My Best Friend Helped With My Wife’s IVF

Willow Southfield, my wife, hated Luke Xavier, my childhood friend, the most. Luke hated her too. Whenever we met up, they would argue. Luke was half an hour late, and the first thing he said when he came through the door was, “Your makeup makes you look like you came straight out of a horror movie.” Willow threw his car keys into the ice bucket. “Fish them out and clear your mind.” My friends said that they were like oil and water, and I was always stuck between them, playing the peacemaker. Back then, we had been married for years, but we had no children. I told Willow that I was not in a hurry, but the idea of being childless hurt like a knife in my heart. Later, the doctors said that her fallopian tubes were blocked, and her chances of getting pregnant were slim to none. I was worried about her suffering from IVF, so I stopped our families from nagging at her to get pregnant. Meanwhile, Luke said to me, “Get a grip. You won’t be able to stay together for long if you’re childless. Just divorce her.” I was so mad that I nearly cut ties with him. But the next day, Willow approached me with an IVF form. With teary eyes, she said, “I’d like to try and have a child of our own.” On the day we learned that she was pregnant, I hugged her and cried. I thought that things would change for us. Then, three months later, Luke accidentally sent me a voice message while drunk. The voice was Willow’s. She sounded amused. “He touched my stomach today, and he looked so stupid.” “Did my baby kick him?” Luke asked in a whisper. When I finished listening to the voice message, I did not ask any questions. I just deleted the names that I had come up with for the baby. Chapter 1 The next morning, Willow started arguing with Luke on the phone, as usual. “Are you crazy? Why are you calling at 7:30 a.m.?” Luke chuckled lazily on the other end. “I’m just worried about you driving Samuel to his death. The hospital starts seeing patients at 8 a.m., but you’d still be picking the color of your lipstick at 9 a.m. Your baby is more punctual than you are.” Willow slammed her eyebrow pencil on the basin. “Seeing how rude you are, your tongue will rot sooner than later.” I stood at the door of the bedroom and watched as her cheeks turned red from all the yelling. In the past, I would play the peacemaker at this point. “That’s enough. He just likes running his mouth. Don’t pay him any mind.” Willow would then complain at that point. “Look at your childhood buddy. Even dogs hate him.” I believed that they hated each other for years. When we reached the hospital entrance, Luke was already waiting for us. He wore a black windbreaker and held two cups of milk as well as the number for the consultation. It was not easy to get a consultation number at a private hospital. Willow told me that Luke had a university friend working here, so he knew the process of queuing, paying, and collecting the medical report better than we did. Back then, I would have thought that Luke had finally learned some human decency. When Willow saw him, she scowled. “Why did you buy milk? I want to puke just from the smell.” Luke stuffed one of the cups into my hands. “Yours. With added sugar.” Then, he gave the other cup to her. “Yours. Without sugar, and warm. Don’t puke on my shoes. They’re expensive.” Willow scoffed in disdain before taking it. “You’re so annoying.” Even as she insulted him, she held the cup with steady hands. I took a look at my cup of milk. It was with sugar. That had been my preference two years ago. Later, to support Willow as she worked to get ready for her pregnancy, I stopped drinking sweet drinks. Luke did not know about that, but he did know that Willow could not drink anything cold or stand the smell of anything sweet. When we arrived at the door to the examination room, the nurse told us that only one family member could enter with the patient. Just as I was getting up, Willow grabbed my hand. “Don’t. The last time you watched them draw blood, your face grew paler than mine.” Luke snickered. “Samuel, if you faint before the baby is born, it’ll be so embarrassing.” Willow kicked him. “Shut up!” With exaggerated motions, Luke dodged her kick. “Fine. I’ll go inside and get yelled at instead. You’re going to have to go to church and ask God’s blessing just for me later, Willow.” “I’ll ask God to curse you instead.” They argued as they went into the examination room. Once the door was shut, the corridor fell silent. I sat down in my chair. The hot milk burned the skin between my thumb and index finger, leaving it red. Through the door, I could hear Willow whisper, “Don’t touch the report.” “If I don’t look, how will I know whether my… godson is going to turn out ugly?” Luke asked with a grin. Willow immediately shot back, “Shut up! He’s not your godson.” “Fine. Just Stane junior then.” They started