Frequently Asked Questions About The Surrogate Mother

1. Why does Abby resist adopting an older child after Janelle backs out?

Abby has spent years trying for a newborn—through failed IVF, a damaged uterus, and then a lost surrogacy. In Chapter 3, when Sam suggests adopting a toddler, Abby breaks down crying because that path feels too slow and she desperately wants the newborn experience she believes she was denied.

Evidence & interpretation: After Sam tells her that their surrogate Janelle changed her mind, Abby is devastated. Sam then proposes they adopt an older child. The chapter shows Abby’s initial resistance, but she eventually agrees. Her tears reveal how deeply the loss of a baby—and the idea of starting over with an older child—wounds her. This decision sets the stage for Monica’s later offer, since Abby still longs for a newborn.

2. What contradiction about Monica’s background does Abby notice but ignore in Chapter 9?

Monica claimed to be from Indiana, yet she expressed strong loyalty to the Boston Red Sox. Abby spots the inconsistency in the final scene of Chapter 9 but decides to overlook it so the surrogacy plan can move forward.

Evidence & interpretation: After Sam finally agrees to proceed with Monica as their surrogate, Abby remembers that Monica said she was from Indiana but also mentioned being a die-hard Red Sox fan. The two details clash—Indiana isn’t Red Sox territory. Abby chooses to dismiss the red flag, showing how her desperation to become a mother clouds her judgment and leads her to ignore early signs of deception.

3. How does Shelley’s warning about Monica eavesdropping affect Abby’s actions in Chapter 7?

Shelley claims she saw Monica standing outside Abby’s closed office door, trying to listen. Although Abby defends Monica to Shelley, she privately decides to check Monica’s references, showing that the suspicion seeds doubt even in a trusting person.

Evidence & interpretation: During lunch in Chapter 7, Shelley tells Abby she has seen Monica eavesdropping. Abby initially dismisses it, but the chapter ends with her resolving to investigate Monica’s background. This moment marks the first crack in Abby’s absolute trust. It also foreshadows how Monica’s manipulative nature will later be exposed through false references and a fabricated roommate.

4. Why does Abby deliberately not invite Sam to the first OB/GYN appointment in Chapter 12?

Abby wants the experience all for herself. She admits she never told Sam about the appointment because she felt it would be awkward with both of them there, but the deeper reason is her jealousy and desire to bond with the baby alone.

Evidence & interpretation: In the opening of Chapter 12, Abby reflects that Monica invited both her and Sam, but Abby chose not to extend the invitation to Sam. She rationalizes that Sam wouldn’t want to come, but the narrative shows she wants to keep the moment of hearing the heartbeat private. This decision highlights her growing attachment to the pregnancy and her fear that Sam will bond too closely with Monica.

5. What does the “Mommy Fuel” mug symbolize and how does it affect Abby in Chapter 4?

The mug represents the lost baby and the pain of infertility. When Monica accidentally brings it to Abby, Abby feels a stab of grief. The object transforms from a cheerful baby-shower gift into a painful reminder of what she lacks.

Evidence & interpretation: In Chapter 4, Abby returns to work after the failed adoption. Monica hands her coffee in the “Mommy Fuel” mug, and Abby’s reaction is immediate: the ache intensifies to a stab. Monica quickly removes the mug, but the moment underscores how every baby-related object is a trigger for Abby. This scene sets up the emotional vulnerability that makes Abby receptive to Monica’s surrogacy offer.

6. What specific actions at the dinner in Chapter 14 escalate Abby’s jealousy?

Abby arrives two hours late to find Sam drunk and sitting close to Monica, who is wearing makeup and a revealing blouse. They use nicknames, share math jokes, and Monica plays the fetal heartbeat recording for Sam. Sam offers to drive Monica home, and they exchange phone numbers.

Evidence & interpretation: In Chapter 14, Abby’s evening unravels when she sees Monica dressed provocatively and Sam laughing with her. Monica calls the baby “our baby,” and Sam becomes emotional over the heartbeat. Abby feels intense jealousy and wishes for the pregnancy to end. This dinner scene is a turning point; it confirms Abby’s fears that Sam and Monica are forming a bond that excludes her.

7. Why does Louise Johnson describe her daughter as “crazy” and what past event does she reveal in Chapter 34?

Louise tells Abby that Monica has borderline personality disorder and a genius IQ. She also reveals that when Monica was a teenager, her best friend Sandy drowned in the Charles River after a fight over a boy, and Monica was a suspect.

Evidence & interpretation: In Chapter 34, Abby visits Louise pretending to be Monica’s boss. Louise explains that psychiatrists have diagnosed Monica with severe borderline personality disorder. She then recounts the suspicious death of Sandy, Monica’s high school friend, whose body was found floating in the river. This revelation recasts Monica as a dangerous, calculating person, not merely a troubled young woman, and forces Abby to realize she may have been manipulated from the start.

8. What evidence suggests Monica manipulated Abby’s work calendar to cause her to miss the ultrasound in Chapter 16?

Abby believed the ultrasound was at 2:00 p.m., but when she arrives early, she learns the appointment was at 1:00 p.m. Monica and Sam had already seen the baby together. Abby later realizes she mis‑entered the time, but the suspicion is that Monica changed it.

