Can You Blame Me?

I was brought up in a middle class family. We never wanted for basic things in life, but never had many luxuries either. I and my siblings were happy, however, because we had a stable family life and a good cadre of friends (three friends that I was particularly close to from elementary school even into adulthood were Brandy Sparks, Susan Tate, and Linda Franks). Two things that our parents successfully instilled in us were: 1) always follow the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; and 2) work hard because there are no free lunches. I believe that two of my three friends also abided by those "rules," which is one reason that we got along so well.

I'm not sure exactly how I was able to succeed in financial matters as much as I have; I would like to think that it was hard work, smarts, and treating others right, but there also was a measure of luck and serendipity involved. I never fixated on the luck and serendipity but didn't ignore them either; I was not the least bit arrogant about my success. One lesson that I learned on my own was that when Opportunity knocks, open the damn door!

So it was that by the time that I was 26 I, Melissa Surtain, owned my own business, owned my own house, and was very comfortable financially. While I had had a number of decent and rewarding relationships in the past I hadn't met the right guy until I was 25; his name is Gordon Korman. Gordon is good looking (better looking than I am I earnestly believe) and seemed to have good values, including the Golden Rule thing. The only issue with Gordon is that he clearly doesn't live up to his potential. While he is smart he is unmotivated (I don't want to say "lazy" but others might) so he works at a fairly menial white collar job that provides no stress, but no opportunity for real advancement or financial success either. However, he isn't macho and doesn't begrudge me my financial success -- he simply benefits from it.

Anyway, I fell really in love with Gordon, and apparently he with me, and after we signed a prenup protecting my business and protecting each other against cheating, we got married when I was 27 and he was 29. Brandy was my maid of honor and Linda and Susan bridesmaids. Since Brandy is also an unmotivated person I had to help her out financially for her to purchase her dress and pay her way for my bachelorette party, but I didn't begrudge that because she was such a good friend and my financial situation was much superior to hers.

**********

My married life with Gordon was between good and great for the first two years; then we hit a bump. Both of us really wanted kids -- I came from a family of four kids, and Gordon from a family of six kids -- so our plan was for me to get pregnant when I was 29, with the ultimate hope of spawning at least three. When things didn't work out after several months of trying (the trying was really fun but the lack of results disheartening) we both got checked out. Gordon was fine with high mobility sperm; I was not. I had Endometriosis. The only way that I was going to become a biological mother was to use a gestational surrogate.

Gordon and I talked seriously about the problem for a month, but we both were quickly on board with a surrogate and because of my financial success we could afford using one. I started looking for a desirable surrogate using information provided by my OBGYN. Of course I also talked with my three longtime friends Brandy, Linda, and Susan about it. While Linda and Susan were married Brandy was still single and after my first conversation with her she enthusiastically applied for the job.

At first I was a little shocked by Brandy's excitement in applying for the job, and wasn't completely sure that using a friend was a good idea; but Gordon was on board with the idea (he liked all three of my longtime friends), and no one I talked to had any serious reservations.

The situation seemed to be desirable too because Brandy was still -- even at 28 -- somewhat supported by her parents and her career wasn't an impediment to her being a surrogate. Therefore, within a month of first discussing it with her Gordon and I entered into a surrogacy agreement with Brandy.

A partner of my business attorney, Judy Young, is an expert in gestational surrogacy contracts so Gordon, Brandy and I met with her on several occasions. The contract we ultimately entered into was between an altruistic surrogate contract -- where the surrogate only gets medical and reasonable living expenses -- and a commercial one, where she also got a financial payment. A typical standard commercial surrogacy contract pays the surrogate $60,000 - $100,000 above medical and reasonable living expenses; Brandy agreed to $40,000.

Of course my excellent and experienced attorney made sure that all possible contingencies were taken into account including insuring that I would be named as the baby's biological mother on the birth certificate.

