Chapter 1

My name was Madison Shaw, and I just had a baby girl. Everyone around me congratulated me, but only I knew the pain I was going through. My breasts were blocked, and my milk wasn't flowing properly. Every time the baby nursed, the pain made me tremble all over. Sometimes there was even a little blood. When my best friend, Alexis Gale, learned about my issues, she suggested a lactation consultant. She said she'd struggled with milk flow before as well, and he had helped her with his excellent technique. She sent me his contact information, and I immediately booked a home visit. After all, engorged breasts were agonizing. When the milk wouldn't come out, the pressure was unbearable, and even the slightest touch sent sharp pain shooting through me. Even putting on clothes became torture. Two days later, the lactation consultant arrived. I had scheduled him for 3:00 pm, and the doorbell rang right on time. I opened the door and was surprised. I hadn't expected the consultant to be a man. He looked to be in his early 30s, younger than I imagined. He was handsome in a refined way and was dressed in a white linen outfit. I hesitated. Could a young man really do this well? And this was such a private matter. Having a stranger—a man no less—handle it felt awkward. Besides, it wouldn't look good if word got out. He seemed to notice my unease and said gently, "Don't worry, ma'am. I'm a professional lactation consultant. I've trained under my mentor for over 20 years and can guarantee good results. "We completely understand if you have any concerns, but the deposit is non-refundable, so I hope you can accept that." Hearing that, I bit my lip and let him in. Private lactation consultations weren't cheap, and even the deposit was a significant expense. If it weren't for the unbearable pain and having tried several other consultants to no avail, I wouldn't have even considered hiring him. When Alexis recommended him, she raved about his skills as if nothing else in the world could compare. If there had been any issues, she wouldn't have given him such a strong recommendation. Thinking of that helped ease my nerves. I realized that ever since having a baby, I'd been overthinking things. It was no wonder my husband, Kent Jennings, kept teasing that I'd become overly fussy lately. The man's name was Howard Tate. Once inside, he immediately slipped on a pair of disposable slippers. Then he turned to me. "Ma'am, where would you like to do this?" He didn't need to say more as I understood what he meant. Even though I'd convinced myself to trust him, going through with it still made me a little nervous. Kent was at work, and it was just me and the baby at home. The baby was sleeping in the bedroom. After hesitating between the bedroom and the living room, I chose the living room. Howard didn't seem like a bad person, but I didn't want to take any risks. If anything felt off, I could immediately dash out the door for help. He nodded at my choice, expressionless. After laying out a disposable sterile mat on the couch, he went to wash his hands. "Ma'am, please lie down." I took a deep breath, slipped off my shoes, and slowly lay back on the mat.