Evidence & interpretation: In Chapter 16, Abby leaves work for what she thinks is a 2:00 p.m. ultrasound. She arrives to find Monica and Sam already done. Abby blames her own mistake, but in Chapter 17, Shelley suggests Monica might have tampered with the calendar. Abby initially rejects the idea, but she later changes her phone password, indicating she is not fully confident. This ambiguous manipulation deepens the theme of gaslighting.

9. How does the false positive drug test unravel Abby’s professional life and marriage in Chapter 25?

Abby is fired immediately after her urine test shows methamphetamines. She insists it is a false positive, but her boss Denise and later Sam doubt her. Sam questions her recent behavior and suggests the positive test might explain her paranoia, eroding their trust.

Evidence & interpretation: In Chapter 25, Denise calls Abby into her office and fires her under a zero‑tolerance policy. Abby returns home in tears, but Sam first asks if Monica is okay, then wonders if the drug use caused Abby’s insomnia and paranoia. Although Sam says he believes her, his actions—leaving for work and doubting her sanity—show that the marriage is fractured. This event accelerates Abby’s descent into isolation and makes the frame‑up complete.

10. In Chapter 37, what does Gertie’s lack of a cane reveal about her deception?

When Monica arrives, Gertie stands up from the dining table without her cane, even though she had pretended to need it earlier in the chapter. This inconsistency signals that Gertie’s frailty is an act, part of the conspiracy with Monica.

Evidence & interpretation: When Monica enters the apartment in Chapter 37, Gertie gets up to leave, and the narrative notes she is not holding her cane. Earlier, Abby had seen Gertie hobbling with it. The missing cane is a subtle but powerful clue that Gertie’s helplessness is a performance. Later, it is confirmed that Gertie drugged Abby’s orange juice and is Monica’s mother. This detail rewards a careful reader and underscores the theme of performance and deceit.

11. Why does Abby decide to keep the baby despite Monica being the biological mother in Chapter 41?

After the shootout, Abby wakes in the hospital and learns the baby survived. She chooses to keep him because she has already bonded with him during the pregnancy and sees him as her son, not as Monica’s child. The fact that Monica is permanently vegetative means she will never raise him.

Evidence & interpretation: In Chapter 41, Sam shows Abby a photo of the baby in the NICU. Despite the child’s genetic link to Monica, Abby feels a maternal connection and decides to raise him. Sam supports her choice. The epilogue reveals they have named the boy David and are raising him. This decision shows Abby reclaiming her identity as a mother and moving past the trauma, though Monica’s legacy lingers through the blanket.

12. What is the significance of David’s reaction to Monica’s blanket in the Epilogue?

David, now a toddler, becomes inconsolable when Abby tries to discard the blanket that belonged to Monica. He clings to it, burying his face in its scent. This suggests that Monica’s influence cannot be erased, even after her removal.

Evidence & interpretation: In the Epilogue, Monica’s stepmother gives Abby the childhood blanket. Abby intends to throw it away, but David cries and demands it. Once he has it, he embraces it and smells Monica’s perfume, finding comfort. The scene implies a genetic or psychological bond that transcends the conspiracy, leaving an unsettling open ending. The blanket becomes a symbol of the inescapable ties between mother, surrogate, and child.

13. How does the revelation that Monica has borderline personality disorder change the understanding of her actions in Chapter 34?

It recontextualizes Monica’s lying, obsession with Sam, and manipulative behavior as symptoms of a severe mental illness rather than mere malice. It also explains her violent past, including the suspicious death of her friend Sandy.

Evidence & interpretation: Louise Johnson tells Abby about the diagnosis in Chapter 34. The information recasts Monica as someone with a known psychiatric condition that involves unstable relationships, impulsivity, and a fear of abandonment. Her fixation on Sam and her willingness to frame Abby for murder now appear driven by a pathological need for control and attachment. The diagnosis adds depth to the villain and complicates the reader’s judgment.

14. In Chapter 38, what specific details confirm Gertie and Monica’s conspiracy?

Monica calls Gertie “Mom” after Gertie admits to putting sleeping pills in Abby’s orange juice. Earlier, Monica had referred to Gertie as her mother, but the point is now explicit. Gertie also walks without her cane, showing her disability was a ruse.

Evidence & interpretation: After Abby drinks the drugged juice and feels dizzy, Monica asks Gertie if the pills were in the eggs or the juice. Gertie confirms the juice, and Monica says, “Thanks, Mom.” This single line confirms they are mother and daughter and have been working together all along. The earlier details—Gertie’s sudden arrival, her missing cane, and her willingness to help—now make sense as part of the scheme to frame Abby.

15. Why does Sam ultimately choose to help Abby over Monica in the final confrontation in Chapters 39–40?

Sam realizes the truth when he finds Abby bound and duct‑taped behind the bed. He sees Monica holding a gun and recognizes the extent of her deception. Despite Monica having his child, Sam lunges to protect Abby, ultimately choosing her life over Monica’s.

Evidence & interpretation: In Chapter 39, Sam arrives home and searches the apartment after noticing Abby’s purse is still there. He discovers her bound and then sees Monica with a gun. In Chapter 40, Monica reveals she was a former student obsessed with Sam, but he rejects her. He shields Abby and declares his choice. After being shot in the arm, Sam survives, and the couple rebuilds their relationship. This decision reinforces the theme that trust, once broken, can be mended through action and sacrifice.