Love Returns to the Sea

My husband had oligospermia and after more than ten attempts at IVF, I finally got pregnant.

While I was hugging the toilet and vomiting due to morning sickness, he was celebrating a three-year anniversary with his secretary.

The secretary posted a WhatsApp status of my husband carefully slicing her steak: [The boss is so caring ... I'll work for him until I die …]

Suppressing my nausea, I liked the post and soon his call came through, "What's your problem now? You can't do anything except throw up these days. All my daily needs are handled by Louise. You should be grateful she's easing your burden!"

I sneered, "Fine, I'll thank her later!"

"You weren't like this before! How can getting pregnant make you forget who you are?" After scolding me, my husband angrily hung up the phone.

I couldn't help but sigh. Yes, I've been away from home for so long, I've almost forgotten my own surname.

Picking up my phone, I dialed a number I hadn't contacted in years, "Charlie, book me a flight for tomorrow morning. I'm going back to Chicago."

——

Charlie, my assistant on the other end, was ecstatic, "Miss Hoffman, did I hear that right? You've been gone for six years. Are you really coming back? You're not joking, right?"

I placed my hand gently on my slightly rounded belly and gave a bitter smile, "No joke, this time it's real."

After hanging up, I immediately scheduled an appointment with the top obstetrician in Houston for an abortion that afternoon.

The attending doctor was none other than Dr. Grant, who had performed my IVF treatments. He was shocked when he heard I wanted an abortion.

"This child is the result of more than ten IVF attempts. Are you really going to terminate it?" As soon as Dr. Grant finished speaking, the surrounding nurses also looked over.

With a pale-faced, I nodded firmly, "I'm sure."

Troy had oligospermia. We'd been married for six years and always dreamed of having a child of our own. To prepare for pregnancy, we went through over ten IVF cycles and made countless hospital visits.

Even the doctors and nurses at this hospital recognized me. They knew how desperately I wanted this child.

Once, I was anemic and the doctors advised me to focus on recovery and delay IVF, but I insisted on continuing.

The day I found out I was pregnant, the doctors and nurses celebrated with me, saying my sincerity must have touched the heaven. But now, all of that felt like a joke.

Dr. Grant sighed and asked the nurse to prepare for the procedure. While signing the consent form, he instinctively glanced behind me, "Where's your husband? Doesn't he need to sign this too?"

I gave a bitter smile, "He doesn't need to. I'll sign it myself."

Dr. Grant raised his head in astonishment, his eyes filled with sympathy.

When I got off the operating table, my usually quiet phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from Troy: [Got a work dinner tonight, I won't be back.]

The message was sent two hours ago. I didn't reply. Just as I was about to close my phone, another two notifications popped up.

They were from Louise. She had sent a seductive photo of herself in lace lingerie, which she quickly deleted.

Then, she called me, her voice dripping with fake sweetness and a hint of tears, "Felicia, I accidentally sent the photo meant for my boyfriend to you. You don't mind, right? It's all my fault for working 22 hours straight today. I was so exhausted, I sent it to the wrong person ..."

I sneered, "Working 22 hours? Does that include sleeping with him? You're so professional, even taking your work to the bed. At the company's annual awards, we should definitely give you a certificate for Outstanding Employee." Without waiting for her response, I ended the call and blocked her.