened Alexander's disheveled appearance.

"But you promised me that you would let go of all this on our sixth wedding anniversary. And you also know that my mother is demanding a child from us." Alexander closed his eyes. "And you know that my mother is not young anymore, Cesilia."

"I know that. And I think two years will be enough for Mama to wait. Six years have gone by so quickly. Two years should be even easier."

"You..."

"Alexander, let it go. I don't want to argue with you anymore." Cesilia covered Alexander's mouth with her palm. "Just two years, my love. I beg you." She gently caressed Alexander's firm jaw, persuading the man who always granted all his desires.

Alexander let out a heavy sigh. He pushed away Cesilia's hand that was dancing on his jaw.

"I can't give you any certainty!"

Unable to stop him, Alexander walked away, closing the door with a forceful bang.

Cesilia merely smiled, letting her husband depart. There was no ounce of her desire to follow in Alexander's footsteps. Instead, she reached for her bag on the vanity and decided to leave for work.

***

"Alexander, is this true?" an middle-aged woman confronted him, holding a magazine in her hand. Without any preamble, she approached Alexander, who had just descended the stairs.

Alexander nodded. His handsome face looked weary now.

"Cesilia took the contract with that product. So..."

"That means Mama has to wait again?" she interjected quickly.

"How many more years, Lex? Huh, how many more years? Mama is getting older, and so are you. Do you want your child to be born while Mama is already dead and you're using a cane? Is that what you want?" She struck Alexander with the magazine.

Did it hurt? Not at all. Alexander didn't feel anything as the magazine landed on his body multiple times. But his heart ached deeply seeing his mother starting to sob, crying upon learning that his wife, Cesilia, had once again postponed pregnancy.

Again and again. After six years of waiting with hope and dreams of having grandchildren, everything vanished. All crushed because of Cesilia's ambition, never satisfied with her career. Meanwhile, Alexander had everything that could guarantee their lives for generations to come.

"Two years," Alexander whispered softly. If he could be honest and be himself, Alexander wanted to cry. To release his disappointment over Cesilia's unilateral decision.

The sixty-five-year-old woman shook her head. "That's too long. And Mama isn't sure if she can wait. As you know, Mama isn't young anymore. Mama has been ill, Lang. So Mama begs you, persuade your wife to cancel that contract. And Mama is certain that, as a wife, she will follow what you want. The money you have is more than enough to pay the penalty."

Alexander simply nodded, forcing a smile so his mother wouldn't know that he could only comply with whatever Cesilia wanted. Afraid that Cesilia would ask for a separation, following her ambitions and desires was his solution.

"Don't worry. Mama will help you talk to her," Meri continued before she stood up and sat on the sofa. Seeing that Cesilia's car wasn't in the garage, she was sure the woman hadn't returned home yet.

That's alright. Waiting for an hour or two was better than waiting for another two years to have grandchildren.

However, Meri's patience was tested once again. Until midnight struck, Cesilia hadn't shown her face. Meri became more and more annoyed with her daughter-in-law.

Frustrated, Meri decided to rest in the guest room. Maybe she would talk to Cesilia in the morning to improve her mood from today.

***

At exactly two in the morning, Cesilia, who had just returned from a photo shoot session, snorted in annoyance upon seeing her mother-in-law's car parked in her house's garage. She could already guess why Meri had come all this way to her house.

"Is Mama here?"

Instead of greeting Alexander, who was sitting leaning against the bed, she asked. The man sat there, holding a laptop, waiting for Cesilia's return.

Alexander raised his face. "Why so early in the morning? Usually, you come home at the latest by midnight."

"This is a very famous beauty product. So, it's only natural that it took longer because there were so many preparations to be done. The photo shoot was the same. It couldn't be done haphazardly," Cesilia replied indifferently, placing her bag on the nightstand. "You haven't answered my question. Is Mama here? What's going on? Is she asking for a child again?"

"As a daughter-in-law, you shouldn't speak like that." Alexander finished his work. Aware that arguing with Cesilia would consume time and energy, he had to focus only on their conversation.

"As a mother-in-law, Mama also shouldn't force me to have a child. Because I have dreams I want to achieve. So I beg you, tell Mama that I can't get pregnant in the near future."

"Cesilia!"

"What, Lex? If you want to make Mama happy, go ahead. I don't mind. As long as it doesn't involve me." Cesilia's voice grew louder. Everything she had received erased any goodwill she had toward Alexander.

