The Surrogate Mother

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of pregnancy loss.

Abby Adler is accused of first-degree murder. She claims that she is not guilty, but her lawyer insists that she will be convicted if the case goes to court. He recommends that she accept a plea bargain, reducing her jail sentence to 15 years.

Abby is happily married and loves working at Stewart Advertising in New York. Furthermore, she is soon to become a mother. Abby confidently presents an ad campaign to Jed Cofield, a marketing executive for the baby product manufacturer Cuddles. Afterward, Jed flirts with Abby, holding her hand longer than necessary while congratulating her on the brilliant campaign. She assures him that she will buy Cuddles diapers for her own baby, although she has no intention of doing so.

Despite the success of her pitch, Abby’s boss, Denise Holt, is unhappy. Denise hired Abby 10 years earlier and became her friend and mentor. However, their relationship has deteriorated since Denise learned of Abby’s plans to become a mother. Denise has devoted herself to her career and has no children. After the meeting, she expresses disapproval of Abby’s intention to take her full entitlement of family leave.