arguing again, as if they were really going after each other’s throats. I recalled Willow laughing in the voice message. The checkup ended, and Willow came out with an ultrasound report. Her eyes were sparkling as she showed me the report. “Samuel, look! Look at the little hands!” I stared at the blurry image. Meanwhile, Luke peeked over her shoulder and said sarcastically, “Let’s hope the nose doesn’t take after Willow and the mouth doesn’t take after me. Better if the baby takes after Samuel instead. At least then, it’ll be quiet and won’t cause trouble.” Willow immediately smacked his arm. “Oh, stop flattering yourself!” As Luke dodged her, he accidentally knocked into my hand, right where the milk had burned me. I could not help frowning. Only then did Willow notice the redness. “Why is your hand red?” “The milk was too hot and burned me.” She immediately looked for the burn cream in her handbag. She looked for a while and could not find it. Finally, she turned on Luke. “Why did you buy something so hot? If he gets hurt, who’s going to pay for it? You?” “Would he want me paying for it?” Luke grinned. Willow was about to start yelling again when I said, “There’s no need. It doesn’t hurt.” She froze for a moment. “You’re always like this.” I did not ask what she meant. She then gave me the ultrasound scan and said softly, “Let’s put it on the fridge later. Have you thought of any names yet? We can pick one tonight.” I looked at the report. Emrhys, Salem, Amon, Alin… Those were the names I had saved on my phone yesterday, like little lights that had never had the chance to shine. Chapter 2 When Willow was twelve weeks along, Wendy, her mother, said that she wanted to treat the whole family to a meal. The next morning, Luke video-called her, and Willow answered with a huff. “What?” Luke stared at her for two seconds. “You look like you’re going to attend your own funeral, Willow.” Willow grabbed the box of tissues from the table and threw it at the screen. “To hell with going to my own funeral!” Luke laughed so hard that his shoulders trembled. “Switch to a red dress. It makes you look healthy. You don’t want Mommy dearest to think Samuel is abusing a pregnant woman.” After insulting him a few more times, Willow hung up. Then, five minutes later, she changed into a red dress. I stood by the wardrobe and did not know what to say. Luke arrived earlier than we did in the restaurant’s private room. He was confirming the reservation with the waitress. When Willow stepped in, she scowled. “Why did you order fish with pickles? I can’t stand sour things right now.” Luke tossed the menu on the table. “You can’t stand it, but Samuel can. He’s been eating bland food with you for three months. I bet he’s forgotten what real food tastes like.” The relatives laughed. “Those two are the same as ever. They argue the moment they see each other.” Willow laughed as well. As I watched, I felt a weight against my chest. Once dinner started, Wendy brought out a small, golden pendant. “For my grandchild.” She then turned to me. “Samuel, it wasn’t easy for Willow to get pregnant. Don’t let her keep things bottled up all the time now. Taking care of a pregnant woman’s feelings is absolutely necessary.” I nodded. Luke grabbed some fish and said lazily, “Don’t worry, Wendy. Samuel’s great at taking care of people. Even if the world collapses, he’ll shield Willow first.” Willow glared at him. “Will it kill you to not speak, at least for today?” Luke raised an eyebrow at that. “I’m praising your husband here, and you’re still mad?” “You shutting up is the highest form of praise for him.” Everyone laughed. Just then, the waitress came in with a tray of soup, but she slipped. The scalding soup headed straight for Willow, and I instinctively reached over to shield her. The hot soup spilled on my forearm. It hurt so much that my vision turned white. The room descended into chaos. Willow yelled, “Luke!” I glanced over and saw that Luke had bumped into the back of a chair when Willow shoved him away, leaving only the edges of his cuffs wet. He was stunned as well. “Willow, Samuel’s the one who got burned!” It was only then that Willow snapped her head around. When she saw that my forearm was red and blistering, her face turned pale. “Samuel!” She rushed over. With trembling hands, she tried to roll up my sleeves, but I avoided her hands. “It’s fine.” She teared up. “How could it be fine? Are you stupid?” For a moment, she looked as though her heart ached for me, but I no longer had the energy to wonder whether she truly meant it. Because when the soup spilled, I had not been the first person she called out to. I went to the washroom and washed the burn with some cold water. My skin was painfully red. Outside, Willow knocked on the door. “Samuel, open the door. Let me see.” I did not move. Then, she said softly, “I didn’t do it on purpose. Luke