Agreement review
1050 Words
Ruth barely remembered leaving TC Corporation.
Everything blurred together and only one thing remained painfully clear.
Scott Rowland. She had prepared herself to meet the intimidating CEO everyone spoke about.
She hadn't prepared herself to walk into his office and find the man who had pulled her out of the darkest period of her life.
The same man who had paid her hospital bills without expecting anything in return.
Now he was her boss. How was she supposed to feel?
She tightened her grip on her handbag as she stepped onto the busy sidewalk.
she murmured under her breath.
"One problem at a time."
Scott wasn't her problem, Caleb was.
She took a deep breath and hailed a taxi.
Twenty minutes later, she stood outside a modest law office.
A polished brass plaque beside the entrance read:
Hilda Smith & Associates
Family Law. Women's Rights and Civil Litigation
Ruth stopped walking in hesitation. If she walked through those doors...
There would be no turning back.
She pushed the door open regardless.
Mrs. Hilda Smith was nothing like Ruth had imagined.
She wasn't old nor stern.
She looked to be in her early forties, dressed in a navy pantsuit, with sharp eyes that seemed capable of reading people before they spoke.
"So," Mrs. Hilda said after listening patiently to Ruth's explanation.
"You want me to review your husband's agreement."
Ruth nodded.
Mrs. Smith reached for the document.
The deeper she read, the colder her expression became.
"I've seen controlling contracts before."
She folded her hands on the desk.
"This one isn't a marital agreement."
"It's ownership."
Ruth lowered her eyes.
"I don't have much of a choice."
Mrs. Hilda studied her for several seconds.
"You always have a choice."
"It may not be easy..."
"But you always have one."
Those words settled somewhere deep inside Ruth. If only she was completely honest and told Mrs Hilda about the leverage Caleb is using.
Mrs. Hilda pulled a blank legal pad toward herself.
"Tell me."
"What do you want?"
Ruth blinked.
"What?"
"What do you want?"
The question sounded simple, she knew why she was here but suddenly Ruth couldn't answer.
She had spent five years going by what Caleb wanted, what he preferred.
What would make him happy?
Somewhere along the way she had forgotten herself.
Ruth finally whispered,
"I want my freedom."
Mrs. Hilda nodded once.
"Good."
"Now we're getting somewhere."
For nearly an hour, they worked through every clause.
Every sentence, loophole. Mrs. Smith refused to leave anything vague.
"If you're returning to live under the same roof," she said, "then your rights must be written clearly."
Separate bedrooms, freedom to work.
Freedom to leave the house without permission.
No interference with her employment.
No shared finances. Public appearances only when mutually agreed and once the agreed period ended...
The marriage would legally end.
Mrs. Hilda slid the finished document across the desk.
"This doesn't guarantee he'll accept it."
"But if he does..."
"He won't be able to control every aspect of your life."
"Thank you."
Mrs. Smith smiled back.
"No."
"Thank yourself."
"You finally decided to fight."
******
Across the city...
Goldon Corporation
The boardroom remained unusually quiet.
A financial presentation glowed across the projector.
Caleb sat at the head of the table while another executive concluded his report.
"And if the Drey group signs the partnership agreement, company valuation will increase by almost thirty percent."
Satisfied nods spread around the table.
Then another director cleared his throat.
"We only have one concern."
The atmosphere immediately shifted.
"Our investors place great importance on family values."
Another director continued.
"The Drey family has always preferred doing business with executives who present... stable homes."
Caleb's face remained unreadable. He knew exactly where they were going with this.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" He said with gritted teeth .
"The charity gala."
"It has already been announced."
"The media will be there. So will the Dreys."
"They expect Mrs. Ruth beside you."
Another director added.
"This partnership is worth hundreds of millions."
"We can't afford unnecessary rumors."
Caleb slowly leaned back.
"I'll handle my wife."
The meeting continued but he stopped listening.
The board meeting ended ten minutes later.
One by one, the directors gathered their files and filtered out of the room.
"Good work, everyone."
"We'll reconvene next week."
Before the heavy doors closed behind the last executive. He turned and said,
“Remember your father's last word, don't make us act rash.“
Caleb remained seated at the head of the long table, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished surface.
His jaw was tight.
He hated being cornered.
Especially when the pressure came from the people he paid but that he blamed his father for giving them the power.
He pushed his chair back and strode into his private office.
The moment the door shut, he loosened his tie with an impatient tug.
They all wanted the same thing.
A happily married CEO.
What none of them knew… Ruth had signed the divorce weeks ago.
Caleb's expression darkened.
He picked up his phone and dialed Ruth's number.
"Have you signed the agreement?"
"No."
His brows knitted together.
"What exactly are you waiting for?"
There was a brief pause.
"I'm waiting to negotiate."
Caleb almost laughed.
"...Negotiate?"
"You heard me."
His laugh finally came. "You think you're in a position to negotiate with me?"
"I think we both know I'm in a better position than you want to admit." Ruth replied.
His smile disappeared.
"You seem to have forgotten who's holding the evidence."
"I haven't."
"Then don't test my patience."
Ruth closed her eyes briefly before answering.
"I met with a lawyer today."
“You what?“
"I had your agreement reviewed." Ruth said.
Caleb laughed again.
Ruth spoke again, her voice steadier than she'd ever sounded around him.
"You need me. I already figured it out."
Caleb's eyes narrowed.
"I don't need anyone."
"You need your wife. For your investors, the company's image."
His grip tightened around the phone.
She had really figured it out.
"So," she continued quietly, "let's stop pretending this is only about those photographs."
Caleb leaned against his desk.
"And what exactly do you want?"
Ruth looked down at the neatly typed document Mrs. Smith had prepared.
"You'll sign my own agreement. "
- Writer
