Chapter 5 - “GIVE MARK A REAL CHILD”When Chloe turned two, Lorraine stopped being subtle.
“You and Mark should start trying.”
“For what?”
Olivia knew.
“A baby.”
“I have a baby.”
Lorraine smiled thinly.
“You know what I mean.”
Olivia stared.
“No.”
“I don’t.”
Lorraine lowered voice.
“A child of Mark’s.”
“Chloe is part of Mark’s family.”
“She isn’t his.”
Olivia told Mark that night.
She expected outrage.
Instead he sighed.
“Mom is from another generation.”
“Are you serious?”
“She wants a biological grandchild.”
“That doesn’t give her permission to make Chloe less.”
“I know.”
“Then tell her.”
“I will.”
He never did.
Then pressure moved toward Olivia’s career.
Lorraine:
“You’re exhausted.”
“You travel too much.”
“A proper pregnancy requires less stress.”
Mark:
“Maybe this is good time for you to slow down.”
Olivia stared.
“I’m about to leave firm and launch my company.”
“Exactly.”
“Starting company while trying for baby?”
“We don’t even know if we’re trying.”
Mark rubbed forehead.
“Can we not fight?”
Again.
Olivia’s ambition became conflict.
Mark’s insecurity became something she had to manage.
A month later he admitted:
“It’s hard sometimes.”
“What?”
“When people ask what I do after they hear what you do.”
Olivia stared.
“You think I embarrass you?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I feel like…”
He stopped.
“Like what?”
“Like I’m not enough.”
Olivia reached for him.
“That has nothing to do with my salary.”
He knew.
But feelings rarely cared.
Then came offer.
Her firm wanted promote her to partner track.
More travel.
More money.
More visibility.
Mark looked miserable.
Lorraine called it “terrible timing.”
Olivia turned it down.
She told herself temporary.
Then left job entirely six months later.
She postponed company.
She would stay home with Chloe.
Try to stabilize marriage.
Maybe eventually have another child.
One year.
That was promise.
May you like
One year.
It became three.
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