After the amazing night of sex Rachel and I had shared, I was in a very positive state of mind when I met with Charles to go over the pre-nup Rachel's father insisted on. Those feelings would be replaced with anger and despair a short time later.
Charles was trying to read the document I had brought for him to review while eating the sandwich I had bought for him so that I could not tell if he liked or disliked what he was seeing in that document. After he finished eating, I could tell from his expressions that he did not like what he was reading. He looked at me when he had finished reading with a frown on his face.
"Did you read any of this, Don?" He asked me.
"No, I told you I didn't and that you would be able to understand the legal mumbo jumbo better than I could. Why?"
"Before I answer that, what kind of promises have you made pertaining to the pre-nup?"
"All I said was that I had no problem signing it if it was fair and reasonable."
"Then we have nothing to worry about because there is nothing fair or reasonable in that piece of crap."
"What do you mean, Charles? What does the pre-nup say?"
"It basically says you're screwed if you and Rachel divorce in the future no matter what the reason or who's at fault. You don't even get to keep anything of value you had before the marriage and that's definitely not fair or reasonable."
"I can't believe that Rachel knows anything about what that document says. She loves me and wouldn't try and screw me like that. Her father is behind this, I guarantee it. He doesn't think I'm good enough for his daughter and his lawyer is the one that drew it up. How much do you want to bet that Rachel will tear that "piece of crap", as you called it, up when I show it to her later today?"
"I would not take that sucker bet. Rachel's had to have seen this because her signature is on the next to last page, dated and notarized. Maybe you don't know Rachel as well as you think you do, Don. It goes without saying that I recommend you "Do not under any circumstance" sign the last page of this document. I'm done talking as your lawyer now, but as your friend. You need to take this to Rachel and find out what the hell is going on."
"I had already planned on doing that as soon as we were done. I'm having a hard time believing Rachel would do this to me. Can you put together a counter that would be as offensive to her as that one is to me?"
"Yes, I can but it will take a few days for me to prepare it and I don't want to waste my time and your money unnecessarily. Take this to Rachel, let her know how unfair to you it is, and see if the two of you can work this out. For all we know, she trusted her father to do the right thing and signed it without reading it."
"Okay Charles, I'll go see her right now." I told him as I rose to leave, snatching the pre-nup and the manila envelope it had been in up off his desk before stomping out of his office in anger.
At that moment I was mad at Rachel's father because I was sure he was the one trying to screw me over. That anger would bounce from one person to another much like a ping pong ball in the next few hours before it would be replaced by a vindictive mood.
I drove straight to Wells Industries and hurried up the back stairs to Rachel's office. I threw the pre-nup down on her desk without uttering any pleasantries. I could see by her expression that Rachel was frightened by my obvious angry mood.
"Tell me you signed that without reading it, Rachel." I yelled at her.
"I can't do that, Don, because I did read it. I don't sign anything before reading it first, not even documents from my father. Why are you so angry?"
"I'm angry because there is nothing fair or reasonable about that piece of shit and now I'm even angrier because the woman I thought loved me unconditionally is okay with me getting the shaft in case we don't make it as a married couple. I guess the wedding is off and maybe our relationship is over. I won't sign that and I think I need to reevaluate the way I feel about you now that I know you're not the woman I thought you were.
"I'll move my things into a storage unit and stay in a hotel until I can find myself an apartment. I probably ought to be thankful that your true colors came out before we got married. I wouldn't let Sylvia disrespect me and I can't let you do that either. Goodbye, Rachel."
"No Don, wait. Something's not right here. Please Don, give me a chance to read the pre-nup again because I swear the one I read was very generous toward you in case we didn't last which until this very minute I wasn't afraid of. I do love you with all my heart and swear I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Please, wait a few minutes and then we can figure this out together. Please!"
"Okay, I'll wait in the outer office, but don't take all day."
I paced back and forth while Rachel read the papers I'd thrown on her desk. My pacing became too much for her secretary and she left her desk using the "Going on Break" excuse to flee. Forty five minutes later I heard a sob form the doorway into Rachel's office and looked over in that direction. Rachel was struggling not to burst into a major crying jag while tears ran down both her cheeks.
I did not think, only reacted, and had her wrapped up in my arms in a flash. Although she was trying to say something between her sobs, all I heard was her crying and some mumbled, indecipherable utterings. We stood like that until she had cried herself out and when she had; she grabbed the back of my neck and held me tight as she plastered her lips to mine and that sensation of electricity between us occurred again.
"Don, I swear to you on my mother's grave that piece of filth is not what I read and signed. I don't know how Daddy did it, but the next to last page is the only one I've seen before today. Please, can we sit down together and try to figure out what he's done?" Rachel implored of me.
