Chapter 014

As Lawson dragged Diane out of the hospital, he tried to keep his composure as much as possible. "Lawson, what's wrong with you?" Diane exclaimed as she struggled to keep up with his pace.

Lawson didn't respond, his jaw clenched in anger.

As if dealing with Diane's tantrums wasn't enough, he now had the nerve of a strange woman to contend with—a woman who had looked at him with such disdain, such hostility, that it still lingered in his mind. He shook his head, chuckling wryly to himself.

What was it about today? Was he wearing a sign that said "kick me"?

He didn't even have enough time to fume from his argument with Diane. She had refused to consider surrogacy, and Lawson felt like she was being unreasonable.

Wasn't she desperate to have a child after losing her baby two years ago? It seemed like she was still blaming him for the loss, and her daily tantrums were taking a toll on him. Having forced him to the hospital for a fertility check, and with the doctor giving them a better suggestion, she still refused to listen, making Lawson feel like he was being punished for something he couldn't control.

Worst of all, he was subjected to her daily, childish tantrums. Her nagging and pressure were becoming too overwhelming to endure.

As they reached the parking lot, Lawson finally turned to Diane, who had successfully slipped off his grip.

"What you did back there, in the doctor's office... that can't happen again," Lawson warned.

Diane attempted to speak, but he cut her off instantly, opening the car door and shoving her inside, knowing Diane was ready for a full-blown argument. It was better to have this discussion in the relative privacy of the car rather than in the hospital parking lot, to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

Diane muttered something under her breath, but Lawson ignored her, shutting the door firmly behind her. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before getting into the driver's seat.

"How could you be so cold and heartless, Lawson?" she spat. "You don't even care about how I feel."

"You're being childish," Lawson fired back. "Your outburst, your refusal to even consider what the doctor said. I'm tired of it, Diane. I'm tired of your tantrums and your self-pity. We're adults, and we need to act like it."

"Just because I desire to experience motherhood, does that make me childish?" Diane corrected, her voice trembling. "Is wanting to carry my own child something to be dismissed as a 'tantrum'?"

"It's your behavior in public that I'm referring to," Lawson clarified. "The scene you created in the doctor's office was unnecessary and embarrassing. You're an adult; learn to conduct yourself."

"You talk about acting like adults, but you're the one who's behaving like a dictator! You're the one who's refusing to even consider my feelings." She turned to him, her eyes filled with tears.

Lawson, upon seeing this, almost rolled his eyes. "Oh, now you're crying," he scoffed. "You're overreacting, Diane. You're being overly emotional, and that's what led to Camila's demise. If you don't calm down and think things through, you'll let your emotions misguide you."

Lawson's scoffing response only made Diane feel more humiliated and hurt. She couldn't believe he was being so callous and unsympathetic.

The tears flowed freely, streaming down her face as she stared out the window. He really said that—comparing her to Camila. Again. Lawson had always seen her as a ticking time bomb, another emotional wreck waiting to self-destruct.

He never cared about her grief, her desperation. She wiped furiously at her tears, but they kept coming. Did he think wanting her own child was a tantrum or a performance?

The silence in the car became thick and heavy. Lawson stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel. He knew he had gone overboard by bringing up Camila, but he couldn't help it. For the last two years, he couldn't shake the thought that Camila would have escaped death if she had used her head and thought calmly. If she had stayed home and not run off in anger.

Though he admitted everything that happened was partly his fault and Diane's too, he couldn't help the way he felt. The guilt and the "what-ifs" still lingered, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Diane was exhibiting the same destructive emotional patterns.

He just couldn't bear to watch her repeat the same mistakes. He needed her to understand that emotional outbursts were harmful. He needed her to see reason, to see that surrogacy was a logical, practical solution, not a personal attack. He was trying, in his own flawed and harsh way, to protect her, to protect them both from further pain.

He hadn't entirely recovered from Camila's death, and he didn't want to add another tragedy to his life.

He heaved a sigh and turned to Diane, keeping his voice soft but firm, leaving no room for argument.

"You will consider surrogacy... It's not a suggestion; it's what we're going to do. We've wasted enough time with your emotional theatrics. And I'm not going to watch you destroy us both."

Diane didn't respond, wiping the tears off her face.

"Do you understand?" Lawson snapped, making Diane flinch.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I understand."

Lawson stared at her for a moment. He knew that Diane was still hurting, and he couldn't blame her. But she also knew that they couldn't keep living in the past. Him included. Because each time he thought of the past, Camila appeared. And that had been haunting him for years. It had to end; he too had to move on.