She broke down when I brought it up. She cried, her eyes red and swollen, begging me to stay. But before I could even leave, Ben’s name flashed on her screen again. I answered, wanting to hear it from him.
His voice was calm but dripping with satisfaction. “I’m sorry, Eli. I thought Naomi would’ve mentioned it. She’s willing to have my child, to keep some part of me alive when I’m gone. You understand, right?”
I gritted my teeth.
“Relax,” he continued, laughing softly. “It’s just IVF. No cheating here. You’ll still be the dad, technically. The baby will even call you ‘Dad’ someday.” His voice was filled with mock pity. “Naomi’s your wife, Eli, but she’s still the one who promised to do this for me. Doesn’t that say something?”
I clenched my phone until I could feel it nearly cracking. But it was Naomi’s voice in the background that tore me apart.
“Why do you care about him, Ben? He wants a divorce because he can’t handle the truth.” Her words came clear as a bell, dismissive, cold. “You really think he’d leave me? He just needs time to calm down. He’s so predictable.”