Chapter 6: Decisions
1529 Words
“Really now?" I turned sharply in my seat at the voice behind me.
I didn't need to see the face to know who it was that had spoken. Even though I had only spoken to him twice now, I felt like I knew that voice more than I knew any other voice in the world.
Jacob Greyson stood leaning against the door like he owned the building.
I wondered if he did. It wasn't such a farfetched thought. I knew his company dabbled in a few things, and that he most likely had more than a few sources of income on the side, too. I had no proof for anything, so I couldn't be quoted on it.
Or run a story. Not yet, anyway.
Probably not again now. I knew my chances of getting an interview would now be non-existent after today, and there would be very little chance for me to bring him down after this.
But it was a consequence to my decision that I was willing to live with.
“Mr. Greyson," Henry began, standing up to meet him.
I rolled my eyes as I watched him stand. The surrogates and donors were treated like nobility at New Life. But the clients were treated like Gods.
I wondered exactly what this whole thing would end up costing Jacob Greyson. I knew that there was no price tag that was too much for him, but still, I would like to know exactly how much he was coffing out for this baby.
It would be interesting to know, for one. And for another, it would tell me just how badly he wanted that child, if I knew how much he was willing to pay for it.
That was just one more thing that I would have been able to find out very easily if I could just go along with this whole story. But I knew that it was too much for me to carry his baby. Even if it wasn't technically mine.
Jacob waived a hand, and Henry sat down on instinct, like a loyal and obedient servant. Jacob moved across the room, coming closer to the desk. But I knew that he was really only coming to me, and he sat down in the seat right next to me.
I swallowed hard. If I could play this properly, maybe I could still get an interview out of him. However short and brief. Whatever I could learn from him would be useful to me somehow. I would find a way to make it useful, at least.
“What seems to be the problem, Miss Smith?" Jacob asked, and his voice was covered with concern.
I wondered who the show was for. Even though he had called me last night, he hadn't really said more than two sentences to me, besides the greeting and the goodbye. And there hadn't been this much concern in his voice then.
I wondered if it was for the benefit of the clinic, but that didn't really make sense. Given that he was paying them for their service, he didn't need their approval.
Maybe they had a clause that they wouldn't help out a psychopath, though? And he was trying to cover himself in that area.
“Mr. Greyson," I began, trying my very best to keep my voice civil at the very least, “I am truly so sorry for wasting your time, however, I'm sure that you can find a viable surrogate within a few hours if not less. I only signed up at the agency yesterday, after all."
And he was Jacob Greyson. As soon as his name was there, he would have half the world ready and willing to be his surrogate. And I'm pretty sure the Clinic could speed up the process, have the testing done in a matter of days for him, and he would have a new surrogate before the month's end.
“Ah," Jacob told me, “I can understand why you would feel like that, but you see, I've been looking for years. It's not just a matter of finding a viable surrogate, I also need an egg donor at the same time, and for myself to be in the peak of health. So you see, it's more than just you, its this window of opportunity that I would be missing."
I pursed my lips. I did understand what eh was saying. I knew that surrogacy was a very time sensitive production. But I there was just no way that I could be of assistance. There had to be someone else. And if there wasn't, and Jacob Greyson just couldn't get his baby, then that was just too bad.
“I'm sorry," I told him, though there was no real apology in my voice this time. “But like I said, I just signed up yesterday, I had no idea any of this would be moving so fast."
I knew that I sounded a little snappy with him, but he was beginning to irritate me. I had given him my answer clearly. I had no idea why he was still pushing this. Was he just that used to not hearing a no from anyone?
“On the contrary," Jacob pointed out, still the perfect picture of calm, like his whole plan wasn't just falling apart in front of him, like nothing had been tampered with at all. “It won't move fast at all. You will need to go through a thorough preparation first, before we even consider implantation, easily a few months' worth of work. Your body and mind would need to be prepared, you would be moved into my personal residence. So many things would occur before pregnancy would even begin. And then it would be a simple process of a few months, where you will be closely monitored by the best doctors and specialists in their field. So you see, you won't be giving birth right now, not even close."
If he thought the birthing was what was bothering me, he was sorely mistaken.
“I am so sorry, Mr. Greyson," I told him again, a little firmer this time, so he wouldn't continue with this conversation any longer, and simply accept my decision as being final. “But I just cannot go through with this."
Immediately his face changed; the kind and considerate expressions were wiped clean off, and replaced by a cold mask. Huh, so that pretence of emotion had been for my sake, then.
And apparently New Life Fertility Clinic didn't mind giving babies to psychopaths.
“If you refuse," Greyson told me calmly coldly, almost like our entire conversation just now hadn't happened, at all. All trace of concern and kindness was gone from his voice. “I will have you fired from your newspaper for improper conduct, for infringement of privacy and for breaking contracts. And also just because I want to. Then I will personally sue you for the same things. And for anything else I can think of. You will carry my baby, or you will never work again. You will be an outcast besides, because good luck finding anyone to hire you as a cleaner after I'm done with you."
For a moment, I almost couldn't answer. I was so shocked by what he had said. But then anger rose in me, as I processed his words properly.
“I'd starve to death," I argued angrily.
“I don't care," Jacob waved his hand. “That's your choice to die."
Is that what he thought about Blaire, too? That she'd chosen to die?
I bit down on my teeth.
So this was truly him. This was really the monster. Willing to force someone to carry his baby, entirely against their will, just so he could have it. There had to be a dark reason why he wanted this child so badly.
I had no other choice, I had absolutely no way out except to carry the monster's baby.
But at that moment, my entire plan changed. I felt everything in me shift. And I knew that I was willing to do anything to destroy this man. I needed to take him down.
In that moment, I knew who he really was. How terrible he truly was. And I knew that I couldn't allow him to walk away from this. I couldn't allow a monster like this to escape, to live in the world. It just wasn't something that was possible.
And I knew that I had a responsibility, now that I had the ability, to take him down.
Oh. I was going to do this. I was going to do so much more than just destroy him with a single interview. I would carry this baby. I would spend a year in his house, gathering information on him, planning everything. I would destroy him entirely.
“Alright," I agreed. “I'll carry your baby."
'And then I will destroy you,' I promised him. 'Before this baby is even born, you will be worth less than nothing.'
Jacob smiled, “I knew you'd see reason. So let's get started on making that baby."
- Writer
