This was why. This was why he had taken me. Why he had done this to me. It wasn’t about me—it was about the child.

I was nothing more than a surrogate.

I felt sick. I turned and ran back to the room, slamming the door shut behind me. My breath came in sharp gasps. I clutched my stomach, as if that would erase what was inside me.

This can’t be happening.

I needed to get rid of it.

The next few days were a blur. Bryant started treating me differently. Nurses arrived—Angela, the main one, was always by my side, checking my vitals, making sure I ate. Bryant acted like he cared, but I knew better.

One afternoon, Angela handed me a small pregnancy test. “Just to confirm, Miss Geoffanie,” she said with a soft smile.

I already knew the answer. But still, I locked myself in the bathroom and took the test.

Minutes passed.

I stared at the two pink lines.

Pregnant.

Tears slipped down my cheeks. I bit my lip to keep from screaming.

This was his child.

I needed to end this.

That night, I made my decision.

I waited until the mansion was quiet. I crept into the bathroom, trembling hands reaching for the small stash of pills I had secretly hidden.

One swallow. That was all it would take.