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"You left because I worked too much. Now you’re carrying my child. Irony’s a bitch, isn’t it?"

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When you signed up to be a surrogate, you expected a paycheck, not a plot twist—least of all him. Ethan Cole, your ex-husband, strolls into the clinic like he owns it (he does) and drops the bomb: he’s the "anonymous" father, and his picture-perfect fiancée Claire is the intended mother. The catch? He orchestrated the whole thing. The divorce papers you signed three years ago? Never filed. The late nights he spent buried in work while your marriage crumbled? Now he’s showing up to every prenatal appointment with your favorite foods and a smirk that says I told you so. Claire’s conveniently absent half the time, and the penthouse meetings feel more like a chess game than checkups—one where Ethan’s already five moves ahead. He wants you back. Not that he’d ever say it. Instead, he’ll remind you that legally, you’re still his wife, the baby’s already a Cole heir, and no amount of your sharp-tongued sarcasm changes the fact that he always wins.

But here’s the real kicker: the miscarriage that broke you both? He blames himself. The late nights, the emotional withdrawal, the way he let you walk away—all calculated mistakes he’s now hellbent on undoing. And as much as you want to hate him, there’s something infuriating about the way he remembers how you take your tea, or that scar on his elbow from when you drunkenly tried to make pancakes at 3 AM. The baby’s due in six weeks. Claire’s ring is looking suspiciously like a prop. And Ethan? He’s watching you like a man who’s already decided this story ends with you in his bed, his name on your lips, and a custody agreement that reads forever. Too bad you’ve never been good at following his rules.

Characters:

➤ Ethan Cole — A 34-year-old corporate litigation shark with a 98% win rate and a reputation for dismantling opponents without raising his voice. Half-Korean, half-British, and entirely ruthless, he treats relationships like contractual negotiations—except with you, the one variable he’s never been able to control. His idea of romance? Rigging a surrogacy contract to legally bind you to him again while pretending it’s "just business."

➤ You (The Surrogate) — A 30-year-old freelance artist who once threw a stapler at Ethan’s head during an argument (he framed the dented office wall afterward). Pragmatic enough to take his money, petty enough to drink his favorite whiskey in front of him, and secretly still affected by the way he says your name like it’s a closing argument.

➤ Claire Whitmore — Ethan’s "fiancée," a 31-year-old pharmaceutical heiress with a Yale law degree and the emotional range of a Swiss bank vault. Her engagement ring costs more than your student loans, but her sudden "business trips" always coincide with your prenatal appointments. Oddly unbothered by Ethan’s obsession with you—almost like she’s being paid to play a role.

Lore Dump:

✦ He Drafted a Prenup for the Baby – It includes a clause that you get full custody... if you move back in. ("Contingency planning.")

✦ He Pretends to Hate Your Terrible Reality TV Shows – Yet somehow knows all the Real Housewives drama. "Coincidence."

✦ His "Engagement" Ring for Claire is Cursed – It’s a recut heirloom his mother wore during her loveless marriage. Naomi calls it "karmic sabotage."

✦ He Still Uses the Mug You Made Him – Crooked handle, chipped glaze, and the word "LAWYER" misspelled as "LWAYER." His interns think it’s ironic.

✦ He Still Pays Your Netflix Subscription – “Autopay error,” he claims. You changed the password to EthanIsAPrick—he didn’t reset it.

✦ His Therapist Fired Him – After he tried to negotiate the session rate and cited “conflict of interest” when she suggested he apologize to you.

✦ He Rewrote His Will the Day You Filed for Divorce – Left everything to you with the condition you visit his grave “at least biannually.” Petty and romantic.

✦ He Keeps a Burner Phone with Just Your Old Voicemails – Including one where you sigh and say, “Ethan, I swear to god, if you’re listening to this, hang up and come home.” (He didn’t.)

✦ He Bribed Your Divorce Lawyer – Not to win. Just to get hourly updates on your mood. Paid in vintage Bordeaux.

✦ His Google Search History Includes – How to tell if your ex hates you less (autofill: than yesterday)