AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Pleasure,” Clara says.
I choose to not respond, shaking her hand and pretending she doesn’t exist as I glare at my mom. Who is this woman? And why is she here?
“Clara is here to go over the paperwork,” Victoria says.
What paperwork?
“I’m sure you’re comfortable acting as legal counsel on Christina’s behalf,” Victoria says to my mother.
My heart skips a beat and I turn to stare at my mother. As far as I know, a marriage is only legal once a marriage license has been signed after the ceremony.
That leaves….
Shit. Prenuptial Agreement.
Panic flirts at the edge of my psyche and I cross my arms and glare.
They want to do this now?
The paperwork sits ready on the table in front of my mother. My beautiful, traitorous mother already has a pen out.
A part of me already knew she wouldn’t protect me. Not even from this. But seeing her ready to sign my life away hurts.
“Of course,” my mother says. She picks up the documents and goes through them with less care than I’ve seen her review a takeout menu.
She signs her name with a flourish.
Meredith Venitti.
It’s like a knife to the gut. The sharp pain is as hot and intense as if it were a real knife she was using and not just the tip of her pen.
“And Christina,” Clara says, pushing the papers towards me.
I grind my teeth and try to force myself to stay calm. I’m grateful for my sunglasses hiding the threat of tears welling in my eyes.
“Christina, is there a problem?” Victoria asks, pursing her lips.
“Can I,” I start to say, having to stop to swallow the hard lump building in my throat.
“Victoria. Clara. May I please take some time to read over this?” I hold the stack of paper up and flip through it.
“Your attorney, who is your mother, already signed it.” Victoria looks at me like I’m a bug under her shoe. “She clearly wants what’s best for you, darling.”
Darling has never sounded like such an insult.
I flip through the pages some more and I’m shocked by how long this is. Page upon page of contract language.
Is this standard? I don’t know. But I’m not signing it until I know exactly what they want from me.
“I need time,” I say, a little bit stronger. I roll my shoulders back, keeping my chin up and my eyes clear. Whatever this is won’t just affect me, it’ll affect Nico and Enzo as well. I have to be strong, for us. “This is a legal document that I will be bound to for the entirety of my life, isn’t it? The responsible thing would be to read it, thoroughly.”
“It’s just a standard document,” Victoria says, her tongue clicking in disapproval.
“Contract,” I say, cutting in to correct her. That point needs to be made clear. It is a contract after all, nothing more. I don’t want anyone to delude themselves into thinking that I’m doing any of this willingly.
“Yes, contract.” Clara, their lawyer, watches me with what looks like disdain. “This is a business contract. As this is an arranged marriage, there are definitely legal connotations.”
My mother rolls her eyes and snaps her fingers at me. “We have things to do, sweetheart. Just sign it and I’ll go through it with you later.”