Cesilia also forgot who she was and who Alexander was to her. Thus, she failed to maintain the commitment they had.

"If not you, then who else? I can't possibly give birth to my own child!" Alexander retorted, desperate due to Cesilia's constant conflicting desires.

Cesilia smiled. "That's a good idea, Lex." She approached and hugged Alexander. "You can have a child without me giving birth."

"What do you mean?"

"I will find you a wife so you can have a child without waiting for me. How about that?" Cesilia's eyebrows raised.

"You're insane!"

"Who's more insane, me or your mother, who always insists that I get pregnant when I'm not ready!" Cesilia burst out right in front of Alexander's face. "If you continue like this, it's better to divorce me right now, Lang!"

"You!"

"I don't care what you want to say. If you want to have a child, go ahead. I'll find a wife for you. But if you don't want to remarry, be patient and wait. Or you can just divorce me if you think I'm crazy and can't obey what you say!"

Silence. Alexander tightly sealed his mouth shut. Cesilia's response was far from his expectations all this time.

"Is your wife that busy working? To the point that she doesn't have time to meet Mama? Mama has been here for two days," Meri grumbled, reaching for the tea in front of her.

No one knew how many times the woman had complained to Alexander because she couldn't express her desires to Cesilia. As a result, Alexander became the easy target for him to vent his heartache

"She said she's running out of time. The new product will be launching soon, so she's required to finish the photoshoot. Besides, tonight is our anniversary event. So Cesilia has to adjust her schedule entirely," Alexander explained lazily.

Honestly, he had no interest whatsoever in discussing Cesilia, who stubbornly clung to her desires.

Cesilia had even threatened Alexander several times with divorce if he continued to bring up the topic of having a child. Rather than destroying their marriage, Alexander might just follow Cesilia's wishes. Even if it meant waiting another two years with Cesilia's increasingly busy schedule.

She left early in the morning and returned late at night. Cesilia's time at home was short-lived. Only two to three hours to greet Alexander and prepare for her work.

The only thing that still made Alexander feel valued as a husband was Cesilia taking the time to take care of him because she knew he didn't like being taken care of by the household assistant. It was a habit established by Meri for young Alexander. A habit that couldn't be changed to this day.

"So, does that mean you still allow Cesilia to work?" Meri furrowed her brow. "Be honest with me!"

"I'm sorry, Mom. I can't discuss this with Cesilia. She's sticking to her decision. And, very reluctantly, I have to wait another two years."

"Tsk, just as I suspected. If that's the case, then you better not consider me your mother anymore. How can you be so weak with your own wife!" Meri grumbled, placing the glass in her hand harshly. "You'd better divorce her if she won't listen to you."

"Mom..."

"I already asked for a divorce from Alexander. But he refuses to divorce me. Besides, I don't need a husband who makes excessive demands and doesn't understand my desires. And you, as a mother-in-law, are not entitled to ask anything of me!" Cesilia interjected fiercely.

Her eyes widened as she stared at Meri, who was sitting in front of Alexander. Swearing by anything, Cesilia was boiling inside. Hearing Meri's words that cornered her.

"Cesilia, it's not right to speak like that! How many times do I have to tell you, we will never divorce no matter what!" Alexander quickly retorted.

Afraid that Cesilia would get angry and turn to resent him, Alexander defended her, ignoring his mother's strong desire to have a grandchild.

"Well, then, it means you're willing to wait another two years," Cesilia sneered, mocking Meri, who was sitting not far from her. "And for Mom, if you're in a hurry, ask Alexander to agree to the second option."

"The second option? What option?" Meri eagerly pursued. A glimmer of hope emerged when Cesilia mentioned a second option for the sake of having her grandchild.

"Cesilia, don't be ridiculous. I will never accept another woman in my life, even if it's just to bear my child," Alexander's voice began to rise. This wasn't true. If his mother knew there was an offer for him to remarry, it could become a new option.

"It's up to you whether you want it or not. I'm just giving a suggestion!" Cesilia replied nonchalantly. Without saying goodbye, she immediately got up and left her mother-in-law and husband, regardless of whether it was polite or not.

The most important thing for her right now was to go to her room. Clean up and perfect her makeup. In a few hours, the anniversary event with Alexander would begin. There would be many guests attending, and Cesilia wanted to shine among the invited guests.

As a famous model with the highest payment, it would be embarrassing if Cesilia couldn't stand out among the guests.

