Chapter 3: Artificial insemination

Liezel sat in the office of her friend and doctor, Dra. Alexandra. She was smiling at her friend  as she tried to gather the courage to speak.

"I want to undergo artificial insemination to conceive a child," she finally blurted out, breaking the tense silence.

Dra. Alexandra sighed and looked at Liezel with concern. "I understand your desire to have a child, Liezel. But I have to warn you, the success rate of artificial insemination is not 100%. In fact, the chances of conceiving through this process are only about 20-30% per cycle."

Liezel's heart sank at the news. "Is there a reason for this low success rate?" she asked.

"There are many factors that can affect the success of artificial insemination," Dra. Alexandra explained. "Age, fertility status, and the quality of the sperm all play a role. There is also a risk of complications, such as infection or injury during the procedure."

Liezel nodded, trying to absorb the information. "And what about the risk to the mother carrying the child?" she asked.

"Carrying a child through artificial insemination is generally safe, but like any pregnancy, there are risks involved," Dra. Alexandra replied. "Women who conceive through artificial insemination may have a slightly higher risk of certain complications, such as ectopic pregnancy or preterm labor. It's important to discuss these risks with your healthcare provider before making any decisions."

Liezel nodded again, feeling a mix of disappointment and fear. She knew she had a lot to consider before moving forward with the process, but the desire to have a child of her own was still strong.

"And besides, where are you going to look for a sperm donor?" Dra. Alexandra asked curiously.

"I already have one," Liezel said, smirking. Dra. Alexandra's eyes widened in shock.

"And where did you get it? I need to know the information of your donor," Dra. Alexandra said seriously, considering the health of Liezel and her future child.

"I don't have a donor, I stole it," Liezel said, laughing. Dra. Alexandra stood up from her chair with an expression of disbelief on her face.

"You did what!!" Liezel covered her ears when her best friend shouted.

"Fuck.. don't shout, I'm just right beside you," Liezel said, glaring at Sandra, who glared back at her.

Liezel took a deep breath and explained her plan to undergo artificial insemination using a sperm sample she had taken from a man she met at a bar without his knowledge or consent.

Sandra's expression turned to horror. "Liezel, you can't do that! It's illegal and unethical. What if that man has a genetic disease that could be passed on to your child?"

Liezel's face fell as she hadn't considered this possibility. "I didn't think about that," she admitted quietly.

"But I don't think he has any illnesses," Liezel added, blushing at the memory of the man's physique and stamina.

"No, Liezel, you can't go through with this. It's too risky and irresponsible," Sandra insisted, placing a hand on Liezel's shoulder.

Liezel's tone turned serious as she responded, "No one can change my decision. I truly want a child, even if it means going through an illegal process."

Sandra was taken aback by Liezel's determination. "You're insane, Liezel. Your plan is crazy. I don't think I can support you in this," she said.

Liezel sighed, knowing that Sandra wouldn't agree with her. Among their group of friends, Sandra was the oldest and often acted like a mother to them.

"Come on, Sandra, please help me just this once.. please," she said, almost pleading. Sandra was the only one who could help her because she was a doctor.

Alexandra Jones, the heiress of Jones's Hospital, was well known throughout the country because of her many achievements in life, and also because she was the daughter of a famous surgeon.

"Why don't you just get pregnant in a natural way?" Sandra said, almost losing hope in her.

"Duh, I won't tell people, 'Hey, I'm the girl you had sex with last night, can you please impregnate me?'" Liezel answered sarcastically.

Her friend just glared at her and suddenly fell silent. After a while, she stood up and approached her.

"Why don't you just seduce him? Seduce him and then have sex with him," she said as if everything was easy.

Liezel just sighed. "Come on, Sandra, you're the one who will inject it into me, you know I'm not a doctor. I don't know how to do it," she pleaded with her friend. She even held onto Sandra's clothes to make herself look pitiful.

"Precisely, you're not a doctor, so just follow my advice. Seduce him until he falls in love with you.  You don't want your baby to grow up without a father, do you?" she continued, circling around her table and sitting down.

