"Honey, I think it's starting," Claire said guiltily, her head bowed.
"What's starting? It's way too early. Just lie down for a bit, maybe it'll pass!" Mark commanded in an overbearing tone.
"Please, take me to the hospital. I'm in labor," the woman sobbed.
"You've still got nearly four months to go. Listen to me: if you lose this baby too, you're out on the street! I need an heir, and you can't even give me that. I honestly don't know why I ever tied myself to a simple country girl like you. I thought I was doing us both a favor. I thought you'd be a real homemaker—loyal and obedient!" the man shouted. "Fine, stop blubbering. Get your things. I'll be in the car," Mark added, softening his tone slightly as he saw his wife turning pale before his eyes.
Mark and Claire had met by chance. She was a young girl fresh out of high school, working as a clerk at a small-town general store. One evening, just before closing, a distinguished-looking man rushed in asking for help. As it turned out, Mark's car had broken down right outside. No matter how hard he tried to start it, it wouldn't budge. It was already dark, bitterly cold, and snowing heavily. Claire simply shrugged helplessly, explaining that the town's only mechanic was already dead drunk—he'd been coming in all afternoon for whiskey—and suggested he wait until morning.
Realizing she couldn't leave a person out in the freezing night, she timidly offered him a place to stay at her grandfather's house. Mark gratefully accepted. Over tea, he expressed his surprise, saying he had no idea people still lived so simply and poorly.
The next morning, Mark's car was fixed. As he left, he promised to visit Bill and Claire again. The man kept his word, returning just a week later and flooding the old house with all sorts of gourmet delicacies. Then, learning they were running low on fuel, he arranged for a whole truckload of firewood to be delivered.
Mark visited twice more, and on the third visit, he proposed to Claire. The girl and her grandfather were stunned, unable to understand what he saw in a plain country girl. But Mark explained immediately that he had dreamed of a wife like Claire his whole life.
He claimed she was open and pure, free of the phoniness and greed he'd found in his former city flings. Claire hesitated for a long time before accepting. She really liked this handsome, gallant man, but at the same time, the idea of city life frightened and unnerved her. Besides, she didn't want to leave her grandfather. Mark assured her they would visit Bill every weekend and that the old man would never want for anything.
Her grandfather stepped into the conversation, advising his granddaughter to go to the city and build a life for herself. After all, there were no prospects for young people in their small town.
Claire listened to her grandfather and her heart. Soon, she married Mark and moved into a massive penthouse apartment. Three years later, Bill passed away. Claire grieved for a long time; for the first time, she felt like a truly lonely orphan.
Mark had always been cold toward his young wife. She felt more like a servant in his home than a loved woman, but she couldn't change a thing. Over the years, her childhood home had become unlivable, and she simply had nowhere else to go. Mark knew this perfectly well and took advantage of her dire situation, knowing she was entirely dependent on him.
Then came more trouble. For five years, she hadn't been able to carry a child to term. In that time, she had suffered four miscarriages. Now, she was pregnant again. Mark had sternly warned her: if she lost this baby too, she would be out on the street immediately.
***
Claire opened her eyes and felt a dull ache throughout her body. Placing a hand on her stomach, she realized she had lost the baby. Turning toward the wall, the young woman wept bitterly; she had wanted a son or daughter so badly. She just wanted someone of her own nearby.
"Don't cry, you're young, you'll have more children," comforted the nurse who entered the room with a mop and bucket. "You didn't have much luck with that husband of yours. He was shouting so loud the whole hospital could hear that he'd divorce you if you didn't keep the baby. Have you called him yet?"
"No. He should be on a business trip abroad now. He dropped me at the hospital on his way to the airport. I'll tell him later," the woman said in a hollow voice.
Claire didn't sleep a wink all night. In the morning, she signed her discharge papers and left the hospital, unable to bear the sight of happy, pregnant women. At 그 순간, her phone rang. Claire jumped when she saw the incoming call from her husband.
"Hello?" she whispered into the receiver.
"What's the good news, wifey?" Mark asked mockingly.
"Everything is fine. I had a son. He was born at seven months, but he's healthy. And I think he looks just like you," Claire said, not even knowing why she was lying.
Perhaps in that moment, she simply didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.
"Now that's news!" Mark rejoiced. "Finally, you managed to give me an heir. I'll be back in a few days. You take care of my son, or I don't know what I'll do to you," he threatened and hung up.
Claire walked down the street, seeing nothing. She didn't know where she was or where she was going, but she knew this was the end. Soon Mark would return and toss her out like a stray kitten, and she'd have to live in the train station. She had nowhere to go, no friends, no family. She was all alone with her grief.
