The Surrogate He Discarded

That was when Morgan and Isobel turned around simultaneously.

They had been so engrossed in analyzing the data on the tablet that neither of them had noticed anyone entering the nursery.

The moment Morgan saw Kristine standing by the doorway, his entire expression softened.

Without hesitation, he handed the tablet back to Isobel and strode toward his wife.

”Honey.”

His voice was so gentle, so full of concern, that guilt instantly washed over Kristine.

All the doubts that had been creeping into her mind moments earlier suddenly felt foolish.

”You haven’t fully recovered yet,” Morgan said, frowning slightly. ”I told you not to overexert yourself.”

Before she could respond, he bent down and carefully swept her into his arms.

Kristine let out a startled gasp.

”Morgan—”

He ignored her protest entirely.

As if carrying her was the most natural thing in the world, he walked back toward the crib.

Ella, who had been quietly observing from the side, immediately understood what he intended. Ever attentive, she quickly pulled a cushioned chair closer and placed it beside the crib.

Morgan lowered Kristine onto the seat with surprising tenderness, making sure she was comfortable before straightening.

The questions that had been burning inside her vanished. They died in her throat before she could voice them.

Her gaze drifted toward Isobel.

The younger woman was smiling innocently, completely unaware of the turmoil Kristine had been experiencing moments ago.

A fresh wave of shame swept through her. How could she have doubted them? How could she have doubted Morgan?

And Isobel...

The girl looked so sincere that Kristine felt even worse.

Meanwhile, Katherine remained rooted to the doorway, utterly bewildered. Her carefully constructed suspicions were crumbling before her eyes.

Shouldn’t Morgan be acting guilty? Shouldn’t he be nervous after standing so close to another woman in front of his wife?

Instead, he was behaving like the perfect husband—attentive, protective, and completely devoted to Kristine.

Not a trace of guilt could be found on his face.

Katherine’s confusion only deepened.

And what about that dog?

Who in their right mind would place a puppy inside a crib with babies who weren’t even four months old?

As if sensing her thoughts, Morgan turned toward Kristine with a grin.

”Honey,” he said excitedly, ”this puppy isn’t actually a puppy.”

Kristine blinked.

”What?”

”It’s a robot.”

Morgan’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

”But you couldn’t tell, could you?”

Kristine looked back at the fluffy white Maltese currently wagging its tail at Kristofer and Kirsten.

The puppy barked playfully before sitting down and tilting its head.

It looked completely real.

”Th-that’s a robot?” she asked in disbelief.

Morgan laughed.

”Exactly.”

He took the tablet from Isobel and crouched beside Kristine.

”Look at this.”

The screen displayed graphs, statistics, and live readings.

”These are our babies’ vital signs,” he explained. ”The puppy contains multiple sensors. It can monitor their temperature and even detect their heartbeats through physical contact.”

Kristine’s eyes widened.

”Really?”

Morgan nodded.

”We’ll be launching this product soon, and I know it’s going to be a massive success.”

His voice brimmed with confidence. Then he glanced toward Isobel. The admiration in his eyes was impossible to miss.

”This is all Isobel’s invention.”

The nursery fell silent.

”She owns the patent,” Morgan continued proudly. ”Aioryx was only granted exclusive rights to further develop and market the product.”

Both Katherine and Kristine turned to look at Isobel.

Their expressions couldn’t have been more different.

Katherine’s gaze was sharp and evaluating, as though reassessing the woman she had dismissed as a mere nanny.

Kristine’s expression, however, was far more complicated.

Surprise. Admiration. And something else she didn’t want to acknowledge.

Was it envy?

Perhaps.

A small ache settled in her chest as she listened to Morgan openly praise another woman.

Not because she believed he loved Isobel. She knew he didn’t.

But because Isobel possessed something Kristine never had.

Brilliance. Talent. A mind capable of creating things that could change lives.

The realization left a faint sting in her heart.

The awkward silence that followed did not escape Isobel’s notice.

For a brief moment, she caught the flicker of hurt in Kristine’s eyes.

The disappointment. The insecurity.

Then Kristine smiled.

”That’s amazing,” she said sincerely. ”I’m happy for you, Isobel.”

Relief flashed across Isobel’s face.

”Thank you, Kristine. My college major was in artificial intelligence, so this field has always been my passion.”

Katherine let out a derisive snort. The atmosphere instantly cooled.

”Passion?” she said mockingly.

She crossed her arms.

”Without my brother-in-law backing you, would you have achieved any of this?”

The words landed like a slap. The smile on Isobel’s face faltered. Her eyelashes trembled.

For a moment, she lowered her gaze. Because a small, painful part of her believed Katherine might be right.

Without Morgan’s support...

Without the opportunities he had given her...

Would anyone have noticed her at all?

The thought pierced deeper than she cared to admit.

...

”That’s enough, Katherine.”

Morgan’s voice cut through the nursery like a blade. The sharpness in his tone startled everyone.

Even Katherine flinched.

It was rare for Morgan to speak to her that way.

His expression had turned cold, his eyes hard as steel.

”Isobel is talented,” he said firmly. ”She doesn’t need to rely on me to become successful. If she wanted to, she could take her inventions to any company in the industry and they would compete for the chance to work with her.”

The certainty in his voice only irritated Katherine further.

In her eyes, Morgan’s defense of Isobel was proof that something was wrong.

And with Kristine present, she felt even bolder.

”If she’s so capable,” Katherine challenged, crossing her arms, ”then why did she become a surrogate right after graduating from college?”

The room fell silent.

A faint smile tugged at Katherine’s lips. She knew exactly where to strike.

Over the past few months, she had quietly investigated Isobel’s background.

She had eventually discovered that Isobel had been a surrogate mother.

What frustrated her was that no matter how deeply she dug, she could never uncover the identity of the man involved.

Still, that was enough.

”Doesn’t that prove she needed a man to depend on?” Katherine continued mercilessly. ”If she was really as independent and talented as you claim, why would she choose that path?” ℯℯ𝑙.

The color drained from Isobel’s face. Her fingers tightened around the frame of the crib.

The words felt like countless tiny needles piercing her skin.

She had endured judgment before.

Whispers.

Rumors.

People who looked at her and assumed they knew her story.

But hearing it spoken aloud like this still hurt.

”Katherine!”

”Katie!”