the baby I’m carrying belongs to you and John. Please accept my apology.”
“Sure. I’m sorry too… I’m sorry I almost stabbed you with a fork.”
“It’s okay… I deserved it for what I said.”
“Yeah that was pretty brutal… Hell, we both said some things we didn’t mean. Let’s just wipe the slate clean and forget this day ever happened.”
“Great! So, can I get a ride back to my car?” Quanique asked as she tried to get in the car behind Hope.
“No! In fact, hell no!”
“Are you serious?” Quanique asked shocked.
Hope laughed. “No, I’m just playing around. Get in.”
Naturally both of the women realized their conflicts and differences were far from resolved, but for now they needed each other. They agreed to continue with the mission as originally planned.
CHAPTER 14
Surprisingly, from that day on everything went as planned. Quanique took the opportunity to embrace her role as a surrogate mother. She immersed herself into everything about pregnancy and surrogacy. After hours and hours of study and research, she decided to do her master’s thesis on the psychological ramifications of being a surrogate mother. She was finally happy and healthy and excited about her future.
You see, during the course of her research, Quanique discovered exactly how difficult it was for childless couples to find a good, emotionally stable, physically fit and spiritually grounded surrogate to carry their child. She also discovered her deal with Hope was a very lucrative one which would net her well over a quarter of a million dollars once she delivered the baby. Hope had always tried to impress upon her their relationship was strictly a business transaction and now she finally got it. Quanique planned to use her knowledge of surrogacy and her experience as being Hope’s surrogate as the foundation of her new surrogacy business. Yes, Quanique had decided to become a professional surrogate and train and employ other women to do the same.
With the support, financial backing and advice of her new mentor, Hope, Quanique drafted a business plan and incorporated her business as Project Baby Bump. She had already trained and screened five surrogates and had assigned them to five anxious couples. It was just the beginning. Thanks to Hope’s recommendation to her adoption attorney, Quanique had a lengthy waiting list of rich new clients who desperately wanted children. And just like that, her company was an instant success.
Even with all of her success, Quanique and Hope had some unfinished business to handle. They still had not told John Quanique was carrying his child. No matter how many scenarios they invented to tell him, none of them circumvented the fact Hope manipulated and lied to him. In a way, Quanique felt sorry for Hope. All of her new couples entered into their surrogate arrangement as a couple. Both mom and dad were on board with the surrogacy arrangement from the beginning. Quanique wished she could somehow help Hope, but unfortunately the damage had already been done.
“Hope, I deliver next week. What do you plan on doing about John?” Quanique asked one day over lunch.
“I don’t have a clue. The closer and closer we come to the baby’s arrival, the more frightened I become. Quanique, I don’t know what I will do if that man leaves me.” Hope shook her head in disbelief. “God! Why didn’t I just come clean earlier?"
“Just lie. Don’t disclose the identity of the birth mother. I’ll deliver, we’ll complete the adoption and he’ll be none the wiser.”
“I can’t do that. John needs to know this is his biological son. I can’t keep that from him.”
Quanique snickered. “You’ve been doing a damn good job of it until now!”
“This is not funny! I’m in trouble and I don’t know what to do.”
“I wish I could help you, but you know John is not one of my biggest fans.”
Hope laughed. “Yeah! He can’t stand you! He thinks you are a psycho stalker who targeted
“Sure. I’m sorry too… I’m sorry I almost stabbed you with a fork.”
“It’s okay… I deserved it for what I said.”
“Yeah that was pretty brutal… Hell, we both said some things we didn’t mean. Let’s just wipe the slate clean and forget this day ever happened.”
“Great! So, can I get a ride back to my car?” Quanique asked as she tried to get in the car behind Hope.
“No! In fact, hell no!”
“Are you serious?” Quanique asked shocked.
Hope laughed. “No, I’m just playing around. Get in.”
Naturally both of the women realized their conflicts and differences were far from resolved, but for now they needed each other. They agreed to continue with the mission as originally planned.
CHAPTER 14
Surprisingly, from that day on everything went as planned. Quanique took the opportunity to embrace her role as a surrogate mother. She immersed herself into everything about pregnancy and surrogacy. After hours and hours of study and research, she decided to do her master’s thesis on the psychological ramifications of being a surrogate mother. She was finally happy and healthy and excited about her future.
You see, during the course of her research, Quanique discovered exactly how difficult it was for childless couples to find a good, emotionally stable, physically fit and spiritually grounded surrogate to carry their child. She also discovered her deal with Hope was a very lucrative one which would net her well over a quarter of a million dollars once she delivered the baby. Hope had always tried to impress upon her their relationship was strictly a business transaction and now she finally got it. Quanique planned to use her knowledge of surrogacy and her experience as being Hope’s surrogate as the foundation of her new surrogacy business. Yes, Quanique had decided to become a professional surrogate and train and employ other women to do the same.
With the support, financial backing and advice of her new mentor, Hope, Quanique drafted a business plan and incorporated her business as Project Baby Bump. She had already trained and screened five surrogates and had assigned them to five anxious couples. It was just the beginning. Thanks to Hope’s recommendation to her adoption attorney, Quanique had a lengthy waiting list of rich new clients who desperately wanted children. And just like that, her company was an instant success.
Even with all of her success, Quanique and Hope had some unfinished business to handle. They still had not told John Quanique was carrying his child. No matter how many scenarios they invented to tell him, none of them circumvented the fact Hope manipulated and lied to him. In a way, Quanique felt sorry for Hope. All of her new couples entered into their surrogate arrangement as a couple. Both mom and dad were on board with the surrogacy arrangement from the beginning. Quanique wished she could somehow help Hope, but unfortunately the damage had already been done.
“Hope, I deliver next week. What do you plan on doing about John?” Quanique asked one day over lunch.
“I don’t have a clue. The closer and closer we come to the baby’s arrival, the more frightened I become. Quanique, I don’t know what I will do if that man leaves me.” Hope shook her head in disbelief. “God! Why didn’t I just come clean earlier?"
“Just lie. Don’t disclose the identity of the birth mother. I’ll deliver, we’ll complete the adoption and he’ll be none the wiser.”
“I can’t do that. John needs to know this is his biological son. I can’t keep that from him.”
Quanique snickered. “You’ve been doing a damn good job of it until now!”
“This is not funny! I’m in trouble and I don’t know what to do.”
“I wish I could help you, but you know John is not one of my biggest fans.”
Hope laughed. “Yeah! He can’t stand you! He thinks you are a psycho stalker who targeted
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