That night, I slept better than I had in months.

When morning came, I found myself feeling nervous about marrying the girl who used to trail after me everywhere.

I almost showed up late.

The second I stepped into the city clerk's office, I saw a dolled-up Jeanette pushing Noah in his wheelchair.

She eyed my suit and smirked. "Wow, you actually cleaned up to register our marriage today."

She dug in her purse and took out a folded document. "But before we do that, sign this agreement."

I frowned. I was about to tell her that she had the wrong idea when she stuffed the document into my hands.

"This is simply to ensure the happiness of our marriage," she said sweetly. "So don't go crying that I took advantage of you."

Noah piped up from his chair, "That's right, Nathan! Jenny stayed up all night working on that. She even asked Mom for help so that you wouldn't think it was unfair."

I didn't want to argue in public, so I took a quick look at it.

A single glance was enough.

The first clause stated, "After marriage, Nathan must treat the child in Jeanette's womb as his own, assume all parental duties, and provide no less than ten thousand dollars a month in support."

I moved on to the other clauses. "After marriage, Nathan must allow his younger brother, Noah, to move in with them and will not interfere with his interactions with the unborn child.

"After marriage, Jeanette may decide whether or not to have more children. Nathan may not object to her wishes.

"After marriage, all of Nathan's assets must be transferred to Jeanette's unborn child."

I didn't bother reading the rest.

Calling the agreement unfair would be too kind. The conditions didn't even regard me as a human being.

I started laughing.

"What are you waiting for, Nathan? Do you want to get married or not? Sign it already!" Jeanette urged.

I looked at her, crumpled the document, and threw it in their faces. "You really think I'd sign garbage like this?"

Her expression faltered. "You—"

I cut in, "Also, who told you I was here to marry you?"

She froze.

Noah leaned forward. "Come on. Stop throwing a tantrum. Everyone knows that you'd never marry anyone but Jeanette. You finally got this far. Don't screw around.

"Plus, you made the appointment for eight o'clock, right? If you're not marrying her, then who?"

Jeanette snapped out of her daze and crossed her arms. "Exactly. You just want my attention. Well, you've got it. Stop playing games and sign the agreement."

I checked my watch. It was already 8:10 am. Yet, there was still no sign of Stella.

Had something come up? Had she changed her mind?

Either way, one thing was certain—Jeanette and I were done.

Before I could speak my mind, a horn blared outside. A clear, bright voice called out to me. "Sorry for being late, honey."