The Surrogate He Discarded

Denise Montana stood just outside the carousel’s perimeter, her arms folded across her chest, impatience written plainly across her face.

She still couldn’t understand why Carlos had insisted on going back for another ride.

”Sis, just be patient,” Dani said beside her. ”Kai is having a good time.”

”Hmph.” Denise’s lips curled. ”That bastard has learned to get his father’s attention.”

Her eyes remained fixed on Carlos.

”Have you found out who his mother really is?” Dani asked, her gaze fixed on the laughing child, his arms spread wide as his horse went up and down.

”No.”

Denise’s expression darkened.

Earlier, she had noticed Carlos standing unusually close to another woman. The sight had immediately put her on edge. But she had no proof. The woman appeared to be the mother of the little girl beside her, so perhaps it was nothing more than coincidence.

Still, Denise couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, especially when Carlos leaned toward the woman and whispered something in her ear.

Denise’s gaze hardened.

Why was he standing so close to her?

The distance between them was far more intimate than she was comfortable with, and an unpleasant knot began to form in her stomach.

Before she could dwell on it, Dani’s voice drifted into her ears.

”Are we really going to stand here and wait for them?” Dani asked. Even she was beginning to lose patience. She wanted to explore the amusement park, but Denise had insisted that she stay with her.

”Of course we’re waiting.” Denise glanced toward the carousel. ”Didn’t you see the Daltons and the Fosters over there? This is the perfect opportunity to greet them when they get off.”

”Wouldn’t that be intruding on their family time?” Dani asked. ”We’ll have plenty of chances to talk to them at the birthday party.”

”The Daltons will have their own hall, and the Fosters will be in another.” Denise’s voice carried a calculating edge. ”Here, they’re all together.”

That was what mattered. She wanted to see them.

Her gaze returned to Carlos.

Earlier, when Kai had called out her name and waved at her, Carlos had briefly glanced in her direction.

Just once.

Since then, he hadn’t looked at her again.

Not even a single time.

Bastard.

Denise clenched her fingers around her handbag.

It was her misfortune to have married such a cold man.

Carlos had always been like a block of ice—handsome, composed, and utterly incapable of tenderness. He could look at her with those calm, indifferent eyes and make her feel as though she were nothing more than a stranger standing in the same room.

And yet, once upon a time, she had loved him desperately.

They were classmates in law school.

Back then, Carlos had been the most handsome man in their class. Intelligent, disciplined, and impossible to ignore. Denise had fallen for him almost immediately.

She was so certain that he was the man she wanted that she had pressured her father into arranging their marriage.

She believed that once they became husband and wife, he would eventually come to love her.

She was wrong.

No matter what she did, she could never win his heart.

One night, after another intimacy between them that had felt more like an obligation, Denise had finally broken down.

She was completely naked beneath the sheets while Carlos was already dressed, buttoning his shirt with the same detached calm he displayed every day.

”Why can’t you love me, Carlos?” she had asked, her voice trembling. ”What is it about me that you hate? Tell me. I’ll change.”

Carlos had looked at her for a long moment.

Then he had spoken without a trace of warmth.

”You can’t change, Denise.”

She stared at him.

”You’re selfish and arrogant. You’re a schemer. It’s engraved in your very marrow.” His expression had remained cold. ”How could you possibly change?”

Her heart had shattered.

”We could have been friends,” he continued. ”Maybe even partners. But you forced me into this marriage.”

The words had pushed her over the edge.

”Then divorce me!” Denise had shouted.

Carlos had turned toward the door.

”Don’t worry.”

He had paused for only a moment.

”That time will come soon.”

Then he had walked away without looking back.

Denise had grabbed her phone and hurled it after him.

It struck the doorframe with a sharp crack before crashing onto the floor.

”Damn you, Carlos!”

Tears had burned her eyes.

”I hate you. I hate you!”

After that night, something inside Denise had changed.

She stopped waiting for his affection.

She stopped trying to win him over.

Their marriage became increasingly distant, their conversations reduced to necessities and their nights together becoming nothing more than attempts to conceive.

For three years, she had tried.

Nothing worked.

Eventually, she underwent a thorough medical examination and received the diagnosis that changed everything.

She had polycystic ovary syndrome, and conceiving would be difficult.

When Carlos learned the truth, whatever little patience he had left seemed to disappear.

Then, one day, he brought home a son.

His son.

Kai.

Carlos’s parents were overjoyed. After five years of marriage, they finally had a grandson.

Denise’s own parents, however, were furious.

But what could they do?

It wasn’t as though Denise had refused to have children. She had tried everything she could. Her body simply would not cooperate.

But strangely enough, Kai turned out to be an incredibly lovable child.

Before long, he had won over everyone.

Denise’s parents adored him. Her siblings spoiled him. Even the relatives who had once complained about his lack of Montana blood gradually started caring.

Kai was simply Kai.

He had become part of the family.

Everyone accepted him. Everyone except Denise.

She could never bring herself to accept the boy completely.

She knew it wasn’t his fault. She knew he had done nothing wrong.

And yet, every time she looked at him, she was reminded of everything she had failed to give Carlos...a child... a complete family.

Perhaps she was with child; then her place beside him would be secured.

Of course, she could never let anyone see what she truly felt.

So she smiled. She played the role of a devoted stepmother. And she waited.

But now, watching Carlos with Kai from across the carousel, an unfamiliar uneasiness began to settle in her chest.

Carlos was different around the boy.

He was softer and more attentive.

He looked like a good father and an affectionate one.

And Denise couldn’t help wondering—

What if Kai was mine? Would he look at me differently?