Chapter 1

It had been three years since I had my vasectomy.

Today, I found a pregnancy report in my wife's designer bag.

Three years of marriage and six years of being together turned into a cruel joke in an instant.

I stood in the shadows, listening to Nora Shepherd talking to her best friend.

"It must have happened that time at the hot springs," Nora whispered.

"Honestly, I really want to have Austin's baby."

"Leo? I'm obviously not going to tell him," she continued.

Nora glanced at me while I was lying on the bed, her voice filled with indifference.

"He is scheduled for a reversal surgery in two days anyway. He will never find out."

I reached up and unlinked the necklace I had worn for years.

This marriage was over.

1

On our third wedding anniversary, I bought my wife a brand-new sports car.

I planned to slip the keys into her bag to give her a massive surprise.

But instead of keys, my fingers brushed against a piece of paper.

It was an ultrasound report.

I stared at the paper, my entire world tilting on its axis.

Nora was pregnant.

But I had undergone a vasectomy right after we got married.

I had been sterile for three years.

I read the report over and over, hoping I had the wrong name.

Patient Name: Nora Shepherd.

Results: Five weeks pregnant, normal fetal heartbeat.

The date was from two days ago.

The hospital was a private clinic in another state.

I remembered that an old friend of mine had just transferred to that exact clinic.

Hoping against hope that this was some kind of sick prank, I sent him a message.

I asked him to check the records for a patient named Nora Shepherd.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with a confirmation.

She had indeed visited the OB-GYN department two days ago.

I stared at the screen, my hand trembling so hard I nearly dropped the phone.

I didn't want to believe it was real.

Nora and I had been a couple for six years.

After we got married, she said she wasn't ready for kids, so I stepped up and got the procedure.

Then, last month, she suddenly said she wanted to start a family.

She asked me to get a reversal surgery.

The appointment was set for the day after tomorrow, our anniversary.

Now, she was already pregnant. Who the hell was the father?

My head was spinning with a million questions.

I heard footsteps approaching the bedroom door.

I quickly shoved the report back into her bag and took a deep breath.

I tried to look natural, like I hadn't just discovered my life was a lie.

"Leo, why are you just sitting there in the dark?"

Nora had just come back from the resort's heated pool.

Her face was flushed from the warmth, and her swimsuit showed off her perfect curves.

She dried her hair with a towel and gave me a playful smirk.

"Are you finally mesmerized by your wife's beauty?"

"I know it's hard, but you have to stay patient for a bit longer."

"Once your surgery is over, I'll make it up to you properly."

She leaned down, kissed me on the cheek, and headed for the bathroom.

"That's your reward for being a good boy. I'm going to shower now."

I forced a smile and managed a weak, "Okay."