The Surrogate Girlfriend

One

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Drowning in my laptop screen, I typed away relentlessly. For the past two weeks, all I’d done was hunt for jobs, any job really, just to survive. It didn’t matter what kind, as long as it could keep us afloat.

My father passed away a month ago, leaving me, my mom, and my two younger siblings to fend for ourselves. When the news hit that he had been involved in a car accident and died on the spot, I froze. Some might call me heartless, but the only thought that crossed my mind was: Our only source of income is gone.

It wasn’t that I didn’t love my dad. We didn’t have a good relationship, and I never truly knew him. He was always away, consumed with work, and gave us little of his time. He didn’t allow my mom to work either. He just wanted her to be a full-time housewife. At first, it seemed like it was out of care, but then we realised it was just a twisted means to exert control. And now, with him gone, we were left to suffer.

Our savings were dwindling fast. My mom had fallen ill, worn down by the thought of our inevitable struggle. My ten-year-old brother, Daniel, and seven-year-old sister, Sofia, were my biggest worry. I couldn’t bear the idea of them suffering once the money completely ran out.

I sighed and slammed my laptop shut, the headache that had been brewing all day finally reaching a crescendo. I hadn’t slept much lately, my mind spinning with a million thoughts, none of which made any sense. Everything was just a mess.

"Eva," came Sofia’s small voice as she approached me. "I’m hungry." My heart clenched. Her pale face made me want to scream at the world.

“Um,” I mumbled, rising from my chair. I checked the fridge, the cabinets, and the pots. Everything was empty. "Here," I said, digging into my pocket and handing her some money. "Tell Daniel to buy you both some snacks." Her face lit up as she took the money and ran off.

Tears welled in my eyes for what felt like the hundredth time, but I blinked them away. I made my way to my mom’s room. She was asleep. I sat beside her, and I watched her carefully. My chest tightened with each passing second. It was hard to believe how quickly everything had fallen apart. We hadn’t been rich, but as a middle-class family, we at least had the necessities. We were happy. Now, we were barely holding on.

Even in her sleep, my mom looked pale and broken. It shattered me to see her like that.

"Please get well soon," I whispered. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Eva," she croaked.

"Mom, how are you feeling?" I asked softly. She tried to smile but failed, and instead, a tear slipped from her eye.

“I’m so close to getting a job, Mom,” I lied, trying to sound hopeful. The truth was, I hadn’t found anything yet. But I didn’t want her worrying more than she already was.

"Eva…" she began, her voice heavy with sorrow.

"Don’t worry, Mom," I interrupted, forcing a smile. "I won’t do anything stupid or illegal, I promise." She looked at me with eyes filled with worry, but I couldn’t let her know just how bad things were.

"Just rest. I’ll make something for you to take with your medicine," I said. She nodded weakly, not arguing.

Once outside her room, all the tears I had been holding back came rushing down. I cupped my hands over my mouth to muffle the sobs. My world was crumbling, and it was becoming harder to hold on.

But I couldn’t give up. No, I wasn’t a child anymore. I was twenty years old. I was an adult. I had to survive this. I would survive this. I reassured myself.

I wiped my tears and sat back down, opening my laptop once again. It felt like my only way out.

Just then, my phone beeped beside me. It was a text from my boyfriend, Kelvin.

'Are you okay? Haven't seen you online today.'

I sighed. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, now I had to deal with my relationship too.

'I'm okay, just busy. Be online soon,' I texted back quickly before turning my attention back to the screen.

That’s when something caught my eye at the bottom of the page: 'Surrogate needed.'

I read the words aloud, my brow furrowing. Curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on the link. A form appeared on the screen. I was about to close it when I saw the amount of money being offered.

Fifty thousand dollars.

My jaw practically hit the floor. I didn’t know what came over me, but before I realized it, I had filled out the form and agreed to meet up.