Within days of when the contract was signed the three of us -- me, Gordon, and Brandy -- participated in the first IVF procedure whereby Gordon's sperm and my egg are were fertilized together in a laboratory to create an embryo, which was then implanted directly in Brandy's uterus.

Unfortunately, the IVF procedure didn't work the first time. I knew form my OBGYN that that was not unusual, since roughly 25% of the time it takes 2-3 cycles. Gordon, however, seemed disturbed by the failure and it was hard to talk him out of his concern, but he eventually got with the program. The second time, the IVF procedure worked and Brandy officially became a pregnant gestational surrogate.

I was very pleased with Brandy's progress. She was one of those lucky women that seemed to really enjoy pregnancy and literally glowed. Gordon, me, and her parents were always really supportive and she was constantly upbeat and optimistic, one time even quipping "I'd really like a full time job as a surrogate -- this is the best job I've ever had!" Both Gordon and I attended her Lamaze classes.

The happy day came eight months and twelve days after her second procedure, when with a "short and sweet" labor and natural birth Brandy delivered a healthy seven pound, nine ounce, and 20 inch long baby boy who we called Hudson James. Hudson is a name that Gordon, Brandy and I all really liked, and James is Gordon's recently passed father's name.

In all, considering the IVF procedures, medical and living expenses for Brandy, her monetary payment, and all other things including attorney fees, the surrogacy cost about $130,000, but as far as I was concerned it was the best money that I had ever spent when I looked into Hudson's sparkling eyes. This was especially so after my mother told me horror stories of her less-than-desirable pregnancies and long and difficult labors in delivering her four kids, and the weight gain that followed. "I would have gladly spent $200,000 per kid if I could have avoided my pregnancy and labor difficulties," she one time laughed when we were passing Hudson between us.

I became an active parent in taking care of Hudson although I still had to spend the time to properly run my business, but I had good child care, my mother and Gordon's were both local and ready to help out whenever needed, and Brandy also pitched in, and to a lesser extent Linda and Susan since they had not yet had kids and were still deciding if they were going to.

************

There were no significant problems for at least the first year of Hudson's life, however there was a minor irritant. Brandy seemed to be spending more time at our house than I considered desirable, but Gordon didn't seem to mind so I didn't get my panties in a bunch about it. Then a cataclysmic event ensued.

Hudson had a seemingly significant health problem when about 15 months old. In striving to diagnose the problem properly the specialist that I went to -- sent by my normal doctor -- thought it desirable to leave no stone unturned so in case it was a rare genetic disease that had symptoms close to what Hudson was experiencing he took genetic material from both Hudson and I. When I went back to the specialist for my second meeting with him he didn't have the best bedside manner. He was more a brainy problem solver than a compassionate healer so I dubbed him "Dr. Brainiac" to myself. The first thing he said to me on the second visit was "I've diagnosed the problem and it is easily treatable;" and the second thing he said was "why didn't you tell me that you weren't Hudson's biological mother because fortunately the genetic-related problem was not the one I diagnosed but the genetic material you provided was worthless for the test."

Did you ever have a situation where you were completely dumbstruck; where it seems that a lightning bolt strikes from a cloudless sky and fries your brain? I hope that you haven't; I did then, and it wasn't fun. In fact the doctor, one of his partners, and two nurses had to work on both me and Hudson when I fainted with him in my arms. Fortunately he wasn't hurt because my body cushioned his fall, but I wasn't as lucky and got a couple of really bad bruises.

When I was finally completely lucid -- about fifteen minutes after my collapse -- the doctor wanted me to go to the hospital emergency room, but I begged off. "What happened?" was his clueless question.

"Until you said that I wasn't Hudson's biological mother I had no idea; I used a surrogate but it was supposedly with my egg. How can I confirm that what you said is true?"