was the closest, and I was worried he might bump into me. Don’t read too much into it, okay?” I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Okay? Whenever she asked me that, her voice was always the same. It would be soft and gentle, as though the moment I said those words, all the hurt would simply disappear. When we went back to the room, Luke was fiddling with the pendant. Willow smacked his hand away. “Don’t touch that. It’s for the baby.” Luke chuckled. “What’s the big deal? It’s not going to break just because I touch it.” “You’re going to jinx it with your rotten luck,” Willow said, insulting him. He looked at me. “Hear that? She’s so overprotective.” I picked up my jacket. Willow immediately got up as well. “Where are you going?” “The hospital.” “I’ll come with you.” But the moment she took a step, she clutched her stomach. Wendy immediately rushed over to steady her, looking terrified. “Did you just get a fright? Sit down!” Willow froze. She hesitated for barely two seconds before turning to me. “Samuel, go ahead. I’ll come find you later.” “Okay,” I said. That night, the doctor cut open my drenched sleeve. When he tore off the cloth stuck to my skin, it hurt so much that my hands trembled. My phone screen lit up. Willow had texted me. [Tell me when you’re done. I’m worried.] Half a minute passed before Luke texted too. [Bro, Willow’s crying because of you. You can’t expect a pregnant woman to cater to your feelings. Don’t push it.] As I stared at the words, I laughed bitterly. Apparently, even my pain was a wrong I had done to Willow. Chapter 3 Willow started bleeding at midnight. When I rushed home, she was sitting on the sofa with a pale face. She was clutching the hem of her sleeping gown tightly. Luke stood beside the tea table with a tight grip around the car keys. His expression was dark, and he was not as quick to make cutting remarks this time. When he saw me enter the house, the first thing he did was snap at me. “Why are you back so late, Samuel?!” I froze. Willow was in so much pain that her forehead was covered in cold sweat. Even so, she snapped at him. “Why are you yelling at him? I didn’t tell him.” Luke whipped his head at her, and I could hear rage simmering in his voice. “You’re bleeding, and you still want to defend him?” Willow bit her lip. “Stop sticking your nose into my business, Luke.” “Am I supposed to watch you just tough it out?” After that, he seemed to have realized that his tone was too sharp, and he immediately turned his face away. It was quiet in the living room for two seconds before he stiffly added, “I don’t want to clean up your mess in the middle of the night.” Willow was in so much pain that she doubled over. She had no strength to argue with him. I went over to lift her up. She grabbed my collar and said softly, “Will the baby be okay, Samuel?” “It’ll be fine,” I said. Luke immediately headed to the door. “I’ll drive.” Willow snapped at him. “You drive too fast! I’m not getting into your car!” Luke stopped in his tracks. When he looked at her, his gaze was dark. In the end, he threw the car keys at me. “You drive.” I caught the keys. He said, “Drive steadily. Don’t press on the brakes too suddenly. She can’t handle it right now.” He was not mocking me, but he was giving me an order. I carried Willow downstairs. Luke stood at the edge of the elevator, holding the doors open with his finger on the button. Willow trembled in pain. The bit of red on the hem of her sleeping gown stood out like a sore thumb under the light. Luke took one look at it before he immediately looked away. Even so, I could see the veins on the back of his hands bulging. When Willow saw that, she snapped at him weakly, “What are you staring at?” Luke did not retort like he usually would. He just whispered, “Stop talking and save your strength.” Willow was taken aback. I was, too. Soon, Luke added, “Your voice right now sounds even worse than you crying.” It was the kind of thing Luke would normally say, but his voice trembled slightly. Willow was curled up in the backseat as we headed to the hospital. I drove quickly. Luke sat in the front passenger seat and kept his eyes trained on the road ahead. Right as we went over a speed bump, he turned to Willow. “Does it hurt?” Willow gritted her teeth. “None of your business.” He did not talk to her anymore and turned to me instead. “Didn’t you see the speed bump just now, Samuel?” I kept my hands tightly around the steering wheel. “I did.” “Why did you drive over it so quickly if you saw it, then?” “I did slow down.” Luke’s voice then turned cold. “She’s bleeding and isn’t throwing a tantrum like she usually is. Could you take this more seriously?” Willow immediately pushed herself up and snapped, “Luke!” He immediately shut his eyes, as if to suppress his anger. “Am I wrong?” Silence filled the car. A long time passed before