Darling, You Lose

Chapter 22: The Unbreakable Contract

“We’re already married?” Elena whispers, her voice barely audible, her hands shaking as she stares at the marriage certificate. The words blur before her eyes, but the reality of what she’s seeing hits her like a punch to the gut. She can’t breathe. She can’t think.

Rafael’s name is signed at the bottom, bold and official, with her name right next to it. She never signed anything. She would never sign anything like this. How could this be real?

Her fingers tremble as she traces the signature on the paper, her mind spiraling with questions she doesn’t have the answers to. The document looks authentic, everything in place—the stamps, the date, the signatures. But this... this doesn’t make sense.

“No,” she murmurs, almost to herself. She can’t let this be true. “This can’t be… How…?”

She scans the fine print, her eyes desperately searching for some clue, some reason that might explain how Rafael could pull something like this off. And then, she finds it.

Forged signatures.

Her breath catches. The realization hits her like a wave, sweeping over her, leaving her gasping for air. He didn’t just trick her into this. He forged her signature, used her name without her knowing, and made their marriage official months ago. The horror of it crashes into her chest.

She stumbles back, her knees weak, and the room spins. This isn’t just about a marriage. This is worse than she could have imagined. Rafael has trapped her. He’s bound her to him legally, and there’s nothing she can do to break free.

Her mind races. What does this mean for her? She can’t leave. She can’t marry anyone else. She can’t even take anything from her own accounts without his permission. This contract, this twisted marriage, it’s unbreakable.

“I—I can’t…” Elena’s voice cracks, the tears welling up in her eyes, but she fights them back. “He can’t... he didn’t.”

But he did. And it’s all laid out in front of her, clear as day. She feels the walls closing in around her, the weight of the truth pressing down on her chest. She can’t get out. She can’t go anywhere. Not without him knowing. Not without his permission.

Her hands are still trembling, holding the certificate, like it’s burning her. Like it’s some kind of proof of her failure. How could she have let this happen? How could she have been so blind?

A shadow falls over her, and she freezes, her heart leaping into her throat.

The sound of footsteps makes her blood run cold.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Rafael’s voice is smooth, almost casual, but there’s a dark undertone to it. Elena slowly turns her head to face him, her heart pounding in her chest.