JOENATHAN'S POV.
"You've been married for four months. Don't you want to have children?"
My father Albertto's question made Zeeva and me look at each other. We'd actually been married for six months, but Zeeva still hadn't gotten pregnant.
To be honest, Zeeva and I had been intimate countless times. Yet she still hadn't gotten pregnant. I had a bad feeling, though I tried to calm myself down.
"Robert, your grandfather, will be handing over the inheritance soon. As the eldest son of the Dore Family, you need to have a child to carry on the company," Albertto said.
I looked at Zeeva, who already seemed uneasy, then took her hand. I tried to calm her with a faint smile.
"We've been trying to get Zeeva pregnant, Dad," I replied, assuring Albertto.
"You need to make sure you have a son if you want to receive a larger share of the inheritance, Robert," my mother Catherine added.
"Can't Grandfather give the inheritance to Uncle Gerald's child?" I asked in confusion.
"Gerald does have a grandson, but he's my younger brother. So Robert is waiting for me, as the eldest son, to have a grandson first," Albertto explained.
In our family, my grandfather Robert required the first descendant to be a boy. Although Uncle Gerald, as the second son, already had a grandson, the inheritance couldn't be divided until the eldest son's next line of descent—Albertto's—had produced a grandson.
If I had a daughter instead, the largest share of the inheritance would go to Uncle Gerald's family. Even control of Big Dore Orc Group would be handed over to my cousin Peter.
"You have to keep this company in your father's bloodline, Joe," Catherine said.
I let out a long sigh. I felt bad for Zeeva because of the demands imposed by my family's inheritance rules. Who would want to go through a marriage burdened by requirements this heavy?
"I'll try a fertility program if the inheritance transfer gets closer," I said, trying to reassure them.
"The inheritance will be divided in two months," Albertto said, emphasizing his words with a sharp look.
"Can't you give us more time? What if I still can't get pregnant by the deadline?" Zeeva asked.
I saw Albertto and Catherine's gazes grow even sharper. At the same time, I gripped Zeeva's hand more tightly to ease her worries.
I knew Zeeva was secretly anxious. All this time, she'd been questioning the health of her uterus, afraid she wouldn't be able to give me a child quickly enough.
"No matter what happens, you have to find a way for Joenathan to have a son," Catherine replied without a trace of sympathy.
Albertto nodded in agreement. "Your marriage was arranged for the sake of mutual business interests. Don't ruin our family's good reputation," Albertto said firmly.
I actually wanted to argue with him. But I couldn't say anything.
"Zeeva and I will do our best," I said, somewhat reluctantly.
"The results of Mrs. Zeeva's uterine examination show inflammation in the uterus, or endometriosis. This inflammation has drastically reduced Mrs. Zeeva's fertility, making it difficult for her to get pregnant."
I sat there in a daze as I listened to the doctor who had examined Zeeva's uterus. Beside me, Zeeva had gone rigid, her face filled with shock and fear.
"Does that mean... I won't be able to get pregnant, Doctor?" Zeeva asked.
"Most likely, yes. This case of endometriosis has already developed into an ovarian cyst, and the chances of recovery are almost nonexistent."
Zeeva and I both went limp. I never expected her to suffer from a complication like this. My anxiety grew as I remembered my father Albertto's demand.
This wasn't something I'd expected. Although I'd had a bad feeling, I never imagined that Zeeva could have such a serious uterine complication.
"That's impossible. Are you sure you didn't make a mistake with the diagnosis?" Zeeva protested, her voice irritated and panicked.
Doctor Patricia shook her head. "Of course I didn't make a mistake, Mrs. Zeeva. That's what you're suffering from."
Zeeva immediately let out a bitter laugh. "How could this happen...? It's impossible. I've always taken care of my health, and my body has received expensive treatments!"
"Zeeva, stop," I said, trying to calm her down.
"I can't accept this—"
"Zeeva, I told you to stop talking!"
I unintentionally raised my voice when Zeeva wouldn't stop talking. Thinking about this diagnosis and Albertto's demand for a son at the same time was giving me a headache.
"Is there any way to cure it?" I asked hopefully.
Unfortunately, Doctor Patricia shook her head with a sympathetic expression.
"No. It can't be cured because it may recur," Doctor Patricia said.
I let out a long breath as my unease became overwhelming.
After the consultation was over, I led the extremely anxious Zeeva out of the room. I held her hand tightly.
"We have to tell my parents," I said.
Zeeva clearly disagreed. "What if they tell you to find another woman? I can't be separated from you."
I grew even more distressed. Without answering, I pulled Zeeva into my arms. I had no solution right now.
"You have to find a way to have a son, Joenathan. No matter what it takes."
Albertto's words during the discussion about Zeeva's uterine diagnosis kept echoing in my mind. I was incredibly anxious as I thought about how I could fulfill my father's demand.
On the other hand, I had the option of finding another woman, but I didn't want to leave Zeeva. I didn't want to throw away another chance to build a relationship with her.
"How can I have a son without marrying another woman?" I murmured anxiously.
I was now in the bedroom I'd once shared with Kyle. The discussion earlier had made Zeeva furious with my parents, so she'd chosen to spend some time at her parents' house.
I suddenly remembered how gentle Kyle had always been, no matter what our circumstances were. Even when my parents treated her badly, Kyle never talked back or got angry.
How was she doing?
If I were still with Kyle, could I have a son?
As I thought about Kyle, my eyes accidentally fell on her personal safe. During the time we'd been together, I'd never tried to find out what was inside it. Now, my curiosity got the better of me.
I walked over to the safe and opened it with the password I already knew. I saw a piece of cloth inside and pulled it out. Something fell to the floor.
My entire body tensed when I saw what had fallen. A pregnancy test.
"What's this?" I murmured, picking it up. There were two red lines on it.
My heart seemed to stop for a moment.
"Kyle is pregnant? Since when has she been hiding this from me?!"