Dr. Brainiac turned red, stuttered, apologized, and then finally got with the program. "You need to get your husband's, the surrogate's, Hudson's, and your DNA and have them tested to confirm parentage. I suggest the Apex Laboratory on Pine and Central Avenues. I'll write the exact prescription for the test and call them up and tell them to expect you once you've collected your husband's and the surrogate's DNA. This is exactly what to do..."

With that Dr. Brainiac turned from a clinical problem solver into a practical compassionate man and gave me everything that I needed including the card of an attorney. "Something similar, although obviously your situation is unique in my experience, happened once before and if you need legal assistance Mrs. Elizabeth Beamer will definitely be the attorney I recommend to deal with your situation."

I thanked the doctor, and left.

************

The human mind is a weird thing -- well I guess at least my mind is. In less than an hour I turned from a concerned mother who doted on my child, loved my husband, and loved my maid of honor, into a heartless bitch. Obviously I still had feelings for Hudson but they were one tenth of what they had been just an hour before. I got him the proper medications prescribed by the specialist, administered the first dose, then called Elizabeth Beamer and Judy Young (the attorney who had drafted my surrogacy agreement). By the time that I got home I had scheduled an appointment at 1 p. m. the next day to meet both Elizabeth and Judy at Elizabeth's office.

Collecting the DNA form both Gordon and Brandy was duck soup since she was at my house, yukking it up with Gordon, when I returned form the doctor's office. After telling them the good news about how Hudson's treatment was simple and highly effective, in a cold calculating manner -- but with an actor's smile on my face -- I invited Brandy to stay for dinner and easily got both there DNAs from glasses they drank out of. They never even noticed when I placed the glasses in labelled plastic bags, pretending that I was a CSI from a popular TV show.

Hudson's and my DNA was easily obtained with cotton swabs, also surreptitiously placed in labelled plastic bags.

In view of my new information I more carefully observed the interactions between Gordon, Brandy, and Hudson at dinner. I wondered why I hadn't focused on them before; Gordon and Brandy were way too friendly, and Brandy too attentive to Hudson.

That night I rode Gordon like a rented mule. I thought it highly likely that I wouldn't be with him much longer, and he is a good looking guy with a nice cock and treating him like a gigolo rather than someone I loved didn't sap me of any physical pleasure as a bounced on him like on a bungie cord, swore a blue streak, and with my tight pussy sucked every last milliliter of cum out of him as we both came like tsunamis.

Just before we fell asleep he mumbled "What got into you, tiger; that was fabulous!"

"Just showing my faithful husband how much fun I can be," I mumbled back, and then immediately pretended that I passed out from my sexual performance, hoping that my "faithful husband" comment had ruined his chance for a restful sleep.

************

Judy, Elizabeth, and I laid out a scorched earth program assuming that Dr. Brainiac was right about Hudson's parentage, including Judy making contact with the local sheriff's office. I got them both to work on the plan even before the DNA results came in six days later. Unfortunately the DNA results confirmed what I already knew -- Gordon was Hudson's father and Brandy was Hudson's biological mother, and I doubt that she conceived him in any way except the old-fashioned one.

The Saturday after the DNA results came in I had two process servers and two sheriff's deputies ready to come to my house when I texted them after Brandy got there for a fake event. Once Gordon and Brandy each had had a couple of drinks I texted the process servers and deputies. I eagerly let them in when they rang the doorbell.

"I've got a surprise for my faithful husband and loyal maid of honor," I grinned when I saw the surprised looks on the faces of two of my former favorite people. "First the civil matters."

With that the process servers each served one of Brandy and Gordon. I was suing Brandy for fraud, misrepresentation, and a number of other torts that Elizabeth and Judy dreamed up, and Gordon for divorce alleging adultery, for reimbursement for the money I spent taking care of his child the last fifteen+ months, and for eviction from my house. They also were both served with copies of my lawsuit filed with the court to have my name removed from Hudson's birth certificate and Brandy's added.

