xactly three feet
grandson?" Kather
f her boots up to the messy bun on her head. He let o
hern's neck prickle with heat. She pressed her lips toge
ply shoved the blue folder forwar
His voice was flat and ha
her hands. She flipped it open. Inside was a thick
brutally clear. Complete financial independence
marriage would last exactly six months. Upon termination, the husband
his hands shoved deep into th
rn around and walk away righ
his dark eyes. She reached into the front pocket o
pped to the very last page of the document. She pressed the pen
She slapped it flat against t
hern said, her voice completely ste
d the folder, turned his back to her, and walked toward the m
to keep up. They walked through the revolving d
around them was filled with couples holding hands,
et of empty space between them. They stood as rigidly as tw
unter. A balding clerk named Walter looked up at th
his marriage voluntarily?" Wa
word dropped from his m
teadying breath, kept her expression perfectly neutral, and said "Yes
s. He slid a stack of forms
e out," Wa
ccupation box, she wrote 'Handmade Shop Owner'. She glanced over her
porate drone at a massive company. T
aggressively on his keyboard. The printer behind him whirr
ght hands," Wa
epeated the standard vows, kee
e. There was zero inflection in his tone. He soun
aid, sliding the papers tow
ed at her name printed next to a man she didn't kno
it, folded it in half with a sharp crease, and s
his tone strictly business. "We nee
m the counter and walked back throug
instantly. Kathern shivered, her shoulders pulling inward against the cold.
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