Chapter 2

The next day, Richard's secretary called me.

"Ms. Bishop, Mr. Henson wants to remind you not to be late for the three o'clock pre-marriage exam."

I paused.

"He didn't cancel it?"

"Mr. Henson says he isn't canceling any set arrangements for now."

I laughed.

Very Richard.

The person could be swapped out. The appointment couldn't be wasted.

I went to the hospital anyway.

Not for the exam.

I'd left an old test report there, and I wanted it back.

When I pushed open the door to the consultation room, Richard was already there.

Leah was there too.

Three reports lay on the desk.

My steps stopped.

Leah stood up first.

"Mabel, don't misunderstand, I was only—"

"Sit."

Richard cut her off, then looked at me.

"Good, you're here."

I didn't move.

He pushed one of the reports toward me.

My name was on the cover.

Beside it was a printed table.

Age, family medical history, hormone levels, hours of sleep, future fertility window.

Every line had a number after it, and along the very bottom:

【Overall fertility compatibility: Mabel, 92. Leah, 96.】

My fingertips went slowly cold.

"What is this?"

Richard's tone was calm.

"A supplemental model."

"Who told you to enter my medical records into it?"

He finally looked up.

"We're getting married. This was always a factor that had to be considered."

I looked at him.

"The surgery I had last year, you entered that too?"

"Mm."

"And my mother's medical history?"

"There's a hereditary risk. Of course it's needed."

Something clogged up in my chest.

Last year I was found to have a benign tumor.

The night before the surgery, Richard was the one who stayed with me.

I was so scared I didn't sleep all night.

He sat by the hospital bed holding my hand and said, "It's just a minor surgery. Statistically, nothing's going to happen."

Back then I thought he was comforting me.

Only now do I understand.

He really had only been looking at the probability.

Leah spoke quietly. "Richard, maybe just let it go."

"Why let it go?"

Richard looked at her.

"Since we've decided to compare, we should eliminate as much of the information gap as possible."

My eyes snapped up.

"So you had her get examined too?"

"She volunteered."

"And then?"

He flipped the table to the second page.

He even pointed it out for me.

"Your life stability is higher than hers, and the cost of adjusting as a family is lower. But in terms of childbearing age, physical burden, and complementary temperament, she has the advantage."

When he finished, he must have decided my face looked too bad, because his tone softened.

"Still, it's not as if you have no room to improve."

I laughed.

"Here we go again."

"Mabel, I'm solving a problem."

"How do I improve?"

He actually answered.

"Start preparing for pregnancy a year in advance, ease your workload, keep your sleep steady at seven hours or more. Also your body fat is on the low side. I've already booked the nutritionist."

I looked at this man I had loved for three years.

He'd even booked the nutritionist for me.

So thoughtful.

So sickening.

"And if I don't want children?"

Richard's brow furrowed at once.

"Before the wedding you said you wanted children."

"I don't now."

"The reason?"

"Because thinking about a child having a father like you, I feel tired on his behalf."

Leah couldn't hold it in and lowered her head.

Richard's face went completely dark.

"Mabel, don't take it out on someone else."

"Who am I taking it out on?"

"Me."

"So you do know I have a right to be angry at you?"

He said nothing.

I picked up my own original report.

Before I turned, I pushed the scoring table back to him.

"Leah's four points higher than me."

"On this one item."

"Good for you both."

I gave Leah a small smile.

"Congratulations."

Leah went pale.

Richard shot to his feet.

"Mabel!"

He was finally a little frantic.

"I never said I was choosing her."

The words landed, and Leah froze too.

But Richard didn't feel anything was wrong.

He only looked at me.

"The overall result isn't out yet."

Something dawned on me then.

This man wasn't torn between the two of us.

He just couldn't bear to throw either of us away.

He wanted the 97-point wife, and he wanted the 98-point spark too.

He wanted everything, so everything had to be calculated.

But people aren't products.

And love doesn't come with bundle discounts.

On my way out the door, I deleted the hospital's exam-appointment text along with the rest.