After that, when both Gordon and Brandy collapsed, I nodded at the deputies. "Brandy Sparks," the female deputy said with handcuffs in her hands, "You are under arrest for felony fraud. You have the right to remain silent..."

We didn't have to worry about Brandy remaining silent -- she was so gobsmacked I doubt that she could have gotten a word out if she wanted to.

After the process servers and deputies left, before Gordon could say anything I invited Judy and her three person film crew into my house. "Gordon, since the law doesn't allow me to evict you and your son immediately, but I have to give you 30 days under both our prenup and the law, I'm having everything in the house filmed. If anything is stolen or damaged in the next 30 days I'll file a criminal complaint and sue your ass in civil court too. I won't be around the next 30 days; in fact I'm leaving now but do not get in the way of my film crew or things will be even worse for you."

As I turned to leave, showing how clueless he is and how little he understood me, he whined "But how can we work things out if you're not here," "Brandy and I were worried that IVF wouldn't work and you wanted a kid so badly that we took matters into our own hands, just to help you, not to disrespect you," and "How can you abandon your baby who you've had more than a year to bond with him?"

All the whining fell on deaf ears. "Go fuck yourself," was my final words to him as I exited the front door to go to the extended stay apartment I had already rented and filled with the possessions I needed to get through the next 30 days.

************

Over the next six months a lot happened.

--Brandy's parents had to put up her bail by pledging their house as collateral. Fortunately she didn't skip town so they didn't lose her home.

--Gordon and Hudson left my house after 30 days and Gordon was smart enough to not damage or steal anything. They went to live with Gordon's mother.

--Both Gordon's mother and my mother came to see me to talk about the situation and see if I could be less cold and more accommodating. At least they both didn't try to get me to stop the divorce or to try to keep Hudson, but in any event they didn't get even the smallest concession from me.

--Linda was very supportive, Susan miffed. In the future Linda will become a better friend, and Susan will probably not want to associate with me anymore.

--Brandy saw the handwriting on the wall and her legal aid attorney convinced her that she was cooked, so she took an offer of one year in jail (not prison) without a chance for parole and three years on probation and pleaded guilty to felony fraud.

--I know that I'll likely never be able to collect on the $300,000 (including punitive damages) default judgment that I got against Brandy; but it will insure that once she gets out of jail I'll always have something over her; and who knows maybe she'll ultimately marry a rich clueless guy and I'll be able to collect with interest.

--My mom had bonded with Hudson but fortunately has four other grandchildren from my siblings, so she's in a good place.

--Gordon made a few attempts to contact me but I made it clear we would have no communication except through attorneys. He got the best settlement I was willing to give once he agreed to a quickie divorce and I was a free woman 120 days after filing.

--I do miss Hudson but I just couldn't take the disrespect by his biological parents and it would always bring back the most hurtful feelings of my life if I ever had contact with him. However, knowing that Gordon's mother was not in a good situation financially, and of course Gordon wasn't either, I give her five hundred dollars a month to help out in caring for Hudson with the proviso that if Gordon ever finds out she'll be cut off immediately.

--The court quickly agreed with my petition to remove my name from Hudson's birth certificate and add Brandy's and ordered it.

--After my divorce was final I realized that I needed help to overcome my sorrow from the ultimate betrayal by my husband and good friend. I joined a therapy group for people in similar situations to mine (as far as I and the therapists who lead the group know, no one else has ever been in my exact situation). I went to dinners and outings with Tom Jenkins, en similarly betrayed and hurt therapy group member just a year older than I am, at first just to commiserate together. However, we seemed to have somewhat of a spark, we found out by investigating each other on the Internet that we have similar financial situations and values, and we recently signed permissions to have two different P I firms do complete background investigations on each other. We also found out that we're VERY compatible in the sack. If the background checks come out to our likings we're going to temporarily turn over our businesses to our seconds in command and go on a one month vacation with each other to see if we're compatible long term. I see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm still far from being healed.