Chapter 14: The Truth Behind the Marriage

Luke didn't follow me out of the building.

For once, he had nothing to say.

I walked to my car with my attorney beside me, feeling strangely calm.

The moment I started the engine, my phone rang.

It was Maya.

I let it ring.

She called again.

Then again.

Finally, a message appeared.

"Please talk to me. You deserve to know the truth."

I stared at the words.

The truth.

That was something I wanted.

But I wasn't going to hear it from her without proof.

I forwarded the message to my attorney.

A few minutes later, he called.

"Don't respond yet."

"I wasn't planning to."

"Good. There's something you need to see."

He sent me a file.

It was a copy of the marriage certificate.

I had already seen the certificate at the first closing.

But this time, there was an additional document attached.

A marriage agreement.

I opened it.

My eyes moved slowly across the page.

Maya and Luke had married with separate financial arrangements.

Their assets were supposed to remain separate.

So why had Luke been using my money?

I kept reading.

There was a clause about housing.

Luke was responsible for providing Maya with a residence while their marriage remained active.

I almost laughed.

He had apparently married her, promised her a home, and then decided I should pay for it.

Then I saw another clause.

If the marriage ended before a certain date, Maya would receive a financial settlement.

A substantial one.

My stomach tightened.

This wasn't an insurance arrangement.

There was money involved.

A lot of it.

I called my attorney immediately.

"Why would they do this?"

"We don't know yet," he said. "But I think we're about to find out."

That evening, Maya finally came to my townhouse.

I didn't let her inside.

She stood on the porch, crying.

"Elena, please."

"You have five minutes."

She wiped her eyes.

"Luke told me you knew about everything."

I stared at her.

"Everything?"

"He said you agreed to help us financially until things stabilized."

I felt something inside me go cold.

"He told you I agreed?"

She nodded.

"He said you wanted to make sure I was taken care of because we're like sisters."

I laughed bitterly.

"Maya, I didn't even know you were married to him."

She looked down.

"I know."

"Then why did you sign the papers?"

She didn't answer.

I waited.

Finally, she whispered, "Because Luke promised me something."

"What?"

She looked up.

"He promised that once he had control of your money, we would both be secure."

My breath caught.

"Both of you?"

She nodded.

"He said you wouldn't fight him. He said you trusted him too much."

The last piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

Luke hadn't simply underestimated me.

He had counted on my trust as part of the plan.

I stepped back from the door.

"We're done, Maya."

She reached toward me.

"Elena, I'm sorry."

I shook my head.

"Sorry doesn't undo a marriage certificate."

I closed the door.

For the first time since the betrayal began, I didn't feel heartbroken.

I felt free.

And tomorrow, I was going to make sure Luke paid for every decision he had made without me.