Willow whispered, “Don’t blame him.” Luke snickered. The sound was short and stiff. “True. I shouldn’t blame him.” He looked outside while he kept a tight grip on the safety belt. “In any case, if something really goes wrong, it’s not my place to blame him.” The moment he finished, I tightened my grip around the steering wheel. Willow froze as well. Even though she was deathly pale from the pain, she still managed to tug at his sleeve. “Stop running your mouth.” Luke did not turn around. “Then, make sure you’re okay.” For once, he had dropped his act without even realizing it. It was pouring when we reached the door to the emergency department. I carried Willow and ran inside. But the steps were slippery, and my knees crashed into the edge of the stairs. It hurt so much that my vision turned black, but I did not let go. The first thing Willow did was shield her stomach. “The baby!” Not me. Luke chased after us with the umbrella. The umbrella was practically tilted entirely toward Willow. One of his shoulders was drenched in rain. When he saw me stumble, his expression turned even darker. “Can’t you carry her properly, Samuel?!” I gritted my teeth and stood straight. “I didn’t let go.” “You’d better not.” With that, he rushed to the receptionist’s counter. “She’s twelve weeks along, is bleeding, has stomach pain, and went through IVF. Get the OB-GYN here now!” The nurse was taken aback by how worked up he was. “Please register your name first, sir.” Luke hissed, “Get the doctor first!” Willow was pushed into an examination room. When the door swung shut, Luke stood outside, looking drained. He stared at the door. Water still dripped from the umbrella in his hands. It fell on the floor drop by drop. I stared at him. When he noticed my gaze, he quickly tensed up. “Why are you staring at me?” I said nothing, and he stared at my knees. Blood flowed down my pant legs. He frowned and continued stiffly, “Get your wounds treated.” “I’ll wait for the results first,” I said. Suddenly, Luke flew into a rage. “What’s the point of you standing here? If she sees you bleeding, she’s going to worry about you. Samuel, could you stop distracting her all the time?” I stared at him. “How am I distracting her?” He seemed to have been rendered speechless by my words. He gulped. Then, he looked away. “That’s not what I meant.” When the doctor came out, he said that Willow was showing signs of a miscarriage and needed to rest in the hospital to make sure she did not lose the baby. A nurse came over with a form and asked, “I need a family member’s signature.” I reached for the form, but Willow, pale and weak in the hospital bed, suddenly caught my wrist. Her voice trembled as she said, “Let Luke do it.” The nurse was stunned. “Who is he?” Willow shut her eyes. “I’m giving him the authority to do it. He’s been monitoring my medical reports and paying the bills. He knows who to look for.” There was no smugness in his eyes, only the look of someone who had finally been permitted to get close to her again. But when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “Have you really thought this through, Willow?” Willow closed her eyes. “Sign it.” Luke took the pen. He did not joke around and just signed the form. As the pen touched the form, he pressed down so hard that the tip tore right through the paper. Willow stared at him and teared up. “Luke…” He handed the form to the nurse and immediately took a step back. His voice turned cold once again. “Don’t. Save your strength to protect the baby.” He sounded like he was mocking her, but anyone could tell that there was a tension in his voice. I took a look at my knees. The blood had dripped onto my shoes. It was only then that Willow turned to me. When she saw my knees, she teared up. “Why didn’t you say anything, Samuel?” “Would you have looked at me first if I did?” I stared at her. She turned pale. Luke said coldly, “What’s the point of fighting over this now?” Willow immediately put herself between us. “Stop yelling at him!” Luke stared at her and suppressed his anger. “I’m just giving him a hard time, and you jump straight to his defense. Why are you still protecting him when you’re the one lying in a hospital bed?” Willow’s lips quivered. “He’s my husband.” The moment she said that, the corridor fell silent. Then, Luke chuckled. It was soft but grating to the ears. “Fine!” He took half a step back. “He’s your husband…” It hurt so much that my knuckles turned white. At that moment, my phone vibrated. It was a text from my lawyer, Peter. He had sent me the investigation report. I had asked him to look into the private fertility clinic we had visited. It was written clearly in the report that Luke was the one who provided all of Willow’s supplementary documents. The registered name for the sperm sample was not mine. There was also a non-invasive paternity test at the back that