CHAPTER 12 :Unprepared marriage.
The mansion felt empty. Juliana 's funeral was Yesterday. Alex had not slept. His eyes were red, swollen, and tired. Yet, he sat in the living room, staring at nothing.
The lawyer entered quietly.
"Mr. Richard … we need to finalize something important."
Alex looked up, his voice rough. "What again? I just buried my wife yesterday. What else do they want from me?"
Lawyer Stan sighed. "Sir, it's about the twins... According to the law, Victorine , as the biological mother, has full parental rights. This means she can decide to be with her babies. If you want permanent custody, you must be her husband. That way, the children stay under your name too.
Alex clenched his jaw. So you're telling me, after losing Juliana , the system still wants to take away my children?. They are the reason why I lost my wife.
That is the rule, sir.
My wife signed a contract with her and she kept it somewhere in our room.
Sir the contract you are speaking of was a lawyer involved.
No it was between them. My wife trusted her.
Alex stood up slowly, anger shaking in his hands. "
I will NOT lose them. Not after everything.
"I understand. But you must do something about it now."
Alex didn't wait. He drove straight to Victorine 's Hospitals.
She was sitting on the bed, holding her stomach still healing from birth. When she saw him, she tried to smile nervously.
"Mr Alex… you didn't come to see the babies this morning. Are they okay? Is Juliana back?"
Alex interrupted sharply. "Sign this."
He dropped a set of papers on the bed.
Victorine blinked. "What's this?"
"Marriage license. Court papers. Sign it."
Her heart skipped. "Marriage? Mr Alex… you didn't even ask me anything"
"I'm not asking," he snapped. "I am telling you. Sign it."
Victorine swallowed painfully. "Why? Why so sudden? Did something happen? Alex… please talk to me."
He looked away, eyes filled with pain and anger.
"The children belong legally to you. And the law can question me if I'm not your husband. I won't let anyone take my kids. Not after losing Juliana ." Alex Snap
Victorine froze.
"Losing… Juliana ?" she whispered. "What do you mean losing Juliana ?"
Alex shut his eyes tightly.
"She's dead."
Victorine gasped. Tears rushed down her cheeks immediately.
"No! No, no, no… Juliana ? She left the hospital to get drugs… how? Alex, how did this happen?"
"She was hit by a truck," he said, voice cold and empty. "She died in surgery." "If only you didn't send her to buy drugs".
Victorine covered her face, crying loudly. "Oh God… oh God,Mrs Juliana … Mrs Juliana was so kind to me… she didn't deserve this…"
Alex snapped, "Just sign the papers!"
Victorine flinched. "Alex… I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'm not refusing. I'm just…confused"
She stammered.
"Sign it!" His voice shook. "I won't lose my children too."He said bitterly.
Her hands trembled as she picked up the pen.
"Will you still continue treating my brother?" Will I be able to stay with my children?.she said.
"Yes," Alex said stiffly. "Your brother will keep receiving treatment. But sign."
With shaky hands, she wrote her name.
Victorine Bennett Richard .
Alex snatched the papers immediately and walked out without a word. Not even one look back at her.
Victorine cried harder.
---
The next morning Victorine was discharged, the Lawyer returned.
"Congratulations, sir. It is now official. You and Victorine are legally married. The twins' custody is secured."
Alex nodded quietly. "Good."
But his eyes were cold. Empty. Harsh.
Victorine came downstairs slowly with the help of the nanny.
"Mr Alex… can we talk?" she whispered.
"No," he said.
She blinked, hurt. "I just wanted to say"
"I said no."
He walked past her like she wasn't even there.
Victorine wiped her tears again.
---
Later that evening, a nanny approached Alex.
"Sir, should Victorine breastfeed the babies?"
"No. Yes, I should use the breast pump. I don't need her near the children."
Victorine overheard and gasped. "Alex… why? They're my children."
"You signed them over," he said flatly. "They stay with the nannies."
"I didn't sign them over," she cried. "I only signed marriage papers"
"And that makes custody mine."
Victorine shook her head. "Why are you talking to me like this? What did I do?"
Alex's voice turned sharp. "You exist. As their surrogate, that's enough."
Victorine 's heart broke.
"From today," he continued coldly, "you will stay in the guest house. You are allowed inside this mansion only when you are called. Do not come near the children unless I say so."
Victorine covered her mouth, tears running everywhere. "Alex… please…"
He didn't look at her.
"I lost my wife because she went out to get drugs, because you asked her to be the one to go. So don't expect me to smile at you."
What if you are the one that set up the accident?
Victorine dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. But Juliana 's death is not my fault…"
Alex's jaw tightened.
His voice came out like ice.
"I know. But it still happened because of this pregnancy. And right now… I don't want to see you."
He walked away.
Victorine remained on the cold marble floor long after Alex was gone. Her tears flowed without stopping. Everything hurt — her body, her chest, her spirit. She wrapped her arms around herself, shaking.
"I didn't do anything wrong…" she whispered to the empty room. "Why do I feel like I'm being punished?"
She tried to breathe, but her chest tightened again. The silence felt too heavy. She pushed herself to sit properly, wiping her cheeks. But no matter how much she wiped, new tears came.
Just then, the door opened sharply.
Alex's mother — Mrs Richard — walked in.
Victorine froze.
The older woman's face was stiff, proud, cold. She looked Victorine up and down with disgust.
"Oh, look at you," she said. "Sitting on the floor like a lost puppy. Is this the girl Juliana trusted? The girl who now carries the children my daughter-in-law died for?"
Victorine swallowed painfully. "Ma… I'm sorry. I didn't want any of this to—"
"Shut that mouth!" the older woman snapped. "If not for you, Juliana would still be alive. She treated you like family. And you repaid her with death."
Victorine 's tears spilled again. "Please… please don't say that. Juliana was good to me. I loved her too—"
"Loved her?" Mrs Richard scoffed. "Spare me the act. You trapped yourself in this family, and now look you've snatched my son, you've snatched my grandchildren, and you've taken Juliana 's place in this house."
Victorine shook her head, crying harder. "No, no, that's not true. Alex forced"
Mrs Richard cut her off. "Of course he forced you. Because he knows you would have run away with those babies otherwise!"
"Ma, I would never"
"Save your breath. From today, stay out of my sight. And if you ever think of coming near those children… I will make sure you regret it."
She turned sharply and walked out, slamming the door.
Victorine 's whole body shook.
She curled into herself, crying even louder — completely alone, completely unwanted, trapped in a marriage she never asked for, with grief and hatred closing in on every side.
And that was how the marriage started—
with pain, distance, and a man drowning in grief,
and a woman who didn't know how her life had suddenly turned into a punishment.