"And besides, even if I inject the sperm into you, it doesn't mean that you will get pregnant for sure. " she said while reading some papers.

Liezel's shoulders slumped as she looked at her friend. She really wanted a child. If she couldn't have a love life, she at least wanted to have a child. She didn't want to live alone. She continued to pout her lovely lips while thinking of a way to get pregnant, but to her disappointment, no idea came to mind.

She was still thinking when she heard a series of knocks that snapped her back to reality. Irritated, her friend turned to face the source of the noise.

"Come in," Sandra said.

A nurse hurriedly entered the room, panting and pale-faced, and clearly nervous.

The nurse nervously spoke up, "D-Doc, s-someone is causing trouble in room 301."

Sandra's eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Then why are you here?! Call the security guard!!" The nurse grew even paler at the shout.

"Umm, Doc, it's not an ordinary person," the nurse stuttered, which only made Sandra angrier.

'Poor little nurse, caught in the crossfire of my friend's anger,' Liezel thought to herself. Sandra had been upset even before the nurse arrived, and now she was sure that her anger was going to explode.

"Not an ordinary person?!! Who is it then? Superman?! Batman?! Someone who you can say isn't an ordinary person!! Just who the fuck is he?!!" Sandra shouted at the nurse, who was on the verge of tears.

"Relax, Sandra. You might have a heart attack," Liezel joked, but her friend only glared at her.

"He's Mr. Barker. He wants to replace the doctor who is watching over his child. He wants you, and if not you, he says he'll burn down this entire hospital," the nurse continued, her eyes on the verge of crying

Liezel looked at Sandra, and it was clear that she knew the name mentioned by the nurse. Her face couldn't hide her anger.

"That fucking pervert!! He's really trying my patience," Sandra said through gritted teeth. She tore the papers she was holding in frustration and stood up, slamming the door as she left the room.

Liezel chuckled at the door that her friend had just exited. She was still laughing when she noticed the nurse glaring at her with a stern look.

Annoyed, Liezel raised an eyebrow and then glared at the nurse. "What?" The nurse seemed frightened, quickly leaving the room.

As Liezel sat alone in the room, waiting for Sandra to return, her mind began to race with various scenarios.

'What if Sandra refused to inject the sperm into her? What if the procedure didn't work, and she couldn't get pregnant?' These thoughts made her feel anxious and uneasy.

She sighed and absentmindedly rubbed her stomach, lost in thought. Liezel couldn't help but wonder if there was any way she could have a child on her own. Adoption was an option, but it didn't quite satisfy her desire for a biological child.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Sandra stormed back into the room, her face red with anger. "That man is impossible!" she spat out, throwing a pile of papers onto her desk. "He threatened to sue the hospital if we didn't give him what he wanted." She said her face is red clearly that she was really angry.

Liezel couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation, which caused Sandra to turn and give her a questioning look.

"What's so funny?" Sandra asked, her tone still laced with frustration.

"It's just that, Mr. Barker seems to have thrown an interest on you," Liezel said, still chuckling.

Sandra rolled her eyes. "As if I needed another problem to deal with," she said, shaking her head. "The man is nothing but trouble."

Liezel felt a pang of guilt as she listened to Sandra vent her frustrations. She knew that her request was going to cause more problems for her friend, but the thought of having a child of her own overpowered her emotions.

" Sandra about my request, please help me. You know I don't want to grow old alone, even though I don't feel attraction towards the opposite and same sex because I'm asexual. I still want to feel being loved and to be loved not by anyone but my child, so please help me with this," she said, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and desperation.

Sandra sighed, understanding the depth of Liezel's emotions. She knew how important this was to her friend, and she couldn't bear to see her suffer.

"Fine, I will agree to your request, in exchange you will listen to me," she said, her tone softening as she looked at Liezel with a compassionate gaze.

A wave of relief washed over Liezel, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She was overwhelmed with gratitude for her friend's understanding and kindness.

"I'm going to be a mother soon," she whispered but her face has wicked smile on it while her heart swelling with a mix of joy and nervousness.