excluded the possibility that I was the baby’s father. I stared at it for a long time. “Does it hurt a lot?” the doctor asked. I put the phone face down. “No.” It actually hurt a lot. My knees hurt, and my forearm hurt. But my heart ached even more. It was like someone had dug it out. Willow texted me. [The baby is safe for now. Luke didn’t yell at you on purpose. He was just too worked up.] ‘Too worked up…’ I thought and stared at those three words. Then, I slowly unpinned her chat from the list. Chapter 4 I did not pick Willow up on the day she was discharged. She called me more than ten times. When I finally answered, she snapped at me, “I’m getting discharged, and you’re making me come home alone?” “Isn’t Luke with you?” I asked. She fell silent for a moment. “Something came up all of a sudden, so he left.” Soon, her voice softened. “Don’t read too much into it. He was just worked up last night. He was worried about the baby.” I took a look at the partially disassembled baby cradle. “You think he was worried, do you?” Willow’s breath stilled. “That was just an offhand remark. Don’t nitpick over my words.” I hung up. That day, I cleared out the nursery. The baby cradle, the star lights, the prenatal education devices, and the baby clothes went into boxes. Willow came back at 9 p.m. Luke was right behind her. When she came in, she was still arguing with him. “Who told you to come in with me?” Luke’s voice was hoarse. “I was worried about you dying in the elevator.” Enraged, Willow turned to face him. “Could you speak like a decent human being for once?!” They were still arguing, just like they did countless times before. Then, Willow saw the empty nursery. Her face turned pale. “Have you lost your mind, Samuel?! Those are all the baby’s things!” I sealed up the last box. “Luke can take them.” She stiffened. Luke said nothing. I turned to him. “You were very anxious yesterday.” Luke gulped but did not laugh. “I doubt anyone could stay calm while seeing a pregnant woman bleed.” Quickly, Willow moved between us. “Samuel, don’t say that! He was just being stubborn.” I nodded. “That’s what I thought, too. You argue the moment you see each other. You say he has no filter, and Luke thinks you’re troublesome. I’m always stuck between you two as the peacemaker and thought you actually hated one another.” Then, I put my phone on the tea table. The voice message started playing. Willow’s laughter could be heard clearly. “He touched my stomach today, and he looked so stupid.” “Did my baby kick him?” Luke asked in a whisper. The living room fell silent. Luke instinctively reached for the phone, but stopped halfway. He stared at me. The usual smug look was finally gone from his face. “Samuel…” I put the report on the tea table. “There were no records of an IVF. Willow, you didn’t give me a report saying that the IVF was a success. It was a pregnancy test.” Willow put a hand against the sofa and swayed. “Do I need to tell you how you got pregnant?” I asked. She cried and shook her head. “It’s not what you think. I never meant to keep this from you for so long. I just wasn’t thinking straight back then. Luke kept telling me that sooner or later, you’d regret not having a baby.” Her voice quivered badly. “I got drunk that night… and made a mistake. I thought there was no way I could get pregnant naturally. The doctor said my chances were so low.” Luke lowered his head and clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “Later, the date of her pregnancy didn’t line up, so I went to check.” He paused for a while. When he finally continued, his voice was hoarse, “The baby’s mine.” Willow continued through her tears, “I didn’t dare tell you. I lied to myself, saying that once I gave birth, we could still be a family.” I laughed. “You weren’t trying to give me a family. You knew ours was already broken, yet you still expected me to pretend nothing was wrong.” I pushed the divorce agreement to her. “Sign it.” She lunged to hug me. “Samuel, I’m sorry! I don’t want the baby. Can’t we start over?” I slowly pried her hands off me. “Don’t use the baby to make me give in.” She turned pale. Suddenly, she cradled her stomach. “Samuel, it hurts…” In the past, whenever she complained of pain, I would immediately scoop her up and rush her to the hospital. This time, I simply took out my phone and called an ambulance. “A pregnant woman is experiencing abdominal pain. I’ll give you the address.” Willow stared at me in disbelief. “You’re not taking me to the hospital?” I handed the pregnancy report to Luke. “You’re the baby’s father.” As Luke stared at the report, his hands trembled. This time, he did not retort. Willow cried and grabbed my sleeve. “You weren’t like this before. You couldn’t stand to see me cry.” I picked up my suitcase and stopped at the door. “I loved you in the past.” “What about now?” she asked. “I don’t,” I said.