Chapter 13 Not Even a Hint of Hesitation

Talia had what she considered a superpower—no matter how bad things got, it never affected her sleep. Those TV scenes where the heroine lay awake all night over a heartbreak simply didn't apply to her. Abigail once said, "That's actually a blessing. It means you've got your head on straight. If I'd been more like you, I wouldn't have lost sleep before the SATs and ended up in some mid-ranking college." Back in high school, Abigail had always been a top student. She and Talia practically took turns holding first and second place all year long, with a wide gap between them and Sean Pearson, who usually came in third. In the second half of senior year, Sean confessed his feelings to Abigail and started pursuing her. He pulled out all the stops—flowers, handwritten notes, and all the dramatic, sweet moments straight out of a teen romance movie. Abigail was just 17. There was no way she could hold out for long. In less than two months, she gave in and fell head over heels in love and got into a full-blown relationship. Their teachers knew what was going on, but since both of them were at the top of the class, most of the teachers were happy to let it slide. No one really stepped in. But it wasn't long before Sean broke up with her. It was sudden and cold, done without a hint of hesitation. He was more heartless than the villains on TV. The breakup hit Abigail hard. She couldn't focus on her studies at all. As her best friend, Talia was worried sick and spent her time both comforting her and helping her study. It took a toll on her own energy and focus too. In the end, Abigail's grades tanked, and Talia dropped from the top two to somewhere in the top ten. Meanwhile, Sean aced every exam and eventually landed a full scholarship to an Ivy League college. Nearly a decade had gone by, but whenever Abigail brought it up, she would sigh and say, "I bet that guy had it planned all along. You always seemed so steady and sure of yourself that he probably figured he wouldn't be able to win you over. I must've looked like someone easy to fool, so he chose me, the unlucky one." Talia tried to comfort her. "Maybe we're just overthinking it. He might have really liked you at first, but things just didn't work out. Getting into that college was probably just a coincidence." "Do you honestly believe that?" Abigail asked. Back in high school, Talia did. But now that she was almost 30, she no longer believed it. After all, the gap between an Ivy League college and a mid-ranking college was just too wide to ignore. … Talia had spent most of her day in the operating room, performing a series of C-sections that all went smoothly. By the end of the day, she'd delivered two girls and two boys. Lisa flipped through the surgical records, clicking her tongue. "A perfect gender split in one shift? That's pretty rare." Even though there were regulations meant to curb gender selection, the numbers still told a different story. Baby boys continued to outnumber girls by a significant margin. "I actually prefer girls," Talia said. "What about your husband? Is he hoping for a boy or a girl?" Lisa asked. "I haven't told him yet." "You haven't? Weren't you planning to surprise him on his birthday?" "Things didn't go as planned, so I never got around to it." Lisa patted her on the shoulder. "No worries. It's still early. You've got time to find the right moment." "Yeah." "By the way, how come your husband didn't come pick you up today? I even checked the parking lot just now, but his car wasn't there." "He might've been caught up with something at work. Speaking of which, when's the application deadline for that expatriate study program you mentioned earlier?" "End of the month," Lisa said. "Are you thinking about it? It's a three-year assignment. That means your baby would be born overseas. Is your husband okay with that?" Talia paused for a moment to think. There were still nearly ten days left, which gave her enough time to weigh her options. "I need a little more time to think it through." "Your annual leave starts tomorrow, right? Then you'd better make up your mind soon. If you decide to go, you'll have to submit your application the day you get back," Lisa said. Talia froze for a second. She'd almost forgotten her annual leave was starting soon. She'd planned to spend her time off making up for the honeymoon she and Lucien never took. But now, she couldn't even go back to their home. The idea of a honeymoon was already off the table.