"Mom, don't ask for something unreasonable from me!"

Alexander immediately warned his mother, who seemed interested in Cesilia's offer. Meri, knowing how much Alexander loved and adored Cesilia, would not want them to divorce, even if it meant they would never have a child together.

So instead of worrying about how to win Cesilia's heart, Meri agreed to Cesilia's suggestion. After all, it could also free Alexander from being a figure to Cesilia, who was changing and becoming more indifferent towards him with each passing day.

"It's not Mom who is asking. It's Cesilia. And that's only if you don't want to divorce her. Mom doesn't want you to delay having a child, and she doesn't want it now. So it wouldn't hurt for you to remarry, Lang."

"No! I will never remarry, let alone divorce Cesilia, Mom, even if it means until death," Alexander firmly declared.

"It's up to you. Whichever you choose, what's certain is that you have to give Mom a grandchild, with or without Cesilia."

"You're insane, Mom! How can I randomly choose a mother for my child? This is absurd!"

"It may be absurd, but this is the way it is," Meri gently tapped Alexander's arm. "Cesilia has provided a way out for you, which means she has found a prospective wife for you, Lang. Trust me!"

"You're both crazy!" Alexander exclaimed, startling all the staff in the luxurious house. His deep baritone voice resonated and echoed throughout the space, including reaching a girl who froze near the family room. She fell silent, listening to Alexander's loud voice, accompanied by the sound of a forcefully closed door.

"Cas, what are you doing here? Mom asked you to come here to help get the work done quickly. But here you are daydreaming. The juice for the madam is no longer cold because you were daydreaming," a middle-aged woman scolded her daughter, Casandra.

"M-Mom..." Casandra startled. "I'm going to the madam's room, Mom. Besides, I wasn't daydreaming. I was just surprised to hear that man shouting." She pointed to Alexander, who was starting to climb the stairs.

"Hush, you can't behave like that, dear. That's Mr. Alexander. Cesilia's husband. Have you forgotten?"

"Mr. Alexander? The rude one, right, Mom? The one who laughed at me when I wanted to go to college?"

Lastri nodded. "But, dear, Mr. Alexander wasn't laughing at your aspirations. He was impressed by your determination to fund your own education and reject their assistance. And as you can see, several years have passed and you haven't even completed a single semester, right?"

"You're right, Mom," Casandra murmured. It was truly embarrassing for Alexander and Cesilia to suddenly inquire about her education.

It was a struggle just to afford daily meals because her mother's salary was exhausted by her father's medical expenses. Casandra had to work hard in the village to ensure that her siblings and father didn't go hungry.

Alexander had also mocked her for having such big dreams unsupported by a stable income. Casandra had mentioned her desire to become a researcher to her mother, and Alexander accidentally overheard it. As a result, he ridiculed and belittled her. He even expressed his dislike for a girl who couldn't grasp her own limitations.

Casandra had wanted to refute Alexander's insults that day, but she couldn't. His words were painfully accurate. She struggled even to continue her education, let alone provide for herself.

And now, for the sake of money, Casandra found herself in Alexander's house. Lastri had asked her to come and help for extra bonuses, as opposed to seeking help from her fellow domestic worker friends. Lastri believed it was better to involve her own daughter.

In just two days of work, leaving her father under the care of her siblings, Casandra earned a bonus equal to her mother's one-month salary. Yes, she had to work tirelessly without breaks for Alexander and Cesilia's anniversary event.

"Enough daydreaming. It's better if you go upstairs and quickly bring the juice to Cesilia," Lastri urged, tapping Casandra's arm to prompt her to leave. It was better to avoid any scolding from Cesilia by hurrying up.

"Yes, Mom." Casandra immediately made her way upstairs to deliver the requested juice to Cesilia.

Casandra encountered Meri as she started ascending the stairs. Seeing the elderly woman, Casandra felt a pang of sympathy and her compassionate nature prompted her to assist Meri up the stairs. With one hand, Casandra supported Meri to prevent her from falling, while her other hand carried the tray of juice for Cesilia.

"Who are you? I haven't seen you here before. Are you part of the event decorating team?" Meri asked, curious about Casandra's presence. She felt like they had met before, but couldn't recall where.

Casandra, a simple and kind-hearted girl, smiled warmly and politely responded, "I'm Casandra, ma'am. I'm Bi Lastri's eldest daughter."

