MARRIAGE DOCUMENT

Loretta 

It almost felt like the universe had finally decided to side with me when the documents from my husband arrived that morning. I had been pacing the living room for hours, restless, but the moment I opened that envelope and read the content, it was as if a heavy weight had lifted off me. For the first time in days, I felt a strange sense of relief.

I had spent the entire day moving from one corner of the house to another, happy that I was free. It wasn’t because I was happy about being married, not at all i despised this marriage with every fiber of my being. But the discovery that my husband despised it too made the whole arrangement far less suffocating. The documents revealed that our marriage was nothing but a contract. A contract that clearly stated we would only be bound together for three years. After that, we would go our separate ways, with no obligations, no ties, no shared life.

Another clause in the agreement was that our marriage was to remain a secret. No one outside his grandmother should know. He had been engaged before this arrangement and, from the way the papers were worded, it seemed clear he had no intention of giving that up. The only time he would need me to act like his wife was when his grandmother was present. Outside of those appearances, I was free to live my life as I pleased though, discreetly.

According to the contract, I was free to date if I wanted to but it must be discreet. And in just three years, I am free to walk away without looking back. To me, this contract was liberation, It meant that I wouldn’t be tied to a man I neither knew nor loved. And if everything went well, by the time those three years ended, my father would be back home too.

The only issue now was practical. According to the documents, he would be coming personally to collect them during the weekend. That complicated things for me because I needed to be in New York before then.

I had already reached out to an old schoolmate, someone I wasn’t particularly close to but who had been kind enough to let me stay in her apartment until I figured out my own accommodation. New York rent was no joke, every figure I saw made my stomach twist. I knew I had to cut costs, maybe share an apartment with someone until I managed to clear off the debts left hanging over my father’s name. Every decision I made now was tied to one purpose, making sure my dad had a house to return to when he was finally free. 

Earlier in the day, I had called Rosie. If anyone could help me pull this off smoothly, it was her. 

When I finished packing a few things in preparation for New York, I took a slow walk through the house. Each corner seemed to whisper memories back at me. I remembered the times when Dad would still come around, before everything crumbled. I remembered the days when Grandma and I would spend hours in the kitchen, cooking, laughing, and gossiping because she had no real friends here, and I was all she had.

Losing her left a hollow space I couldn’t fill, I missed her presence, her warmth, her voice. Standing in this house made it feel like she was still here, watching me. Leaving it behind was harder than I expected, but I have to go. 

Just as I stepped out of the kitchen, I heard a knock on the door, Rosie. 

I rushed to open it, and as always, she walked in like she owned the place. Tossing her things on the chair, she dropped onto the sofa with a sigh.

“I had the craziest day at work,” she said, pointing a finger at me. “Whatever you called me here for had better be worth it.”

“Shut up and listen,” I replied quickly. “I came up with a plan since I won’t be around to hand the documents to my husband myself.”

“Your husband,” she repeated with a grin,. “I love the sound of that.”

“Rosie, I’m serious, stop joking and listen. I need you to please pose as me when my husband comes to collect these documents.”

Her eyes widened instantly. “What the hell, Lore? First it was your grandma who made this whole marriage thing insane, then your husband with his contract, and now you? Are you going crazy too?”

I leaned forward, desperation slipping into my tone. “You don’t have to do much. I’ve already signed everything, all you need to do is hand them over. That’s all.”

She shook her head. “Lore,did you actually read that document well, he said in there that he’d need you to show up once in a while, play the part of his wife when his grandma is around. What happens when he meets the real you? What do you tell him then? Because let me be clear, I am not doing that part for you.”

“I’m not asking for that,” I insisted. “I just need you to cover this one time. When the situation comes up later, I’ll deal with it myself. I’ll explain everything to him, I swear.”

Her frown deepened. “Do you think this is really a good idea? What if this plan backfires?”

“Nothing will go wrong,” I said quickly. “Please, do this for your best friend.”

She folded her arms, unconvinced. “You could just call him, tell him you have an urgent interview in New York. That wouldn’t be so bad.”

“And risk losing the house? Rosie, I don’t know what tricks Grandma might still have tied into this arrangement. I’m not going to sit around and play house with a man who’s already in love with someone else. I can’t do it.”

For a long moment, she just looked at me, then she sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it. But you owe me, Lore. And I really hope this little game of yours doesn’t backfire. I can’t believe you’re actually leaving. I wish we could just stay together forever.”

She opened her arms and pulled me into a tight hug. I closed my eyes, holding on to her warmth. Leaving her behind would be another ache to add to my growing list. But she had her life here, her relationship and her job. 

“Thank you,” I whispered when we pulled apart. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “Yeah, yeah. Just remember this when I come asking for payback.”

That night, after Rosie agreed to help, I felt lighter. We ended up packing together, singing old songs at the top of our lungs, moving through the house like two teenagers who had forgotten the world outside existed. For a moment, everything felt simple, things were finally working in my favor.

It was still hard to believe that my dream of leaving was turning into reality.