The Adoption Trap

The smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils, stinging my nose until it ached. This was the seventh time I lay on a hospital bed, losing the child in my womb again. The doctor had just left, his voice heavy with regret as he said my body would make it extremely difficult to conceive again. I stared at the IV stand on the ceiling, tears silently streaming down and soaking the pillowcase. The ward door was gently pushed open, and Joseph Donovan walked in, followed by his friend Finlay Johnson. Finlay held a tiny bundle wrapped in swaddling clothes in his arms, from which faint movements seemed to come. "Catherine, look." Joseph came to the bedside, his voice softer than usual. "Finlay's friend's family had some trouble. This child..." Finlay Johnson held out the swaddling clothes, his face strained: "Catherine, the child's mother suffered a sudden amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth and couldn't be saved." "This child lost her mother right at birth; it's truly heartbreaking. I know you've always wanted a child. Look... could you consider adopting her?" I suddenly sat up, my eyes fixed on the swaddling clothes. The tiny baby's eyes were closed, her little mouth moving faintly—so fragile, yet so adorable. The pain of losing my own child still churned deep inside me. Seeing this child, my cold heart seemed to stir. Maybe this is the compensation heaven has given me? I reached out and gently touched the baby's soft cheek; the child seemed to sense something and let out a faint whimper. "Alright, I'll adopt her." I barely hesitated, my voice trembling slightly. Joseph Donovan and Finlay Johnson exchanged a glance, both visibly relieved. "That's wonderful, Catherine. Don't worry, I'll make sure the adoption paperwork is completed as soon as possible." Joseph Donovan grasped my hand, his grip firm. Finlay Johnson smiled and said, "Then Joseph and I will go handle the paperwork now, you stay here and take good care of the child." The two turned and left the ward. I gently held the child in my arms, feeling the warmth of her small body, my heart swelling with an unprecedented sense of fulfillment. But before long, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling inside. Joseph Donovan and Finlay Johnson went to handle the paperwork. They should have headed straight to the hospital's relevant department, but the direction they left in seemed to be toward the next ward. Driven by curiosity, I gently placed the child on the hospital bed, tucked the blanket in, then quietly got out of bed, walked to the ward door, and peeked out through the crack. Sure enough, Joseph Donovan and Finlay Johnson hadn't gone far; instead, they turned into the adjacent ward. I held my breath and slowly crept to the door of that ward, where their voices drifted out. "Joseph, are you really planning to let Catherine adopt this child?" It was Finlay Johnson's voice. Joseph's voice carried a hint of impatience: "What else can we do? Lisa is still in school; we can't have her raising a child—that would ruin her future." "Catherine has always wanted a child. Her longing for a child is so profound that adoption is the most fitting solution. She will surely take good care of the child." Lisa Carr? My heart skipped a beat. Lisa Carr is a college student financially supported by Joseph Donovan. I've met her a few times before. This child—could it really be Joseph Donovan's and Lisa Carr's? They actually kept it from me and expect me to adopt their child?