Chapter 25 Signing an Agreement
"Mr. Donovan, leave it to me."
Teresa gestured for him to give way.
After a moment of silence, he complied and gave the apron to her.
He didn't go out. Instead, he stood there and watched her clean dishes. "We'll eat in a restaurant next time. It's simpler."
"Okay."
Teresa didn't have a problem with that. It was the meeting between the seniors of the two families today, and she had decided to cook at home only to impress her husband's family.
"What did Grandma say to you?"
Hubert suddenly asked.
Teresa paused and looked at him.
Hubert was also looking at her. Their eyes met. From her look, Hubert detected a trace of playfulness. He then heard her replying, "Grandma asked me if we were living in separate rooms. She encouraged me to be bolder and more active, telling me to throw myself at you, strip you naked, and sleep with you."
Hubert was speechless.
That was something his grandmother would say.
"Grandma also expressed her wish to see her great-granddaughter next year. She needs us to keep having babies until we have a daughter. According to her, there will be a reward. She will give all her savings to me."
Hubert was astounded.
That would be billions.
The old lady liked her granddaughter-in-law so much.
"Isn't there any female in your grandpa's generation?"
Hubert shook his head and replied, "There was one in my great-grandfather's generation. It was his sister who was short-lived. She died in an accident when she barely reached the age of five. From his generation onward, there haven't been any females."
In his generation, he had eight brothers and cousins.
Teresa continued to wash the bowls and smiled, "No wonder Grandma was so generous that she promised to give me her life savings. The task turns out to be so difficult."
Hubert overthought it, believing that she started to reveal her true color. So, she was coming after his grandma's fortune.
No wonder she had spared no effort to please his grandma till the latter napped him to marry her against his will.
Noticing his silence, Teresa turned to look at him and saw his gloomy face. When he noticed her gaze, his eyes suddenly turned icy cold.
Teresa blinked and wondered if she had said anything wrong.
"Mr. Donovan?"
Ignoring her, Hubert turned around and went out of the kitchen.
After he left, Teresa muttered, "What is going on? I just answered your question, and you gave me attitude. Do you really think I'll throw myself at you? Who would do that to an iceberg?"
In her view, Hubert bristled because the old lady encouraged her to get physical with him.
Huber went to his room and stayed there for a long time.
Teresa didn't mind it or bother to coax a grown-up.
They were not that close.
They were just life partners. She was fine with his bad attitude or whatever as long as he didn't kick her out of the house.
After cleaning the tableware, she tidied up the kitchen and mobbed the floor. In the end, she went to the balcony and sat down in the swing chair she had bought. The evening breeze was cool, and she cozily swung the chair.
The balcony looked like a small garden. She looked at the lush plants and praised Hubert's work once again.
Heavy footsteps were heard approaching.
Soon, Hubert appeared on the balcony and saw Teresa cozily swinging in the chair. His face turned even sterner.
He came over and handed her two pieces of paper.
"What's this?"
Teresa asked curiously.
Hubert didn't answer, but his implication was clear. She would know as long as she read it.
Teresa took the paper, read the content, and found that it was an agreement. He had made copies for both of them.
He had signed it and affixed a seal.
Now, this was official.
Teresa tiptoed the floor to swing the chair, lay back, and carefully read the terms.
There was a lot of content.
She only remembered the main points, namely that they were just a nominal couple. He wanted her to quit thinking about getting physical with him. In short, they would not consummate their marriage.
And they would get divorced if they couldn't develop feelings for each other in the next six months. He was willing to leave his house and Chevrolet van to her.
This was all the content, and he warned her against coveting Madam Donovan's assets.
Except for the house and car, those in the clauses were all to her disadvantage. He was blatantly preventing her from hustling him.
"Teresa, although we're married, there isn't an emotional foundation, so I think we should sign an agreement. Don't worry about anything. Except for those stipulated in the clauses, nothing will change," said Hubert coldly.
In a word, she shouldn't fall in love with him, think about sleeping with him, or coveting his grandmother's property.
Teresa was not offended. On the contrary, she found the agreement pretty normal. She said, "I've never thought of having Grandma's savings. With my hands, I can feed myself and would never be a parasite."
In Teresa's mind, Madam Donovan was a retired old lady living on her monthly pension of 300 to 500 dollars. Even if her sons and grandsons were filial, the old lady's savings would be limited and probably less than hers.
She had never thought of asking for anyone's money.
She had married Hubert to stop the war between her sister and her brother-in-law. She had just wanted to reassure her sister. Back when they got their marriage license, she had asked Hubert if they would keep their properties separate.
Leila and Patrick had dated before getting married. They loved each other, and separating their properties was hurtful. It was a different story for Hubert and her. They had no feelings for each other, and separating their assets was not a bad idea.
She sized Hubert up and praised him, "Mr. Donovan, you're the chosen one and second to none. You have a pretty face, a good figure, and a refined temperament. Some people are afraid of you while others desire to conquer you."
Hubert's eyes went gloomy.
Teresa continued with a smile, "However, not everyone is going to like you. Rest assured, I will not fall in love with you or think about taking advantage of you. I'm totally okay with the agreement. Bring me a pen. I'll sign it and make a fingerprint since I don't have a seal."
When Hubert wrote down this agreement, he thought that she would fly into a rage. Unexpectedly, she was not mad at all. On the contrary, she praised the agreement. After a moment of silence, he handed her the pen.