"Miss, please, some money for milk for the baby."
Claire heard a raspy voice behind her and snapped out of her daze. Looking around, she realized she was in the station square. A homeless woman stood nearby with an infant in her arms, begging for change.
"Is that your baby?" Claire asked, looking closely at the woman.
"Yeah, he's my son. Whose else would he be? Help us, kind lady. We're sleeping in the station. We've got no roof, no money," the woman said pitifully, though she eyed Claire with a cold gaze.
"Sell me your son, I beg you. I'll give him a happy, wealthy life. I'll give him what you can't," Claire pleaded, realizing this infant was her only salvation.
"What do you mean, sell him?" the woman asked quietly, looking around. "You got money? You gotta know it won't be cheap."
"Just tell me how much. I'll have it here in half an hour," Claire said confidently, not even realizing the madness of what she was doing.
"Fine. But remember, if you bring the cops, you'll regret it. I'll find you anywhere," the woman threatened.
"I won't. I truly, desperately need a child. Please, just don't leave. I'll be right back," Claire whispered and rushed toward a taxi.
Forty minutes later, she returned. Claire must have had a temporary breakdown of reason; how else to explain the insane gamble she was taking? After handing over the money and taking the child, Claire ran back to the taxi, terrified they would catch her and take the boy back. Only after stepping across the threshold of the apartment did the frantic woman breathe a sigh of relief.
The baby looked to be about three or four months old. He was in a terrible state; his tiny body was covered in diaper rash and sores.
"Leo, my sweet boy. I'm naming you after my grandfather. I hope you grow up to be just as kind and wonderful as he was," she whispered, clutching the small bundle to her chest.
Two days passed in a blur. She thought of nothing but the baby. She didn't realize that Mark would quickly see through her lie, and then there would truly be hell to pay.
Her husband returned late on the third evening. Entering the bedroom, Mark smiled and, ignoring his wife, walked straight to the baby.
"What is this?" the man stammered, staring at the child.
"It's your son, Leo," the woman tried to smile, turning pale.
Only now did she snap back to reality and realize what she had done.
"Do you take me for an idiot? You want me to believe this is a premature baby at six and a half months? Claire, where did you get this kid?!" Her husband turned red with rage.
Claire covered her face and cried. Mark picked up the phone and called the hospital. When he heard that his wife had gone into premature labor and the baby had been stillborn, he flew into a frenzy.
"Get out! Get out of my house, you pauper! I want you gone in five minutes or I won't be responsible for my actions!" Mark screamed so loud the walls shook. The baby, terrified, jumped and began to cry.
"Please, forgive me, I'll tell you everything," Claire sobbed. "Where can I go with a baby in the middle of the night? It's freezing and there's a blizzard outside. Please, have mercy!" Claire fell to her knees before her husband.
But he kicked her away and ordered her out of the house that instant. Picking up Leo, Claire stepped out into the freezing night. She knew she had to save the child. Her first thought was to go back to the station and give him back to the woman, but realizing the fate that awaited the boy, she decided to leave him at the nearest hospital instead. Only when she reached the bus stop did she realize the buses had stopped running and she couldn't reach a hospital until morning. Sitting on a bench, Claire began to wail, knowing she wouldn't last long with the baby. It was nearly zero degrees out.
Twenty minutes later, the woman was completely frozen. Pressing the baby to her chest, Claire closed her eyes and began to pray.
"Miss, where are you headed? Why are you sitting out here in this cold with a baby? The first bus isn't until morning."
Claire heard a distant voice and opened her tear-filled eyes. She looked at a stranger who had stepped out of a car.
"You're blue with cold. Where can I take you?" the man asked, losing patience.
"I don't know. I have nowhere to go. My husband kicked me out, and I have no family or friends," Claire confessed honestly.
"Get in the car, now!" the stranger commanded. "You're out of your mind. If you won't think of yourself, think of your baby!"
Claire obediently got into the car. Feeling the heat, she sighed with relief. She pulled the peacefully sleeping child closer and immediately fell asleep herself.
"We're here. Get out," the man said, stopping at a house.
Claire stepped outside and realized they were out in the country.
"Where are we?" the woman asked, worried.
"At my cottage. Don't be afraid, come inside. I couldn't just leave you to freeze at a bus stop. By the way, my name is Alex."
"I'm Claire. Thank you, Alex. I don't know what I would have done without you," the woman whispered.
Alex led her into a warm, cozy house and showed her a room where she could stay with Leo. Claire changed and tucked in the baby, then went out to the kitchen where Alex kindly invited her for dinner.
