The next afternoon, I kept myself busy arranging my belongings, trying to distract myself from the weight of recent events. A box had arrived that morning, containing an old family photograph. In the picture, my father held my stepmother close, my stepbrother stood beside her, and I was positioned next to Darcy, my stepsister. It had been almost two years since I'd last seen Darcy; she'd left home to start a new life. She was the one member of my family who had always treated me with kindness and respect.
Just as I was lost in thought, Selene appeared at my door, her hands folded neatly. "Mr. Voss requests your presence," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.
My stomach sank. I wondered what it was this time. My thoughts drifted to the conversation I had with him at dinner. The words debt, marriage, contract, and wife replayed in my head. I shuddered, and placed the thought at the back of my mind.
I followed her down the long hallway, every step echoing against marble floors. She stopped at the study and held the door open for me.
Inside, a man in a gray suit stood beside Daniel's desk, papers spread out. He was tall, glasses perched on his nose, and his expression carried no warmth. He barely glanced at me before looking back down.
Daniel gestured toward the chair. "Sit."
I lowered myself into it, palms damp, heart pounding. The man shuffled the papers into a stack and slid one forward.
"This is the contract," he said, tone clipped. "Mr. Voss has already signed. Your father has as well."
As the lawyer spoke, I felt a chill run down my spine. This contract wasn't just a document; it was my life in chains.
The words slammed into me harder than I expected. "My father…already signed?"
My father's signature on the contract felt like a betrayal. Had he truly given up on me or was he just desperate to be free of debt?
"Yes," Daniel answered before the man could. "This morning. He was eager to close the matter."
The lawyer tapped a pen against the page. "Your acknowledgment is all that remains."
My eyes scanned the lines of text, but the words blurred—union, liability, debt absolved. Legal jargon that reduced me to a transaction.
My voice came out strangled. "You're not even asking me."
I blinked back the tears that pooled in my eyes. I will not cry. Not here, not in front of them.
Daniel's gaze was steady, unblinking. "I don't need to."
Something broke inside me. I shoved the papers back toward them, my hands shaking. "No. I won't. This isn't right."
Daniel leaned forward, his tone like ice. "Your refusal changes nothing. Your father made the exchange. Your signature spares you unnecessary difficulty."
The lawyer shifted uncomfortably but didn't interfere.
I stared at the man across from me, the one who now held my life in a pen stroke. "You'll never get my consent."
He didn't blink. "Consent is irrelevant when the decision has already been made."
The room went silent except for the rapid pounding of my heart.
Finally, the lawyer gathered the documents, bowing slightly. "I'll finalize arrangements with the court. You'll be informed of the date."
Daniel nodded once, dismissing him. The man exited quietly, leaving the two of us in the thick air of the study.
I turned on him, voice trembling with rage. "Why? Why are you doing this to me? What do you get from forcing me into this?"
For the first time, his jaw tightened. Something flickered in his eyes—anger, memory, I couldn't tell.
"Your father owes me more than you'll ever understand. This is how debts are settled."
Debt. That word made my skin crawl. First, my father had given me away like payment, a living settlement for what he owed. Then Daniel decided it wasn't enough—he wanted to make it legal, binding, permanent. Now here I was, staring at a contract that would strip away the last illusion of choice I had left.
I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to hold myself together. My body felt hollow, my mind spinning. He had destroyed every way out, every sliver of hope.
"You are a despicable person! You, my father, my family. " I stormed out before he could get a chance to reply. Emotions conflicted in my chest: anger, hurt, fear and betrayal.
I shut the door behind me, crumpling to the floor as tears streamed down my face. Things had taken a new turn for me, one I never would've imagined or dreamt of. If only mother were still here, she wouldn't have allowed any of this.
After a moment, I stood up, walked to the nightstand and picked up my mother's framed picture. Selene had helped me replace the broken frame days ago. Teardrops littered the glass as I stared at the picture, longing to escape into its warmth and disappearing from this cruel life I was about to start living.
I hugged the picture to my chest and stepped onto the balcony. The cool afternoon breeze was the opposite of what I felt inside. As I scanned the surroundings, my eyes landed on Daniel, who was leaning against the car with a phone pressed to his ear. Our gaze met for a few seconds before I turned away, a newfound determination forming within me.
I walked back to the bed with a resolution; I will not marry Daniel Voss.