The Surrogate Contract: Nine Months to Betrayal

A'S

away from noise and from people just to remain between the

s I saw while I was growing up. It was luxurious with dark wooden racks s

somewhere no one else was. After all, with Paul and Celeste,

nt between the racks. I ran my fingers along the spines o

vocabularies I had never come across plus fractured ski

d my head back, closed my eyes, and just sighed. For a couple of minutes, I remained there wit

, concealed behind the curtains. Something about it l

ng my strength. Inside it was a leather-bound picture collection. It was heavy and tattered. The e

, and the first picture I saw w

efore, his smile was intense and real not t

lack hair and sparkling eyes. She had one arm around

e Vivienne". I

ne sees among the celebrities on television or social media, but her go

ent places, a beach, a dinner party and another that loo

Paul better, or I just chose to caution myself that even icy fellows like him had formerly

s with a fellow in a black suit. But the face of the man had been scraped out. It was not torn or faded but

dashed my finger ten

omeone do th

tall and broad, and he had black hair, but that was all I could se

afterwards. But I couldn't stop thinking about the scratched-out face. Those moments froz

getting nervous again. Although, I told myself I was j

didn't look like anybody was inside, even though the

y to see the restricted room. Then I gave it a second thought,

paper and cologne. "That's Paul's odour", I refl

ad out. One was marked CONFIDENTIAL in bold red letters. I open

notes from doctors. I flipped through the contents and

His face wasn't scraped out here. He's name was written as Dr. Alaric Voss. A neurologist.

to examine the r

ossible tampering with medication?" "Wow!" I exc

ing?" I

ils. Some lines were blackened out. Some had awkward signs

l like an acc

open in my hands. My breathing had become shallo

ture and so appear in a confidential medical recor

ng wasn

y were. I don't want to get caught, at le

and the sharp sound of Paul's voice, which was

king with Celeste but they didn't

e." Celeste's voic

s too much already,"

ve to be careful,"

gh the CCTV camera. Why didn't something remind me that

y mistakes," Celest