Meri's heart warmed. This was the first time she had encountered such a gentle and polite girl like Casandra. Despite coming from a humble background, Meri felt that Casandra had a better character compared to Cesilia.

"That room," Meri pointed to Cesilia and Alexander's bedroom near the staircase. "I'm sure you want to deliver this juice to Cesilia," she continued, walking alongside Casandra even after they reached the upper floor.

"You're quite perceptive, ma'am," Casandra playfully bantered to ease any awkwardness. Truth be told, she felt a little nervous being in close proximity to Meri.

"It's not about being perceptive..." Meri raised her eyebrows.

"Call me Cas, ma'am," sensing Meri's unspoken question, Casandra quickly offered her preferred nickname.

"Okay, Cas. I'm not being perceptive, it's just that on this floor, there's no one else besides Alexander and Cesilia because they don't have children yet. And Alexander doesn't like avocado," Meri explained.

"Ma'am, you truly are a caring mother and mother-in-law," Casandra drew the corners of her lips upward, sincerely complimenting Meri.

Meri murmured, "I hope so." She could only affirm what Casandra said because she knew that in Cesilia's eyes, she was an annoying mother-in-law.

***

"Why is Mama here again? Didn't I already inform Mama of my decision?" Cesilia snapped when she saw Meri and Casandra entering her room together.

Frustrated, Cesilia immediately moved from the dressing table to the edge of the bed, folding her arms across her chest. Her lips curled up in displeasure at the sight of Meri.

"Mama came to approve your wish, Cesilia. Mama hopes that you've found a potential wife for Alexander so that he can get married. If possible, as soon as possible," Meri declared.

Lastri quickly followed Casandra into her room, seeing her eldest daughter running from the direction of the stairs. Casandra was in tears, her face swollen from crying.

It was all because of Alexander's sharp tongue, as he easily labeled Casandra as a woman who sold her body for money. Little did he know that the crazy idea of making Casandra a second wife for Alexander had unintentionally slipped out of Cesilia's mouth.

It wasn't a mutual agreement or an offer from Casandra. Moreover, Casandra would never want to become the wife of an arrogant and conceited man like Alexander. She was well aware of her position and status, so the thought of becoming his wife, especially just to bear his child, never crossed her mind.

"What's wrong, Cas?" Lastri was genuinely worried now. This was the second time she had seen Casandra crying uncontrollably, reminiscent of when she first heard about her father's brain tumor.

"Mom, I just want to go home. I don't need that bonus, Mom. I'd rather work in Mr. Yanto's rice field than be treated like this. Even if it's just a little, Mr. Yanto would never accuse me of selling myself!" Casandra sobbed, releasing all the heaviness that burdened her heart.

Casandra's mind was still fresh with the memory of Alexander pointing his index finger in her face, shouting and emphasizing that he would never marry her, even if it meant having a child with her.

"What do you mean, Cas? I don't understand. Please tell me slowly, what actually happened?" Lastri held Casandra in her arms, comforting her. "Come on, tell Mom."

"Mom, I swear on anything. I never asked Mrs. Cesilia to make me a paid wife so that Mr. Alexander could have a child. I swear, Mom. I never asked for any of this!"

"A paid wife? A child? What do you mean, Cas?"

Lastri was truly confused now.

"I was accused by Mr. Alexander of being persuaded by Mrs. Cesilia to become his second wife so that he could have a child, even though Mrs. Cesilia wasn't ready for pregnancy."

"Oh my goodness, why would Mr. Alexander accuse you like that? Where did he hear all of this?"

"From me," Cesilia interrupted from the doorway of Lastri's room. "I told him that Casandra would bear his child."

"Mrs. Cesilia?" Lastri repeated, not believing what Cesilia had just said. Cesilia casually mentioned that Casandra would give birth to Alexander's child.

"Yes, I want Casandra to marry Alexander. Whether he agrees or not, I want it to happen, and within less than two years, Casandra should give birth to his child."

"W-what? Mrs. Cesilia, are you trying to rent my womb?"

Cesilia shook her head. "If I were to rent your womb, we would have to go through the IVF process. It would take a lot of time and money. Instead of wasting my time and money on the hospital, I'd rather use them for Casandra's father's tumor removal surgery. How about that?"

"What do you mean, Mrs. Cesilia?"

