The day after we got married, Daniel came to breakfast with a notary public, and his parents were close behind him; they were both grinning as if they had already been awarded something.
I was still in my white robe with my grandmother’s diamond drop earrings on, and I was still blissfully ignorant of the fact that I would have to take care of myself and my kids on my own now that we were married. Daniel kissed me on the forehead as if to say, “This isn’t what I was expecting”, and placed a folder down on the table next to my coffee.
“Sign the paper, Claire,” he said.
Vivian, his mother, pushed the folder closer to me. “It’s just smart to have the wife’s assets be there to help the husband’s family.”
As I stared down at the paper in front of me, I could see the words “Transfer of Ownership”.
The company my grandmother built from the ground up after surviving through war and is worth millions in contracts, patents and land. The very company I had never once mentioned to Daniel.
Slowly, I raised my head to meet Daniel’s eyes, “How did you find out about it?”
His smile was not as genuine, “In marriage, you have to be honest.”
Richard, his father, laughed, and said, “Don’t act so shocked. Daniel has some debts; we have plans for expansion; you’re part of this family now.”
Vivian’s hand was resting on top of mine, a feeling I would later come to refer to as a ‘cold-hearted touch’. “Honestly, you don’t appear to be the type of person that would be able to run a business; so just step aside and let the men take care of it.”
It was at that moment that everything became clear to me. This was not about love. This was not about partnership. This was about control.
I remembered what Daniel told me when he proposed to me in the rain; he said he liked that I was so quiet. I remember Vivian telling me that I was “simple but sweet.” I remember Richard saying that I had no business thinking.
I had let all three of them believe every word of it.Chiffon-type dresses; polite-smiled expressions; silent obedience. All these things come from the teachings of my grandmother, who said that you should never show your strength to anyone who is waiting to take advantage of it. The notary made a formality of going through the process: “Please initial each page, Mrs. Whitmore.” As I initialled every page, I calmly said, “My name is Claire Voss.” Daniel’s expression became rigid: “Not anymore.” A brief smile crossed my face; for the first time, this caused him to hesitate.
I picked up the pen and felt Vivian lean forward, with both her eyes delighter. Richard had relaxed with the knowledge of having won and the assurance that he was going to win.
As I uncapped the pen, I drew a firm line across the signature line and said, “No.” Then complete silence filled the room. Daniel gapped upright and his anger finally surfaced, breaking the calm facade he had maintained the whole time. At this moment, he was the first man I ever saw as he is truly Daniel, my husband. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups on the table to rattle. “You don’t know what you are refusing.” I watched the coffee spread across the table cloth. “I know perfectly well.”
Vivian’s tone became sharper, “Don’t make yourself look stupid, the family owns that company. You are a young girl, emotional, and you need to be guided.”