5#05

5

As the operating room entrance began to shut, William's desperate cries reverberated through the corridor.

"Emberly! Wait! Don't go through with this!" He banged on the door. "Have you lost your mind? You adore our child—you've always wanted this baby!"

But his words grew distant. All I could hear was the clinical whir of equipment and the hushed tones of medical staff readying their tools.

William was correct. I had longed for this baby all along.

In the past, when my family faced financial ruin, opportunistic relatives swarmed like scavengers, eager to seize our property and assets.

Only William stepped forward to assist me.

We'd known each other since childhood, but we were never close friends. I pleaded with everyone I knew, but he was the sole person who responded.

Following that incident, I became his partner.

Yet we never tied the knot. "Don't read too much into it," he'd say. "I don't have feelings for you. I just wanted to offer help."