"Tell me the story, Claire," Alex said, taking a sip of hot tea and looking at the beautiful young woman with curiosity.
"What story?" Claire asked, flustered.
"The truth. Tell me everything, just as it is," Alex said firmly.
Claire didn't even understand why she opened up to this near-stranger. She told him the whole truth, like a confession, and was surprised by how much lighter her heart felt.
"Wow," the man shook his head. "The only one I feel sorry for in this whole messy story is the kid. First he was used for begging, then he ended up with you, and tomorrow, as I understand it, you were going to abandon him at a hospital like an unwanted puppy. But what am I supposed to do?"
"My heart is breaking. I have nowhere to go, no money, no papers for the baby. I'm completely hopeless," Claire wept.
"There's a way out of even the most hopeless situation," the man remarked. "If you want, you can stay here at my place for a while, and we'll find a solution, believe me. Naturally, I'll help with groceries and everything the baby needs."
"But why? Why would you do this?" Claire asked warily.
"Let's just say I decided to get into charity work," Alex grunted and headed to his room.
***
Claire had been living at Alex's cottage for two months. She knew it wasn't right and that, no matter how she looked at it, neither she nor little Leo had a future there. She couldn't even answer the question: why had she accepted this strange man's offer? Why hadn't she left the next day and finished what she started?
With every passing day, the bond between the woman and the child grew stronger. She couldn't imagine parting with Leo; this destitute little boy had become her reason for living, her joy, and her comfort.
Alex, as promised, visited Claire almost every day. They sat for long hours in the evenings over tea, chatting about trifles or sometimes just sitting in silence. Claire was afraid to admit to herself that she looked forward to his visits, that she began to miss him the moment he drove away. She knew she shouldn't even dream of a man like him. After all, she was nobody compared to this successful and handsome person.
***
Spring arrived. Claire decided not to take advantage of Alex's hospitality and kindness any longer. It couldn't go on forever; sooner or later she would have to leave, and the sooner the better. She decided to go back to her hometown. She planned to ask an old school friend for a place to stay at first, then get a job and somehow fix up her grandfather's old house.
Besides, it would be easier with Leo in the country; maybe in time, she could figure out a way to get him papers. She didn't know what lay ahead, but she knew for certain she wouldn't give Leo up to anyone, and she would never leave him.
"Alex, I'm glad you came today," the woman said sadly as the owner of the house appeared on the porch. "I've made a decision. Leo and I are going back home tomorrow."
"What do you mean? You told me your house is a ruin. You're going to live there with a baby?" Alex asked, taken aback.
"No, I'll stay with a friend at first. By fall, I hope I can get the house into some kind of shape. You have to understand, we can't live off you forever."
"I'll drive you and give you some money to get started. Don't argue, I'm doing it for Leo," Alex said in a commanding tone.
"Thank you so much! I don't know what we would have done without you. I think on that freezing night, a guardian angel sent you to help us," Claire said, tearing up.
"Maybe," Alex said thoughtfully. "I hadn't even planned on going to the cottage that day. I'd had a fight with my wife that evening. Lisa was leaving me, blaming me for all her problems. We were married for nearly eight years, and she could never get pregnant. She spent years in treatment. Suffering because she couldn't be a mother, she convinced me to get tested, and that was the day we found out I was the infertile one, not her. She said some terrible things to me, let out everything she'd been holding in, and left. I couldn't stay in that empty apartment, so I decided to clear my head, drive out here, and drink my sorrows away. Then, on the way, I saw a freezing woman with a baby, and obviously, I couldn't just drive past."
"That's a sad story..." Claire sighed deeply. "I can't carry a child either. I think Leo coming into my life was a gift from above. Don't lose hope. I'm sure a noble man like you will find his fate and be happy."
"You know... I've felt for a long time that I already found her. But she doesn't know it yet," Alex said tentatively.
"Then tell her. Maybe she's waiting for you to make the first move. You shouldn't stay silent about your feelings; we have the power to change our own destinies," Claire advised.
"Okay," Alex bowed his head and took a deep breath. "Claire, don't leave. I don't know how I'll exist without you—without you and Leo. I've loved you for a long time. I think I fell for you right there at the bus stop, the moment I saw you."
"I would never have been the first to admit how I feel about you," the happy woman smiled.
"I have good connections. I don't think it'll be too hard to get papers for Leo with us listed as his parents. You will marry me, won't you?" Alex asked shyly.
"Of course I will," Claire smiled, melting into the arms of the man she loved.
She was happy. How could she have guessed that on that terrifying, freezing night, a car would stop and a man would step out who would become the love of her life—a man who would protect her from all her troubles and be her loyal, devoted companion for many happy years to come?
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