Chapter 4: Two Daddies

Cecilia's pov

I made the deal that completely upended my life two weeks ago.

My father was getting better, his medical bills had been paid in full and for the first time in months I wasn't overwhelmed by financial worries because Benjamin had fulfilled his promise.

 But I was troubled by the cost of the things I had agreed to. Benjamin and I sat in a private doctor's office today. Dr. Fields was a gentleman in his fifties with silver hair and keen eyes.

He gave us a warm smile while explaining the surrogacy procedure. He handed me a packet of instructions and explained .

"To make sure your body is ready, you'll go through a few more health checks. For this surrogacy, a natural insemination procedure will be employed."

 I blinked perplexed. "What does natural insemination mean?"

Benjamin appeared a little uneasy as he cleared his throat. He gestured hazily ,his face flushed a little.

"It means well… you and I will."

I was hit hard by it. "What do you mean that we must—?."

Dr. Fields nodded with a professional expression .

"That's correct.. In some circumstances natural insemination is frequently recommended to improve the likelihood of success. This is obviously only possible with both parties' consent. "

I could feel heat rise to my cheeks as my stomach roiled. I didn't imagine this.

I never expected it.

Benjamin's voice was steady despite his tight jaw and averted gaze.

" It's the perfect choice. Remember that you consented to this?"

 With a sharp swallow I nodded. Though I hadn't expected this when I had agreed to everything he and Stella had said.

I sat in the guest room Benjamin had set up for me at his mansion that night, my mind swirling and I was asking myself if I had really made the right choice.

The room was too magnificent ,the bed was too soft—I felt completely out of place. A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts as I tried to relax as I stared at the ceiling.

 " Come in ." I said in a voice that was hardly audible.

Benjamin entered without a readable expression. With tense broad shoulders he stood by the door watching me keenly.

He was very handsome tonight and his brown eyes showed.

"Are you ready?"

As I gazed at him , my heart began to race.

" I guess so, I don't have an option."

He looked at me and said softly .

"You always have a choice. But if we're going to do this, we must begin right away."

I nodded while trying to control my breathing.

At first the act itself was uneasy and awkward.

Despite my shyness and the shame burning in my face Benjamin was surprisingly gentle. He touched me carefully and thoughtfully without hurrying, his kisses were light as they traced lines across my body and when he tried to thrust in , I tried to close my legs

"This is difficult for us both." he muttered in a low voice. "But it's necessary ."

I tried to ignore the awkwardness and remind myself of my purpose as I closed my eyes. I was doing this for my family, for a better life.

.

I lay there looking at the ceiling after it was over, my mind racing with different feelings. Benjamin moved aside as he dressed rapidly. His tone was sharp as he said .

"Get some rest. In a week we'll go see the doctor to check if it worked."

Too overwhelmed to answer, I simply nodded.

Dr. Fields verified the information a week later. He smiled and said "Congratulations. You're expecting a child. "

A wave of relief and disbelief passed over me. In a real sense I was carrying Benjamin's child. Benjamin nodded but it was impossible to read his face. "Excellent. We will now move on to the remaining portion of the plan." Benjamin said

 But something didn't feel quite right. -I began to have unusual symptoms that didn't seem typical for a pregnancy and it began to bother me a month later.

 My cravings were inconsistent but I was always sick. I had a weird inexplicable feeling of unease.

Then the day arrived when everything fell apart.

Dr. Fields looked over my most recent test results and scowled.

His face went white as he glanced up at me and then at Benjamin.

" There's something out of the ordinary here." he said tentatively.

Benjamin scowled as he leaned forward. "What do you mean by out of the ordinary?"

 Dr. Fields paused then went on. The findings point to a phenomenon that is extremely uncommon but not impossible.

Cecilia is expecting twins but their fathers are not the same."

 Stunned silence descended upon the room. My heart was racing as I whispered.

" What? How could that even be possible?"

Doctor. Fields repositioned his spectacles. "The process is known as heteropaternal superfecundation. It occurs when a woman has sex with two different men in a short amount of time after releasing two eggs during her cycle. A different father's sperm fertilizes each egg."

 As his words sank in my stomach fell. Two fathers? I looked at Benjamin who was looking incredulously at Dr. Fields. "Are you saying that?."

" Mr McCarthy ,you own one of the fetuses." Dr. Fields said cautiously.

"The other. . . isn't."

As soon as I remembered what had happened between me , Max and then Benjamin, my blood turned cold.

Max and I had spent the evening prior to the surrogacy.

 I put my face in my hands and whispered .

"Oh my God."

Benjamin continued in a threateningly low voice. "Are you implying that she is also expecting *his* child?"

With tears running down my cheeks I looked up. "I had no idea this could happen to Benjamin. This wasn't something I planned—. "

His chair scraped the floor as he jerked to his feet. While pacing the room he muttered ."Unbelievable. I had thought that the child would be mine. I had arranged all of this and now you're telling me that I must share it with some crazy idiot out there?"

Doctor. Fields raised his hands in an attempt to stop the tension." Although it is uncommon, this need not make matters more difficult. After the birth of both children we can legally prove their paternity—."

Benjamin glared at me and yelled.

" I don't care about legalities. How could you have acted so carelessly?"

"Careless?" I snapped back my voice cracking "Do you think I intended for this to happen? Do you think I wanted this?"

"Enough d he said icily as he combed through his hair." It will take me some time to consider this. Don't you dare come close to me ever again."

I was sitting in the office shaking with shock and fear as he stormed out.

  I sat all alone in my room back at the mansion, feeling like I was being crushed by the situation.

Max's message buzzed on my phone. *Hey sweetie. I have not heard from you. *Is everything alright? Anger boiled up inside me as I gazed at the screen.

Now Max who had turned me down when I needed him most was checking in casually as though nothing had happened.

 Feeling a new wave of tears ,I tossed the phone onto the bed. For days Benjamin didn't talk to me.

I had never seen him look so icy when he finally called me into his office.

"I have made the decision to proceed with the arrangement.” he stated abruptly. "My child is all that matters to me. We'll arrange custody after the birth and you'll carry both to term."

"And the other child?." I hesitated.

"That's your problem. "He said in an emotionless tone ." But don't count on me to change my mind and help you. "

Despite the tears in my eyes , I nodded. I was forced to finish this regardless of how disorganized it had gotten and now my life was in shambles.