Lydia couldn't stop her tears from falling onto the baby in her arms. Despite her deep reluctance, she knew she had to give the child to his father.
Lydia needed money. Lydia couldn't afford to raise him. Life is full of helpless moments, and this was the cruelest one she had ever faced.
Forty minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
Lydia turned off the lights in the room before allowing the person outside to come in.
In the darkness, the tall and imposing figure was still the same, and the faint scent of cologne was still familiar. Nothing had changed, except that there was now a baby in the room.
"When you left, you confirmed you weren't pregnant. What's the deal with this child?" the man asked. His sharp gaze fell on the baby wriggling on the bed. Although he couldn't see the child's face clearly, he could sense his fragility.
"The doctor said it's possible in cases like mine. Because I kept having... periods, I didn't know I was pregnant until over four months in." Talking about such private matters with a stranger made Lydia uneasy.
"The child is already born, and now you come to me. What's your motive?"
The man's voice remained cold and hard, with a clear undertone of anger.
"Money. If I didn't desperately need money, I wouldn't have brought the child to you."
Lydia was stating the facts. If it weren't for the money, she would rather endure hardship with her child than send him here. It was all because of money.
"It seems like you've been short on money for a while. Just spit out your purpose. I hate people playing mind games with me."
The man growled impatiently.
"No mind games, you're overthinking it. I should have come to you as soon as I found out I was pregnant, but back then, I thought I could raise the child on my own. Reality, however, wasn't as simple as I imagined. I truly don't have the means to support him."
Lydia forced herself to speak, struggling to hold back her sorrow. No one could understand her pain at this moment.
"There's no need to say anything more. And don't doubt me. Let's do a DNA test and then we'll talk."
Lydia didn't want to continue the conversation with this man. Although the child was still young, without memory or understanding, these words were still cruel to him. Lydia knew what the man was suspicious of, and she understood his reaction. But wouldn't a DNA test resolve everything?
"You think a DNA test will solve everything? You've been gone for ten months. Do you know how much can change in that time?"
The man suddenly shouted, startling the baby on the bed.
With a loud wail, the baby started crying. Lydia quickly turned around to comfort the child. Although her face was not visible, the maternal warmth in her voice was unmistakable.
"Don't cry, sweetheart. Mommy's here, don't be scared."
The baby seemed truly frightened and continued to cry loudly despite Lydia's soothing attempts.
Left with no other option, Lydia decided to breastfeed to calm the baby.
She picked up the child, turned her back to the man, and began to nurse with practiced ease. This series of actions made the man's cold expression tighten even more.
Finally, the baby stopped crying and soon fell asleep.
Lydia gently laid the baby down and turned to face the man again. Though she couldn't see his face clearly, she could feel his icy presence.
"Keep your voice down. Don't scare the baby again," she reminded him first, then continued speaking.
"I don't know what you were trying to convey with your shouting earlier, and frankly, I don't care. I'm here today to talk about the baby. If you want him, we can do a paternity test. If you don't, I'll take him away immediately. I may be poor, but I won't let him starve."
"And one more thing—today is the only chance for both of us. After this, neither I nor the baby will ever come to this villa again. And I ask that you never interfere in our lives for the rest of your days."
Lydia turned around to pick up the child, but the man yanked her back forcefully. The unexpected pull caused Lydia to fall into his arms, colliding with his solid chest.
"You..."
Stunned for a moment, Lydia quickly stood upright.
"No one is allowed to take my child away. You were just a surrogate. You gave me the child for money, so you have no right to take him."
The man's anger was even more intense this time, but instead of shouting, he channeled his fury into his grip on Lydia's wrist, squeezing it painfully.
"You're hurting my hand. Let go," Lydia said stubbornly. At that moment, she felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing her heart, overwhelmed with guilt. Selling her own child was enough to break her, and she had no pride left for the man to trample on.
The man loosened his grip slightly, and Lydia seized the chance.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking the child."
"No, you can't. No one is allowed to take the child until we reach an agreement."
Lydia spoke firmly. It wasn't that she feared the man would take the child and not pay her; it was a sudden wave of reluctance that washed over her.
"I need to do a paternity test."
"You can use hair for that. Take him to the bathroom, cut some hair, and then bring him back to me."
The man didn't argue. He followed Lydia's instructions and took the child to the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, the man emerged, handed the child back to Lydia, and left with long strides.
Lydia breathed a sigh of relief, holding the child tightly in her arms.
"Sweetheart, Mommy really has her reasons. Mommy doesn't want to let you go either."
When Lydia first agreed to be a surrogate, she never imagined she would develop such deep feelings for the child. But now, she was in agony.
If it weren't for the debt—if it weren't for the compensation—she would endure any hardship to raise the child herself.
Looking at the sleeping baby, at his adorable little face, Lydia felt a strong urge to disappear with him. However, just as she started packing the baby's things, her Aunt Ashley's call came in.
"Lydia, how are things going?"
"Auntie, I think..."
Lydia was about to share her plan to bring the child back when she heard other voices on the other end of the line.
"Stop delaying! It's been almost a year since my husband passed away, and you still haven't given us any compensation. We have elderly and children to care for. How are we supposed to live?"
"Exactly! Give us the money already. Stop making excuses. You claim you have no money, but you seem to be living better than anyone else!"
From the voices, Lydia could tell they were the family members of the deceased.
It had been almost a year since the car accident, and Lydia hadn't had the chance to meet the family members. This was their first time coming to demand compensation.
"Lydia, if it doesn't work out, come back. We'll think of another way," Ashley said, her voice filled with reluctance.
"Auntie, tell them not to worry. I'll give them an answer in the next few days."
In this situation, Lydia decided to put her plan on hold.
The next evening, the man came again. As he pushed open the door, the room had to be completely dark.
"Do you have the results?" Lydia whispered, afraid of waking the child.