Melody's POV
My feet felt glued to the floor as I took in the sight of the boy I had grown up loving, the man of my dreams. It was a strange mix of happiness and sorrow to stand before him after sixteen long years. A separation orchestrated by his parents, and one that he truly had no knowledge about. The pain from our breakup still gnawed at my heart. I studied his face, which was a canvas of conflicting emotions: shock, affection, sorrow, anger, and even what felt like contempt. If only he knew that breaking up with him had never been my choice, that I was forced to do it by the very people who should have supported us, his parents.
I remembered when we first met under such amusing circumstances at the age of seven; I was a shy little girl, and he was a confident ten-year-old boy. Our families were intertwined, my parents worked for his, and our homes were just a block apart. It felt as if we were destined to be close friends, but as time passed, those innocent feelings blossomed into something deeper. By the time I turned twelve, I was hopelessly in love with him and to my delight, he felt the same. He promised me he would marry me one day.
But then came the day that shattered our happiness.
Flashbacks.
One cool evening, I was summoned by his parents for a very important discussion. Sitting in their elegantly decorated living room, I felt a twinge of anticipation, thinking they wanted to talk about our future.
"Do you love Christian?" his mother asked, her tone surprisingly soft.
With a shy smile, I nodded. "I do."
"Good," she replied, her smile fading. "He loves you too," she continued, and I beamed, but the light in the room dimmed as she delivered her next sentence.
"That's why you're going to leave him."
My heart plummeted. "What?" I whispered in disbelief.
"Whether you like it or not, your family and mine don't share the same status, so you can't marry Christian," she stated coldly.
"But love is what matters..." I protested, voice shaking.
"It is, but social standing is also important, and you simply don't fit," she countered, her gaze unyielding.
"I would have asked Chris to do it himself, but he can't, and he won't. That's why I'm asking you to do it...leave Christian...break up with him." The demand resonated with a harsh finality, and tears pooled in my eyes.
"No," I shook my head, defiance spilling from my heart. "No...I can't leave Chris. I love him deeply...please don't ask me to leave him." I sank to my knees, pleading with them, desperation lacing my voice.
His father, who had been quiet until this moment, suddenly threw a paper at me. I caught it and glanced down, my breath hitching as I recognized it: a cheque for ten million dollars. "Take that and go far away from my son...you and your family need to relocate somewhere distant," he commanded, his tone chilling.
"No," I said, forcefully returning the cheque. "I can't...I won't..." The tears fell freely now, streaming down my cheeks. "Please, don't do this to Chris and me," I cried out, my heart shattering at the thought of leaving him.
"I advise you to take that money and vanish if you don't want to bear the weight of your father's death on your shoulders," he said coldly.
At that moment, my father was gravely ill with cancer and required immediate surgery. But where was I supposed to find the funds?
I clenched my fists, my heart racing as anguish washed over me.
"Make the right choice, child," he urged, a sinister undertone in his voice.
With a heavy heart, I finally accepted the money, resigning to their wishes. The following day marked the last time I would see Christian.
---
"Long time no see," I greeted him with a smile, but Chris met me with a cold, indifferent stare.
"You both know each other?" the men by his sides asked, surprise etched on their faces.
"Yes. This is Melody Griffins, my ex-girlfriend," Chris stated flatly, his eyes locked on mine.
The shock radiated through them like static electricity, and I swallowed nervously, trying to gauge the tension.
"How have you been?" I ventured, hoping for warmth.
"This is a business place; follow the rules," he replied harshly, cutting me off.
"Next!" The agency manager's voice echoed, but Chris halted him with a firm hand. "No, I'm not done with this one yet," he replied, his intense gaze still fixed on me.
"Are you single?" Chris asked, his tone casual but his eyes betraying curiosity.
I smirked and replied, "Can a married woman be a surrogate?"
"So, where's your wife?" I challenged lightly, raising an eyebrow.
"She'll be here soon enough," he shot back. I let out a laugh.
"Looks like you're still single then." I couldn't help teasing him.
"Didn't you hear me? I said my wife will be here soon," he insisted, but I could see the cracks in his façade. He still hasn't known how to lie.
"You know I can tell when you're lying." I smiled knowingly.
"You don't know anything about me," he countered, irritation flaring in his eyes.
"Yeah, maybe the new things about you in this last sixteen years." I replied, watching as he clenched his fists.
"Make your choice, pretty boy. I don't have time to waste." I winked, my confidence spilling over.
After a moment of tension, he finally spoke, "I'll take this one."
"Without knowing anything about her? She hasn't even said a word about herself!" The manager was clearly taken aback by Chris's swift decision.
"There's no need for that. I know everything about her," Chris said, keeping his gaze locked on me.
"My assistant will text you the address. Come over to sign the contract today at 4 PM," he instructed me.
"You guys moved?" I asked, curiosity piquing.
He ignored my question, finally breaking his gaze from me to turn back to the manager. "Thank you for your help and service. You'll hear from my assistant shortly." He shook the manager's hand.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr Blackwood." The manager smiled.
Chris shot me one last look before leaving with a younger man, presumably his assistant.
"So it's you he was describing," the manager said, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
He described me? Why?
The manager congratulated me on securing the job, and I left the agency, my mind racing.
Arriving home, I felt the weight of exhaustion settle over me as I stepped through the door. The hustle and bustle of the day had drained my energy, every moment of the journey with the surrogacy agency still echoing in my mind.
I collapsed onto the soft embrace of the living room sofa, just as my sisters burst in from outside, their animated chatter filling the space. It was evident they had been in the midst of yet another lively disagreement.
"You're back?" Maya asked, her curiosity piqued as she spotted me lounging on the sofa.
"I am," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, fatigue evident in every syllable.
"So, how was it?" Miriam inquired with a hint of anticipation in her tone.
"I got the job," I said, a small smile breaking through the fatigue as my sisters instantly erupted in joyful squeals and ecstatic chatter.
"So, it's a wealthy family, right?" Maya probed, her eyes wide with excitement. I nodded, feeling a mix of pride and apprehension.
"Which family?" Miriam pressed further, clearly eager for every detail.
"It's not a family; it's a young man," I clarified, the weight of this revelation hanging in the air.
"A young man doing surrogacy? Who's he?" Maya's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Christian Blackwood," I sighed, the name stirring a whirlwind of emotions.
"The Christian Blackwood we know?" Miriam asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
"Yeah... the Christian Blackwood we know," I replied, each word heavy on my tongue.
The shock on their faces was palpable as they exclaimed in unison, "What?!"
Maya and Miriam grabbed my arms. "Christian Blackwood? Why? Is he not married? What happened to his wife? Why's he doing surrogacy? Did he see you? Did he choose you himself?" The questions poured out, their concern evident.
"I have no idea why he's opted for surrogacy, but I do know he's still single. And yes, he chose me himself," I responded, my voice steadier than I felt.
"What was his reaction when he saw you?" they asked, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"The normal way you would react when you see your ex after sixteen years of breaking up," I answered, the memories flooding back, and I sighed heavily, feeling the weight of our past once more.
"Whoa, that's really bad." Miriam shook her head.
"So why did he choose you?" She asked.
"I'll know by 4pm when I go to his house to sign the contract." I replied.
"Don't worry, it's gonna be to your own good." Maya sighed, hugging me and resting her head on my shoulder.
"Yeah," Miriam gave me a comforting pat on my shoulder.