The Borrowed Womb

I frowned slightly. How did she find out so quickly?

Nevertheless, I didn’t tell her the truth. Instead, I put on a surprised tone. "No, of course not. I’ve been wearing it the whole time."

On the other end of the call, Jayde’s voice came out fast and tense. "That’s good. Colette, you absolutely cannot lose that charm. When I had it blessed, I bound it to the baby. If you lose it, the baby could be in danger."

I let out a silent sneer. 'The one in danger is you, isn’t it?'

After hanging up, I told @HollowBranch what had happened. They replied immediately.

"Her child’s life essence is currently inside the sow. The body is rejecting it, and that reaction is being transmitted back to her. That’s why she’s feeling unwell."

I nodded to myself. 'Good. It’s about time you felt what this is like.'

The next day, as soon as I got to the office, Sam Morgan, our team lead, walked over. "Colette, you feeling okay today? There’s a client you need to follow up with this afternoon."

Before I could answer, Jayde cut in, "Come on, that’s a bit much, don’t you think? Colette is already so pregnant. What if something happens while she’s out meeting a client? I’ll go instead."

I looked at her coldly.

She’d used this exact move to take several of my clients already.

At first, I thought she was helping me. I’d even been grateful. But now that I knew the truth, all I felt was a chill.

We had gone to the hospital together for our prenatal checkups and agreed not to tell anyone at work.

However, my stomach had grown so large I couldn’t hide it anymore.

Meanwhile, Jayde had managed to conceal her pregnancy perfectly, so lately, she’d been the one handling most of my accounts.

This time, I didn’t let her. I shoved her aside and said, "I’m fine. Jayde, you’ve already taken on so many of my clients. How could I keep troubling you? I’m past the three-month mark now. It’s stable. I’ll go."

She tried to say something else, but I didn’t give her the chance. I grabbed the file from Sam.

After Sam walked away, Jayde looked at me coldly and said, "Did you forget to wear your charm again?"

I froze for a second, then pulled the charm out from under my clothes. "No. I’ve got it on."

To avoid suspicion, I’d deliberately bought an identical fake and wore it instead.

Jayde nodded thoughtfully. "Good. Just make sure you don’t take it off."

Her tone had grown colder, and it sent a wave of discomfort through me.

Not long after, my stomach suddenly seized with violent spasms, swelling again as if someone were inflating a balloon inside me. The pain was so intense I cried out before I could stop myself. In an instant, everyone in the office turned to look at me.

I clutched my stomach, trying to steady myself, but the spasms wouldn’t stop. Sweat beaded across my forehead, and my face drained of color.

Jayde stood nearby and said in an exaggerated tone, "Colette, didn’t you say everything was stable? Why do you look like you’re in so much pain?"

I glared at her, teeth clenched, but the pain was so overwhelming I couldn’t speak.

Hearing the commotion, Sam came back and shook his head when he saw me. "If you’re really not feeling well, go home. Don’t push yourself."

A coworker nearby scoffed. "Wow, the office princess finally slipped up in front of us. It’s only three months. Does it really need to be this dramatic?"

"She probably doesn’t watch what she eats. Look how big she is. That’s not normal. Serves her right."

"If you can’t handle the job, just quit. Don’t hog the position. Our team lead was still working right up until she gave birth."

Hearing their words, tears welled up in my eyes. Northbridge Group was publicly listed and known for taking good care of its employees.

Before getting pregnant, I’d been the top salesperson for months. I was just about to be promoted to assistant team lead. How could I walk away now?

Jayde put on a fake look of concern. "It’s okay, Colette. If you’re not feeling well, go home and rest. Northbridge Group won’t fire you for being pregnant. Just leave your work to me."

I wanted to refuse, but in my current state, there was no way I could keep working. Sam also urged me to take sick leave, so I had no choice but to agree.

As I was heading out, Jayde leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "Don’t forget to keep wearing the charm when you get home. You didn’t wear it yesterday, and look what happened today."