"I will fund her father's treatment until he recovers. I will provide him with a sum of money and guarantee the education of her siblings. As long as she agrees to marry Alexander and bear a child for us." Cesilia took a deep breath. "Not only that, as long as Casandra is Alexander's wife, I will find a house for her father and siblings to live in. So they won't have to travel back and forth here for his treatment. How does that sound?"

Lastri swallowed hard, imagining all the conveniences they would gain if Casandra really married Alexander.

If that happened, Lastri wouldn't have to hear her children's cries informing her about their father's deteriorating condition. She wouldn't have to worry about paying school fees when they were due. Most importantly, Casandra wouldn't have to plant rice in someone else's field or harvest coffee in other people's farms just to have a meal.

"I will discuss this with Casandra, Mrs. Cesilia," Lastri said after a few seconds of contemplation, leaving Casandra gaping in disbelief at her mother's words.

Her mother's response seemed to lean more towards accepting Cesilia's offer. It was indeed a tempting offer. But it wasn't good for her mental and physical well-being.

She had just heard that she would become a paid wife, and Alexander had already insulted and degraded her. As if Casandra was a disgusting germ.

"Very well, I'll give you until tomorrow morning. If Casandra refuses, then all of you can leave this place!" Cesilia snorted, leaving a threat to Casandra who clearly didn't accept her offer.

Casandra was at a loss. The opportunity to refuse and find another way out had been completely shut by Cesilia. Besides offering many advantages, Cesilia also exerted pressure with the threat of dismissal. In that case, how else could she avoid it, considering that finding a job was the most difficult thing at the moment?

Moreover, working for Cesilia could earn her a higher salary compared to being a domestic worker elsewhere.

"Mom, I..."

Lastri's voice trembled with a mix of desperation and determination. "Do you hear me, Cas? There is no more room for you to refuse. Because I will also lose my job."

"Mom, please. Don't ask me to accept all of this." Casandra pleaded. "I will do anything to earn money. But marrying Mr. Alexander, I can't do it." She clasped her hands in front of her chest, hoping her mother would grant her request. Hoping she would understand that Alexander wasn't the right man to be the husband of a poor girl like her, even if it was just as a paid wife.

Instead of listening to Casandra's plea, Lastri fell to her knees in front of her. She prostrated herself at Casandra's feet and said, "I beg you, Cas. It won't be difficult for you to become Mr. Alexander's wife. Just until you get pregnant and give birth to his child. After that, you and he can get a divorce, and your life can return to normal. Is that so hard? Sacrificing a little for the sake of your father and siblings?"

Casandra was taken aback. Suddenly, her mother went too far. A mother shouldn't beg like that.

But everything Lastri did still couldn't melt Casandra's heart because she thought ahead. She thought about her fate after becoming Alexander's wife and what would happen if they divorced in the future. As a woman, she would be the one disadvantaged, especially being labeled as a widow and separated from her own flesh and blood.

Therefore, Casandra could only shake her head as an answer. No, and that would remain her decision.

Lastri wiped her tears harshly. "Is that the decision you're going to make?"

Even though tears were already streaming down her face and her heart ached seeing her mother cry, Casandra still nodded, confirming her mother's question.

"In that case, this will be the last time you see your mother." Lastri reached for a drinking glass on the nightstand. She shattered it and was ready to cut her own vein with the broken glass. "Is this what you want, Cas?"

Casandra shook her head, tightly embracing her mother. "No, Mom. No, I don't want this," she whispered.

"If you don't want me to die, accept Cesilia's offer. So that your mother won't have to struggle to find money for your father's medical expenses."

"But, Mom..."

"Do you think I'm not tired of all this, Cas? Working hard as a maid, just to wipe away the tears of your father's pain."

"But, Mom, I and Mr. Alexander..."

The sentence remained unfinished as the weight of the situation sank into Casandra's heart. She realized that her mother's desperation had reached its peak, and refusing Cesilia's offer meant losing her mother forever.

"Accept it or not. That's what Mother wants to know." Cassandra discarded the broken glass and cupped both of her cheeks. "Now answer, do you love Mother and Father?"

Cassandra nodded softly amidst her uncontrollable tears.

"In that case, marry Mr. Alexander!"

It was so heartbreaking and painful. But ultimately, Cassandra still nodded. She agreed to her mother's wish to marry Alexander. She had no idea what her fate would be after this, as she couldn't envision anything. All that crossed her mind was Alexander's flushed face, glaring at her with hatred.

"Yes, God... grant me a miracle to escape from all of this. And if I am destined to marry him, give me the strength to endure it all."