Justice for Stealing My Reproductive Rights

Rage burned in my chest. I swung my hand, slapping Ainsley. "Enough with your disgusting act!"

"You shrew!" Lemuel roared, cradling Ainsley with concern. "Are you okay? I'll get you an ice pack."

His tenderness, something I'd never experienced in three years of marriage, stung deeply.

Ainsley leaned into his arm, sobbing, "Brenda doesn't get our good intentions."

Lemuel turned, glaring at me with disappointment. "Is this necessary? I told you to stay home, and you came here to cause a scene."

He'd conveniently forgotten his flimsy expedited process excuse. I laughed coldly at his flustered rage.

He never valued my work. To him, my prosecutor's badge was meaningless. Whenever I tried sharing courtroom victories, he'd brush me off. "Alright, it's just arguing. What's there to brag about?"

His dismissal of me set the trap he'd fallen into today. I pointed at him, discreetly starting a recording on my phone.

"Lemuel, one last time," I demanded. "Are you trying to use my womb to carry Ainsley and your child?"

...

Lemuel froze briefly before doubling down, his tone arrogant. "Ainsley is my best friend. She is helping ease your burden. Why are you so narrow-minded? They're my kids either way. Instead of being grateful, you're accusing her?"

His ability to twist the truth was astounding.

"Ease my burden?" I laughed, my fury turning to clarity. "I've been injecting fertility drugs daily, canceling all social plans, and restructuring my life for this. To fulfill your dream of having a son, I drank your mom's awful concoctions for two years. You two stole my reproductive rights and blame me now?"

The whispers around us grew louder.

"Doesn't sound like just help."

"What's wrong with this guy? His wife is doing IVF for him, and he is protecting another woman."

Lemuel's face darkened. He leaned in, his voice low. "We can sort this out at home. Must you embarrass us here?"

"Embarrass us?" I shot back. "Wait and see. I'll show you real embarrassment. No one leaves until I see the original proxy form."

My resolve got under his skin. He turned to the crowd, raising his voice. "Everyone, don't misunderstand. My wife is under so immense stress from trying to conceive and is mentally unstable. This is just another episode."

The hallway fell silent. All eyes turned to me, pitying, as if I were unhinged.

"Mentally unstable?" I found it laughable.

This morning, we had been planning our future. Now, in front of Ainsley and strangers, he called me a delusional lunatic.

Ainsley peeked from behind Lemuel, her eyes gleaming with smug triumph.