Page 20 of Single Dad's Fake Bride
"I need to understand exactly what the board can and cannot challenge."
Blackwood opened a thick file folder and withdrew several documents.
"The will's language is quite specific. Legal marriage within ninety days of activation—which leaves you seventy-seven days from today. The union must remain intact for a minimum of five consecutive years. Any divorce, separation, or annulment during that period will trigger forfeiture of the inheritance."
"What constitutes proof that the marriage is legitimate?"
He consulted his notes, though I suspected he knew the terms by heart.
"The board retains the right to evaluate the union's authenticity at any time during the five-year period. They can request documentation, conduct interviews, observepublic appearances. Any evidence suggesting the marriage is fraudulent will be grounds for challenging your claim."
"Define fraudulent."
My chest started to feel heavier and heavier the more he spoke. I was talking about a major scam—fraud, even…
Could I be prosecuted for that?
"Marriage entered into solely for financial gain, with no intention of creating a genuine partnership. Separate residences, lack of public appearances as a couple, evidence of infidelity by either party."
Blackwood's expression was carefully neutral, but I caught the skepticism in his voice. "The board is particularly concerned about arrangements that might circumvent your father's clear intent."
"Which was?"
"To ensure you were settled, committed, and prepared to take on the responsibilities of leadership."
He leaned back in his chair, studying my face. "Edmund believed marriage would provide the stability and maturity necessary for running an institution like Hawthorne."
The irony wasn't lost on me.
My father, who had viewed his own marriage as a social obligation and treated his children as disappointing investments, believed matrimony was the key to responsible leadership.
Either he'd had a change of heart near the end or he was just being manipulative like my sisters often believed.
I absorbed all of this information while studying the oil painting that dominated the wall behind Blackwood's desk—some ancestor in judicial robes, probably appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Court when Harvard was still a theological seminary.
"The woman I'm considering," I said carefully. "She's a teacher at Hawthorne."
Blackwood's pen stilled above his legal pad. "That could complicate matters."
"How?"
"Board scrutiny will be intense. They'll wonder why you chose someone from within the school community, whether there was a pre-existing relationship that predates your father's death."
He set down his pen and looked at me directly.
"They'll be looking for evidence that you planned this arrangement on short notice or whether you've been dating her a while."
"The relationship is professional. She teaches my daughter."
"Which could work in your favor or against you, depending on how the board chooses to interpret the timeline."
He opened another file and withdrew a single sheet of paper.
"There's also the matter of the prenuptial agreement."
I hadn't expected this complication. "Prenuptial agreement?"
"Your father's will requires one. Any marriage entered into during the ninety-day period must include a comprehensive prenuptial agreement that protects the Vale assets in the event of divorce after the five-year minimum."
