Chapter 11

Vincent was the one with the fertility issue. His condition was so severe that without IVF, he would never be able to father a child in this lifetime. Madison had never undergone IVF—or any fertility treatments at all, yet somehow, she made it through the full pregnancy and gave birth without any medical intervention. That single text from me hit Vincent like a fishbone lodged in his throat—sharp, painful, and impossible to ignore. He couldn't breathe. It didn't make sense. For ten years, he had truly believed I was the problem—that the failure to conceive had always been on me. He didn't want to believe it, but when he looked at Madison holding that baby, the doubt began to take root. He couldn't sleep. For an entire week, he was consumed by it. The high of fatherhood couldn't smother the dread crawling under his skin. Eventually, he drove himself out to Eastmoor for a private consultation. When the results came back, one line shattered his world. "Azoospermia." Madison had