Sophia's POV
The contract felt heavier than it really was.
I am not talking about the paper. It was the painful, almost suffocating feeling of the pressure in my chest that accompanied the moment when I held the leather folder with my name on the first page, as if the outcome had already been determined before I got there.
Trying to maintain his composure, Alexander Grey was sitting opposite me. It appeared as if he was trying to convince himself as well as me that this hardly impacted him. But his focus was sharp, like a predator pretending to be harmless.
My friend Kate sat next to me, her knee touching mine under the table. She hadn't said much since we got there, but just having her there kept me steady. She was real, proof that this wasn't a dream.
"Take your time," the lawyer assured in a friendly manner. "There's no pressure."
That was a lie. Everyone in the room knew it.
I turned the pages slowly as I read it, my fingers shaking as I tried to stay calm. The words were cold and numb: gestational carrier, genetic material, transfer of parental rights, confidentiality. It felt like my body had become a legal document.
My eyes caught a particular clause, and I stopped.
"Payment upon successful delivery," I was reading.
Alexander kept quiet. "As discussed."
"And medical expenses?" I inquired.
"Covered in full," he confirmed.
"Living expenses?"
He looked a bit confused by my question. "Within reason."
I looked up at him. "Explain what you mean by reason."
He gave a faint smile, but his eyes stayed hard. "We'll assign a monthly allowance."
Kate shifted beside me. "That allowance won't be deducted from her compensation."
Alexander looked at her for the first time, sizing her up, then nodded. "It won't."
I gathered my breath. "I still keep my job. I still live in my place. No relocation. No spying, except medical appointments."
"You're carrying my child," he said.
"I am carrying a child," I told him. "You are the one receiving."
It suddenly felt like there was no air in the room.
For a moment, I worried I'd gone too far. Then Alexander leaned back in his chair, watching me with something like fascination.
"Accepted," he said.
The lawyer blinked. Kate squeezed my hand.
I put my signature. I signed my name. The pen felt strange in my hand. I was experiencing a kind of inner change. I wasn't shattered. Not quite. Merely different.
When we finished, Alexander stood up. He was taller than I expected, and it was impossible not to notice him.
He offered me his hand. I hesitated, unsure of his intentions. When he held my hand, it was strong but also gentle.
For a moment, he seemed almost human, in a way I didn't expect.
"We'll begin medical preparations immediately," he said. "You'll hear from my team."
"I don't want a team," I replied.
His lips twitched. "You'll have one anyway."
I pulled my hand back.
When Kate and I left the building, my legs were shaky. The city outside was the same, but I wasn't.
"Well," Kate said slowly once we were far enough away. "That was… terrifying."
I let out a shaky laugh. "You stayed."
"Of course I stayed."
"Thank you."
She stopped walking and looked at me. "Sophia, you know I'll support you. But if at any point you want to walk away…"
"I can't," I said quietly. "I really can't."
She didn't argue. She just hugged me tightly, and for a moment, I let myself lean into it.
The relief didn't last long.
Two days later, the mood at work was colder than ever.
"Sophia," Mrs. Halvorsen called out, her tone very incisive. "My office. Immediately."
Victoria and Samantha looked at each other as I got up, their smiles very slight and understanding.
I went with my manager to her transparent office, my heart racing.
"It's quite simple," she uttered. "You are off the roster. As of now, without any delay or further consideration.'"
"To where?" I asked.
"Inventory management and vendor correspondence."
I stared at her. "That's not my role."
"It is now."
"It's a desk job," I explained, a bit slowly. "I'm out in the field."
She smiled, but her eyes didn't. "Think of it as a change. You haven't seemed focused lately."
I felt the heat rising to my face. "If you're talking about me, I haven't done anything wrong…."
"It's not up for debate," she retorted sharply. "At the very least, be thankful that we are letting you stay."
I left her office, shocked.
At my new desk in the corner, surrounded by boxes and old computers, it felt like Victoria had been waiting for me.
"Well, you have been promoted, right?" she said sweetly.
"It's not a promotion."
"Definitely it is," she answered. "You are the one who is going to vanish without a trace. Looks like a nice gesture, doesn't it?"
I wanted to shut her up, but she kept on talking, and I couldn't help but hear her.
That night, my phone was ringing, and it was an unknown number.
"Miss Patel," a calm voice said. "This is Dr. Hayes from Grey Medical."
My stomach flipped as I listened.
"We'd like to schedule your initial appointment."
After the call that night, I sat on my bed and stared at the wall.
The next morning, my father looked stronger. The new treatment had started, and color had returned to his face.
"You did this," he said, squeezing my hand. "I don't know how, but I know you did."
I smiled and nodded, keeping the truth to myself.
That afternoon, while I was filing vendor reports, a shadow fell across my desk.
I looked up.
Alexander Grey stood there.
The office seemed to freeze. Conversations stopped. Keyboards went silent.
"I need a word," he said.
My heart leapt into my throat. "Now?"
"Yes."
Mrs. Halvorsen nearly tripped over herself rushing toward us. "Mr. Grey, if you'd like to discuss business…"
"This doesn't concern you," he said coolly.
I followed him out, my pulse racing.
He stopped, turned, and looked me in the eye. "I can't accept how you're working," he said.
I was dumbfounded. "What?"
He continued, "You're in a situation that isn't good for you, and it's not necessary. Things will be different from now on."
His words hit me all at once, and it hurt.
"It was you who did this," I said. "The reassignment."
"I made your situation better," he said.
"You lowered my dignity."
"I didn't mean to."
"Well, congratulations," I snapped. "You succeeded."
His jaw tightened. "You should be resting, not standing all day dealing with hostile colleagues."
"This is my life," I said. "Not a variable you get to adjust."
He looked at me for a long moment. Then he nodded once.
"Noted," he said. "It won't happen again."
My hands shook as he walked away.
I wasn't sure if I'd just set a boundary.
Or if I'd crossed a line I couldn't take back.