I stared at him.
“She owns the account. It is for her future, her medical care, and the babies. I can prove all of it.”
I wanted to believe him.
But the signature remained.
“Then why sign this?” I demanded. “Why put your name on something so vile?”
Ben lowered his head.
“Greenwood House.”
The name meant nothing to me.
“What is that?”
“A residential facility three states away.”
My stomach tightened.
“Your mother showed me the brochure before I proposed. She said you both were adults now and Rosie was becoming a burden the family could not carry forever.”
“That is not true.”
“She told me you deserved a life of your own. Her exact words were, ‘We will not chain Cathy to Rosie.’”
My knees weakened.
I lowered myself onto the floor opposite him.
“They were going to send her away?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“They had already contacted the facility. Your father was discussing transferring control of her trust.”
I looked at the contract in my hands.
Ben’s voice became softer.
“They offered me money to marry her, become her legal guardian, and relieve them of responsibility.”
“You could have refused.”
“I did refuse the money.”
“You signed.”
“I signed because the marriage and guardianship stopped them from sending her away.”
He looked directly at me.
“But I did not marry Rosie because of that agreement.”
“Then why?”
“Because I love her.”
His answer came without hesitation.
“I loved her before they ever approached me. I had already bought the ring.”
I remembered the velvet box in his hand.
