I wish he hadn’t told me. The memory of Libby’s desolation turned the sweet taste of revenge sour in Alice’s mouth. Yet, didn’t Sasha Classen deserve to know? Or did she know already? Did she and Tim have an open marriage? Were they polyamorous? If that was the case, though, Tim would have told her. Put it on his dating profile. Mentioned his children! A thousand possible and confusing scenarios trickled through her mind, fogging her initial clarity of purpose and leaving her ashamed and ill-used.

Outrage roared. How dare Tim make her the other woman!

“… see you now.”

Alice realized the receptionist was talking to her. “Sorry?”

“Dr. Chu will see you now.”

Still dazed, Alice managed to get her legs to walk her into the consulting room. She took a seat, nodding at Lacey’s greeting and got out a “Good, thanks” in return.

“Before we start, Alice, I just need to check if you want me to send a copy of your results to Libby?”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t.”

“I understand. Okay, down to business. How’s the cream working?”

All day she’d been thinking of sex with Tim but now her thoughts veered fast away from him and straight to Dan. Dan who was a generous and understanding lover no matter what. “It’s great. You saved my sex life.”

“Excellent. I’ll write you some refills. In associated news, your cervical screening test is fine. Repeat in five years.”

“Wow! That’s great! I like this new test.” The all clear focused her, bringing her mind back to one of the reasons she’d originally come to see Lacey. A plan she’d been fixated on until Tim had reconnected and she’d allowed pie-in-the-sky daydreams to take over. Well, timing was everything—at least she’d discovered the truth about the rat bastard before this appointment so she could get her ducks back in a row.

“Since I saw you, I’ve found out I can withdraw money from my retirement fund to pay for egg harvesting and freezing. I think you said last time that Monash was the closest IVF facility?”

“Before we get to that, I want to discuss the results of your blood tests.”

At the first appointment, Lacey had insisted on a full raft of tests before she wrote the referral. Alice had a history of erratic periods, which were either super light or running like a red river in flood. Sometimes she needed to up her red meat consumption.

“Am I anemic?”

“Your hemoglobin’s a bit low, but your estrogen levels are more concerning.” Lacey clicked her pen. “They indicate premature ovarian insufficiency.”

“What’s that?” Alice asked worried about the word, insufficiency.

“Early menopause.”

Menopause? Every part of her recoiled. “That’s not possible. I’m thirty-four.”

“Even so,” Lacey said evenly, “your hormone levels indicate that you’re menopausal.”