Chapter 37 The Doctor’s Verdict
The fertility specialist’s office felt more intimidating than the previous clinic. Sleek furniture, soft lighting, and framed degrees on the wall created an atmosphere of quiet authority. Elena sat rigidly beside Marcus, her hands clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles stood out white. She had barely spoken during the drive over, her face pale from another sleepless night and the side effects of the stronger medication.
The specialist, a tall man in his late forties with a calm but direct manner, reviewed all their previous tests and charts. He spoke without sugarcoating. “The medication has improved ovulation, but the overall picture suggests challenges on both sides — reduced motility on your end, Marcus, and some endometrial issues on yours, Elena. Natural conception is still possible, but the odds are lower than we’d like at this stage. I recommend we consider moving to IUI or, if you prefer to be more aggressive, discussing IVF soon.”
Elena’s breath caught. She blinked rapidly, fighting back tears. “So… it’s not just bad luck?”
The doctor shook his head gently. “It’s not hopeless, but we shouldn’t keep waiting month after month without intervention. The emotional toll is real, and time matters.”
Marcus felt the words land like stones in his stomach. He squeezed Elena’s hand, playing the supportive husband while his mind raced with panic. More intervention meant more scheduled intimacy, more pressure, and even less room to hide what he was doing with Lucy.
The ride home was thick with silence. Elena stared out the window, occasional tears slipping down her cheeks. When they finally pulled into the driveway, she turned to Marcus with red-rimmed eyes.
“I knew it might come to this,” she said, voice cracking. “But hearing it out loud… it hurts. I feel like my body is failing us.”
Marcus pulled her into his arms across the console, holding her as she cried softly against his shoulder. He stroked her hair and murmured all the right words — that they were a team, that they would explore every option, that he was right there with her. Elena clung to him, drawing strength from his steady presence.
But inside, Marcus was unraveling. He had just sat through a clinical discussion about creating life with his wife while the memory of Lucy’s body wrapped around him the night before still lingered on his skin. The guilt was no longer a sharp sting — it had become a constant, throbbing ache.
The moment they stepped inside the house, Elena excused herself to lie down, emotionally drained. Marcus stood in the hallway for less than a minute before the hunger surged through him like fire. He knew he should stay away. He knew he should comfort his wife without adding another layer of betrayal. Yet his feet carried him straight to Lucy’s room.
She opened the door before he knocked. One look at his face told her everything. Without a word, she pulled him inside and closed the door.
Marcus didn’t speak. He simply pushed her against the wall and kissed her with desperate intensity. Clothes were shed in a frantic rush. When he entered her, it was with a deep, forceful thrust that made Lucy gasp sharply. He fucked her hard against the wall, then carried her to the bed and took her with raw, almost angry need.
Lucy met every brutal stroke, her legs wrapped tightly around him. “You just heard the doctor say your wife might need IVF,” she breathed between moans, “and the first thing you do is come fuck me. What does that say about you?”
The words cut deep, but they only made him thrust harder. The conflict inside him reached a fever pitch. He wanted to be the man who fought for Elena’s dream. He wanted to stop hurting the woman who trusted him completely. Yet the pull toward Lucy had become so powerful that even the doctor’s sobering verdict couldn’t keep him away.
When they finally collapsed together, breathing hard and slick with sweat, Marcus stared at the ceiling, chest heaving. The emotional collapse he had confessed weeks ago now felt complete. He was no longer balancing two lives — he was being torn apart by them.
“I love you,” he said suddenly, voice rough. “I meant it when I said it. But I also love her. And every time I try to choose, I end up hurting someone. I’m trapped, Lucy. I don’t know how to get out.”
Lucy turned to face him, her expression a mixture of pain and frustration. “Then stop dragging us all through this. You keep saying you love me, but you still sleep beside her every night. You still hold her when she cries. You still promise her a future you’re actively destroying. How long until one of us breaks completely?”
Marcus closed his eyes, the weight of her words pressing down on him. The core struggle had become unbearable. His love for Elena was real and rooted in years of shared life. His love for Lucy was intense, addictive, and impossible to deny. The two truths could not coexist much longer without destroying everything.
Later that evening, Elena came downstairs looking drained but resolute. She found Marcus in the living room and sat beside him, taking his hand in both of hers.
“The doctor recommended we start considering IUI or IVF if the next natural attempt fails,” she said quietly. “I don’t want to wait until we’re completely broken. I think we should start preparing for IVF injections soon. It’s aggressive, but I’m ready to fight for this.”
Marcus looked at his wife, seeing the exhaustion mixed with fierce determination in her eyes. He nodded and pulled her close. “We’ll do it. Whatever it takes.”
Elena rested her head on his shoulder, finding comfort in his support. But as she leaned against him, Marcus’s gaze drifted once again toward the hallway where Lucy’s door stood closed.
Elena had made her decision. She wanted to start IVF injections soon. The next, more invasive phase of their fertility journey was about to begin.
And with it, the lies, the guilt, and the impossible double life Marcus was living would become even harder to sustain.