The letter described the family’s gratitude and accused unnamed outsiders of distorting a private matter.
Melissa felt sick when she read it.
She had spent months being described as generous while her actual questions were ignored.
She wondered whether generosity had become the word used to keep her quiet.
Her employment lawyer, Jordan Ellis, asked her to prepare a separate timeline of work events.
They reviewed scheduling changes, performance reviews, and messages from Charles.
Jordan said the central issue was not whether Melissa should have become a surrogate.
The issue was whether her employer had conditioned work opportunities on participation in a private arrangement or responded improperly when she asserted boundaries.
Melissa appreciated the distinction.
The law could not tell her whether she had made the right personal choice.
It could, however, provide a process for evaluating employment conduct.
Grant read Jordan’s summary with Melissa’s permission and said he wished someone had explained those distinctions before the first clinic appointment.
Melissa replied that she wished she had insisted on learning them.
Neither used the moment to reopen the fight at the kitchen table.
They already knew how that argument ended.
Chapter 35: The Second Interview
The second interview at the healthcare distribution company lasted nearly two hours.
Melissa met a warehouse supervisor, a data specialist, and the person who would become her direct manager.
They asked practical questions about supply shortages, missed deliveries, and how to communicate bad news to customers.
She answered using examples from years before Charles approached her.
It was strangely comforting to speak about problems that could be solved with good information and a clear schedule.
One interviewer asked why she was leaving Whitmore Logistics.
Melissa said she wanted a role with defined responsibilities and room to grow.
She did not mention the pregnancy because she did not need to disclose private medical history to explain her skills.
The manager asked whether she could work occasional early shifts.
Melissa said she could, provided the schedule was planned in advance around her parenting responsibilities.
The manager nodded and wrote down the constraint.
No one called it a lack of commitment.
Afterward, Melissa sat on a bench outside the building and called Joanne.
She said the interview had gone well but that she was afraid to believe it.
Joanne asked what the people had been like.
“Normal,” Melissa said.
“They asked what I know how to do.”
Joanne laughed softly and said that sounded promising.
At home, Melissa opened a spreadsheet and compared the proposed salary with her childcare and housing costs.
