New York.
Apartnt 520.
"What should I do then?"
Phoebe hesitated after hearing Adam's words.
Her life had been full of drama—her biological father abandoned her, her stepmother committed suicide, her biological mother left her, and her stepfather went to prison. Her twin sister ignored her, and she ended up holess as a teenager.
If this were a novel, she'd have the perfect tragic backstory for a main character.
But unfortunately, she wasn't the main character.
After much effort, she finally found her biological father's new family, but the only one who acknowledged her was her eccentric and unreliable younger brother. She desperately wanted to be good to him, but she couldn't stop him from marrying a housekeeper he had just t—who was twenty-six years older than him.
And now, she couldn't bring herself to reject his ridiculous request—he wanted her to be his surrogate.
The biggest reason wasn't just that she was already pregnant and could only go along with it, but rather that she was too eager to please this strange younger brother.
Because he was the only blood relative who was willing to be close to her.
Her biological parents and twin sister didn't care about her at all. They weren't even willing to go through the motions of occasional etups or greetings.
In comparison, it was easy to see why she had no boundaries when it ca to her brother.
"Of course, you should refuse him."
Adam said without hesitation, "I rember he's in community college right now, right? Tell him to focus on his studies, get a good job in the future, and if he still wants a child then, you can help him raise money for a surrogate instead of doing it yourself."
"He won't agree to that," Phoebe said, conflicted. "And Alice's age is also a problem."
"It's not that serious," Adam scoffed. "Give it a year. If there's really no ti, delay it for another year—what's the big deal? Plus, that gives them more ti to save money. You should start by convincing his housekeeper-turned-wife. She's the one leading this relationship. If she agrees, your brother will absolutely listen to her—students are always afraid of their teachers."
"What if she doesn't agree?" Phoebe was tempted by the idea.
Truthfully, even she felt that the surrogacy idea was absurd.
"If she won't even agree to that, then there's already a huge issue with her marrying and wanting a child with an eighteen-year-old student."
Adam analyzed, "If she doesn't care about your brother's future, does she really love him?"
"Yeah, exactly!"
Monica added, "She's a teacher—she should at least understand sothing as basic as this."
"In my opinion, why are they even having a child?"
Chandler mocked, "Isn't your brother already her 'child'? Raising one isn't enough? If they have the ti and money, they should focus on helping your brother grow. A well-raised husband is basically the sa as having a child, plus they get a great life without sacrificing anything—win-win!"
"Brilliant idea!"
Adam praised. "Phoebe, Chandler's suggestion is actually really good. Instead of surrogacy, you can propose this alternative. Your brother is only eighteen—he's still a kid himself! If she understands and focuses on supporting him, it'll be beneficial for you, your brother, and even her!"
"This is perfect!"
Phoebe finally snapped out of her confusion. She clapped her hands excitedly. "This plan is great! I'm going to talk to them right now!"
She turned and started heading out.
"Phoebe!"
Adam called out, stopping her. "Make sure you never bring up surrogacy again. They only have two choices: either wait or focus on supporting your brother. You need to be firm on this."
"I will," Phoebe said happily.
"You better."
Adam wasn't too optimistic, so he teased, "Otherwise, if you end up carrying quintuplets, that would be terrifying."
"What?!"
Everyone shouted in unison.
"You guys don't know?"
Adam explained, "Surrogacy procedures aren't cheap. With your brother and his wife's inco, they could only afford one attempt. But the success rate of embryo implantation is only 25%, so doctors often implant multiple embryos at once. If you're unlucky and all five take, you'll have quintuplets."
"OMG!"
Monica gasped. "Phoebe, you absolutely cannot do this. Carrying one baby is already hard enough—having five could be life-threatening!"
"And it wouldn't just be hard on you."
Adam added, "They wouldn't be able to handle it either. Raising one child might be fulfilling, but raising multiple—especially five—would be absolute chaos. It wouldn't be helping your brother; it would be harming everyone involved."
"I'm not doing surrogacy anymore!"
Phoebe imagined herself with a belly full of quintuplets and was so horrified that she scread.
"Adam, maybe we should go with Phoebe?"
Monica suggested, "I don't feel confident about her handling this alone. You might have to be the one to convince them."
"Alright."
Adam thought about it and didn't refuse.
Even though Phoebe wasn't a core mber of his friend group, she had helped Adam earn 20 strength points in the past. With such a big issue at stake, he had no reason to stand by and do nothing.
So, Adam, Phoebe, and Monica set off to find Phoebe's unreliable younger brother.
anwhile…
The unconscious Amazing Amy slowly opened her eyes. The harsh glare of bright lights made her instinctively shut them again before cautiously reopening them.
"Am I in a hospital?"
The dical examination light above her made that seem like the most logical explanation.
But then—what had happened?
How did she pass out?
Soone had covered her nose and mouth—no, wait!
A terrifying realization struck her as she rembered what had happened before losing consciousness.
She tried to move, but her entire body was paralyzed. Fear gripped her instantly.
"You're awake."
A familiar face appeared in her line of sight. It was Juno.
"Where am I? What happened to ?"
Amazing Amy asked urgently.
"You don't rember?"
Juno smiled.
"I just rember soone covering my nose and mouth…"
Amy's voice trailed off as she looked at Juno suspiciously.
She clearly rembered that Karen had been in the back seat with her when it happened. They had been in the car—so unless Karen did it, no one else could have.
Juno didn't deny anything. She simply smiled and said, "Think harder."
A chill ran down Amy's spine.
Juno hadn't directly admitted it, but her reaction said it all—she and Karen had done this.
But why?
They had no reason to harm her… unless…
"Adam?"
As a top graduate of Harvard's psychology departnt, Amazing Amy wasn't stupid. She imdiately thought of the most likely reason.
"I'd like you to et soone."
Juno remained evasive, still smiling as she pulled soone forward. "Guess who she is?"
"Heather?"
Amy's eyes widened. Based on the woman's stunning beauty and overwhelming presence, combined with Juno's strange invitation before she passed out, she imdiately guessed the truth.
And with that realization, her fear deepened.
Were they in Texas?
How long had she been unconscious?
What exactly did Juno and her group want from her?
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