The female in question, hereafter referred to as Wife, will be restricted from contact with any past relationships, regardless of gender and familial relation, with the exception of Wife’s Father, Harold Tapers. Wife will be allowed weekly visits with Harold Tapers, and will have use of Husband’s private plane and pilot to conduct these visits.

Husband agrees to pay for any and all medical bills pertaining to Mr. Tapers, hereafter referred to as Father, for the duration of the Marriage, in addition to accepting financial obligation for said Father’s living expenses.

Wife will not be given any cash, but will be assigned two (2) credit cards for her personal shopping and travel needs. She will be allowed the purchase of one new car every two years, but current car must be traded in on the new vehicle purchase, and new vehicle purchase price will not exceed eighty thousand dollars ($80,000.00) before taxes and fees.

Wife is entering into this agreement in the possession of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00). Such property is listed in Marital Prenuptial Agreement and will be and remains the property of the Wife described in the said agreement and the Husband will have no right to or interest in such present property.

Wife will be allowed to have hobbies, given that those hobbies do not take her away from the Home at times deemed to be inconvenient by Husband. Wife will be allowed to have friends, but they must be preapproved by Husband, social standing being of primary importance in the Marriage. If friendships become unpleasing to Husband, they will be terminated by Wife.

Wife agrees to terminate all ties with previous occupation, residence, and lifestyle. She will consent to a Legal Name Change and will keep all details of her prior lifestyle Confidential, including to members of the Press.

I turn to the next page, where the words turn to our sexual lifestyle, desexualized by staunch and clinical terms.

Wife will submit to Husband in all matters sexual. She will not have the right of dictation of sexual positions, fortification locations, or durations. Husband agrees that Sexual Expectations will be limited to one (1) Sexual Penetration Act per day, with the understanding that Wife can initiate additional Sexual Acts if she chooses. Husband is not required to perform Sex Acts with Wife.

and further down…

Wife will maintain a strict regime of Birth Control Pills. If and when Husband and Wife decide to have children, an Amendment to this Marriage Agreement will be agreed upon. Wife agrees that if, in the case of an Unplanned Pregnancy, she will not Terminate the unborn child unless she has written approval from Husband.

It appears to be a carefully controlled fairytale. All of the luxuries of a dream lifestyle, hold the freedom and romance. I am almost grateful for the bulleted points, the discussion of every aspect of my future life as Wife. It is all here, in these eight pages. The instruction manual for the next chapter in my life. And, as unromantic as this arrangement is, as segmented and dictating as it appears my future Husband is, he is also — through these eight pages - known. A known evil, when the last couple of years have been a landmine of unknown ones.

I flip to the final page, the last line very simple and very permanent.

The Marriage will be executed within thirty (30) days of this agreement.

Then, a signature block. I blink at it, realizing that I finally know his name.

Nathan Bane Dumont

I stare at the words for a moment, trying to pair the name with that face. Then I move down to my own signature block, rolling the pen softly in my fingers as I stare at the solid line that could change my life forever.