Maja's baby bump was starting to show, and lan, not one to take any chances, had scheduled a check-up at the hospital for the

next day. He wanted everything to be thoroughly examined.

"Beck tookfor a check-up before, it's not necessary," Maja protested gently.

"Let's do it again, I'll be with you this time."

lan knew that if they overlooked this check-up, Maja would be the one to suffer later, and he couldn't bear the thought of that.

Maja finally nodded in agreement, watching as he busily researched on his phone, poring over what foods she should eat and what

to avoid.

He'd only recently been brought back into the picture, and the role of a soon-to-be father had him frazzled, unsure of what to do.

His only recourse was calling the doctor for advice and scouring the intefor information.

He even secretly joined a dads-to-be group, behind Maja's back.

The group was a mixed bag of about thirty guys, all strangers to each other.

The usual banter was about their wives, and lan intended to ask for tips on soothing Maja's mood swings during pregnancy, but the

group was already abuzz with their own tales.

[Pregnancy is such a , man. One minute it's pickles, the next it's ice cream. I'm slammed at work and now I've gotta cater to

her whims, too. My mom was right; you can't be too nice to women, or they'll walk all over you,] one complained.

[Mine still bikes over dinner toafter her shift. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me. Pregnancy isn't the end of the world,] another

shrugged.

[The whole gender war online is crazy. Women think they're princesses. Our mothers didn't even step foot in a hospital and still had

healthy babies.]

lan's face darkened as he read these comments.

It was the story about the wife biking meals to her husband after a night shift that got him. The husband was boastful, as if this

was normal.

To lan, it sounded like a horror story. A pregnant wife working nights, biking meals to her lazy spouse? Unbelievable.

Fuming, he typed, [If you're so capable, why don't you try giving birth?]

That set off a firestorm in the chat.

[If it weren't for carrying on the family name, why would I need her? Plenty of women out there willing to have my kid.]

[My wife's pregnant with our third, and after two girls, I didn't even bother visiting the hospital.]

[Anyone siding with women is just a lapdog. But what's the point of being a lapdog in a men's group?]

lan's eyes bulged in disbelief. How on earth did these guys even find wives?

He quit the group immediately and reported it.

Meanwhile, Maja, who had been resting on his lap, noticed his mood shift.

"What's wrong? Did the doctor say something?"

"Just sgarbage in a group chat. I've made our appointment; I'll be with you for the check-up tomorrow."

"Okay."

Maja turned over and gently rubbed her belly, full of anticipation. Boy or girl, she wondered.

That night, Maja slept soundly, but lan was awake by 1 AM, his skin crawling with an unbearable itching that was quickly turning

into pain.

Sweat drenched him, and he rose to cover Maja with a blanket before heading downstairs to the living room. The itch was too

intense to be just that; it was accompanied by an excruciating pain that seemed to be getting worse.

Jeff, hearing the commotion, cdownstairs, wrapped in a robe. lan had only recently returned, and Jeff had been staying in a

downstairs bedroom, so lan's nighttjogging was a surprise.

"Mr. Raymond?" Jeff inquired, confused.

lan felt like his blood was boiling. Barely holding himself together, he managed, "Water, please."

Jeff hurried to fetch a glass.

Drinking it, lan only felt worse. The discomfort would cand go during the day, but at night, it hit him in waves.

Queena, the genius from the research lab, had concocted something so potent it could erode a man's sanity.

Leaning against the wall, lan felt at one point as if his body would ignite, his clothes burned off him.

He rubbed his temples, his voice hoarse. "Don't tell her about this."

The doctor had said it would get better with t— distance from Queena would weaken the dependency — but the initial stages

would be tough.

lan stayed there until 5 AM before returning to the bedroom.

Maja had been sleeping a lot lately, never waking up at night, so she hadn't noticed lan's nocturnal struggles.

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