Chapter 1
My wife's BFF suddenly wished for a child, on her birthday,.
My wife, who had never cooked before, prepared a full table of dishes, trying to win me over in every way possible.
"Martin, Alec has AIDS and will never marry, but he wants a child of his own. I'm ovulating and could provide the egg and womb to help him. You just need to give up the master bedroom for 10 days, okay?"
"Trust me, I'm just doing him a kindness. In the future, I'll only have children with you."
Looking at her hopeful eyes, I agreed.
But what she doesn't know is that after being with her, I became bound to a fertility system.
If she conceives another man's child, I'll be ruthlessly erased by the system, vanishing without a trace.
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Going to the hospital for ovulation monitoring, my wife Elara was still working on my mindset.
"Martin, once you accompany me through all the pre-pregnancy check-ups, I promise you, in ten days max, I'll have everything sorted out."
"Just hang in there for these few days. As soon as I'm pregnant with Alec's child, I'll happily bear you a whole soccer team if that's what you want."
She laid out before my eyes a handwritten child-bearing guarantee, the house deed with my name as the owner, and the keys to the car I'd been eyeing for years but couldn't bring myself to buy.
Realizing she'd gone to such great lengths just to get me to willingly agree to her having a baby for her BFF, I twisted my mouth in self-mockery.
Ever since marrying Elara, our lives have been frequently graced by the presence of her various male best friends.
At first, I was furious and disgusted, repeatedly questioning if she no longer loved me. Elara would always firmly declare her love for me, yet continue to be entangled with her male besties.
Later, I grew accustomed to her saying one thing and meaning another, becoming less sensitive to it all.
For once, I found myself thinking that once we have a child together, motherhood would surely ground her. She'd inevitably think of us, her family, and stop seeking excitement in the outside world.But I never anticipated that she, who had been so enthusiastic about being child-free for years, would offer to have a baby for her male best friend.
To fulfill his sudden birthday wish, she shamelessly asked me to willingly give up our master bedroom to them.
I understood then that our marriage had reached its end.
What doesn't belong to me, I no longer want to keep.
"You keep it. Go to the hospital for a check-up first."
I coldly tossed out these words before heading to the gynecology department.
Half an hour later, the doctor, holding the ultrasound report and hormone panel results, involuntarily gave me a sidelong glance.
"You have AIDS, and now you want to have a baby with your wife?"
Elara quickly interjected, "Yes, yes! Doctor, we're in a hurry to have a baby! How do my test results look? When will I ovulate?"
The doctor nodded, "Everything looks good. If you two have intercourse in the next couple of days, there's a high chance of pregnancy. However, your husband has AIDS. Has he been undergoing antiviral treatment? Only when the viral load is at its lowest detectable level can you have a healthy sweetheart."
Elara squeezed my hand, unconsciously tightening her grip.
I spoke with a flat tone, "I'm undergoing treatment."
The doctor advised us on some precautions. I took the opportunity to break free from her closeness and walked straight out the door.Elara trailed behind, calling out urgently, "Martin, wait up! I'll drive you to buy some seasonal clothes in a bit. It's been ages since we went shopping together."
"Alec's busy working on his exhibition pieces during the day, so he won't bother us."
She caught up to me, full of guilt, as if afraid I might refuse.
I paused mid-step, looking up to see Alec approaching.
He smiled and raised an eyebrow at me, "Brother Martin, thanks for your help with my kid's situation."
Alec turned to Elara, playfully scolding, "Elara, come on now. We're the ones having a baby, why'd you drag Martin into the check-up?"
"I'm the father, after all!"