Saturday was typically Nancy's clean-up and market day, but today, she was up earlier than usual. She hadn’t been to the market in nearly three months due to her surgery, yet today she wasn’t eager to go for the usual reasons. There was something else driving her. She had ulterior motives.

She hurried directly to her favorite tomato seller’s stand, making no stops along the way. Auntie Yaa’s face lit up when she saw Nancy approaching.

"Customer! It’s been so long since I saw your face. I hope you’re strong now?" Auntie Yaa greeted warmly.

Nancy smiled and leaned against the table. "As you can see, I’m back on my feet," she said. Then, leaning in, she whispered, "Did you find one for me?"

Auntie Yaa nodded with a smile. "Come," she beckoned.

Nancy followed her into the shed behind the stall, where a scruffy young woman sat on a wooden bench, cleaning some tomatoes.

"There she is," Auntie Yaa said quietly. "She said she's interested."

Nancy studied the young woman carefully. She wasn’t particularly attractive, possibly because of the hardships she’d endured. Her clothes were worn, and her hair looked unkempt.

"Does she have any children of her own?" Nancy asked.

"Ask her yourself," Auntie Yaa responded. "She’s the best person to answer that."

Nancy nodded and approached the woman, who looked up from her task. "Good morning," Nancy greeted. "What’s your name?"

"Agatha Akosua Boateng, but you can call me Akos," she replied in a calm, almost resigned tone.

"Akos, how old are you?" Nancy asked, her voice taking on an almost business-like tone.

"I’m 25," Akos answered. "And I heard you asking about children. Yes, I have two. A boy and a girl. Want to see them?"

Akos picked up her phone with a badly cracked screen and showed Nancy photos of two small children, around five or six years old. It was clear she’d had them early in life.

"They’re beautiful," Nancy commented, glancing at the pictures. "Where are they now?"

"At school," Akos said, looking away, almost embarrassed.

Nancy paused before asking, "So, why did you agree to this? Aren’t you tired of getting pregnant and giving birth?"

Akos sighed. "Auntie Yaa said you’d pay me 25,000 cedis. I need the money badly. I’ve had children for two different men who left me with nothing. I’m struggling to care for my kids, barely scraping by. That’s why I’m here."

Nancy smiled, a satisfied look on her face. "Good. I’ll take you to my house today, and we’ll sign a contract. Get dressed and cleaned up, and wait. But Akos, if anyone hears about this, I won’t pay you."

Akos nodded quickly, her face serious. "My lips are sealed. I don’t have any friends, and my family won’t hear a word of it."

Nancy liked her determination. She took Akos home with her, had her cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes, and even fed her. Afterward, they sat down to finalize things. "About the contract... can you sign it?" Nancy asked.

Akos shook her head, looking ashamed. She was illiterate. They settled on using her fingerprint to seal the agreement between them.

Later that afternoon, Reggie arrived home after playing tennis with a friend. He found his wife sitting in the living room, sipping a drink and looking unusually happy. Her energy radiated across the room, and it warmed his heart to see her like that.

"So glad you’re back," Nancy said, bouncing up from her seat and wrapping herself in his arms. She gave him a quick kiss before pulling back, eyes gleaming.

"I have a surprise for you," she said mischievously.

Reggie looked at her with curiosity. "What kind of surprise?" he asked.

Nancy took his hand, leading him toward the guest bedroom. She opened the door, revealing Akos sitting on the bed, neatly dressed and with light makeup on. She looked nothing like the scruffy woman from earlier.

Reggie’s smile faded instantly. He turned to Nancy, completely confused and uneasy. "What’s the meaning of this, Nancy?"

"You know what to do to get someone pregnant, don’t you?" Nancy replied, her voice cool and matter-of-fact. "I don’t need to explain. Just get to work."

She blew him a kiss before walking out, leaving him standing at the doorway, utterly stunned.

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