Chapter 15 - Day One Rules
Caleb met us in the parking lot behind Rebecca’s office.
His lower lip was split.
There was a purple mark forming along his jaw.
I hugged him before I could think about whether I should.
“I’m sorry.”
He gave a humorless laugh.
“I’m the one who should be sorry.”
“For what?”
“I knew they were weird about your money.”
“That isn’t the same as knowing all this.”
He looked away.
“I knew more than I admitted.”
My chest tightened.
“How much?”
He opened his backpack.
Inside was the yellow legal pad.
The one from the photograph.
“I heard them planning your first morning.”
For a second, the entire parking lot seemed to disappear.
“What?”
Caleb swallowed.
“Mom said you needed to understand the hierarchy immediately.”
I stared at him.
“The hierarchy.”
“She said if Julian was nice after the wedding, you’d think you had equal authority.”
Rebecca’s face darkened.
“What exactly did they plan?”
Caleb opened the legal pad.
The page was written mostly in Victoria’s handwriting.
At the top:
DAY ONE.
Beneath it:
No breakfast until chores.
Move belongings to smaller closet.
Collect cards for household file.
Joint account Monday.
Deposit 45K.
No calls to parents during adjustment week.
My skin crawled.
“Adjustment week?”
Caleb nodded.
“They canceled the honeymoon.”
I stared at him.
“No.”
Julian had told me the resort made a scheduling error.
“We were still supposed to fly tomorrow.”
“No.”
Caleb looked ashamed.
“The flights were refundable.”
“Julian canceled them last week.”
“Why?”
“Mom wanted you at the house.”
The room inside my head went completely silent.
I pictured the week I thought I was going to spend beside turquoise water.
Julian had replaced it with seven days trapped inside Victoria’s home.
No calls to parents.
No breakfast until chores.
Financial documents.
A joint account.
A deposit.
Control.
Rebecca photographed every page.
Then Caleb turned to the next sheet.
This one was in Julian’s handwriting.
Week 1 goals.
Get check deposited.
Get brokerage login.
Confirm trust details.
Add J to emergency/contact docs.
Have E sign household agreement.
The last line was underlined.
Do not let her leave angry.
I laughed quietly.
Caleb looked at me.
“What?”
“He failed that one.”
No one smiled.
Because beneath the list was another note.
If she threatens to leave, remind her family paid for wedding and threaten public embarrassment.
My eyes burned.
Every possible reaction had been anticipated.
Every emotion categorized.
Every weakness prepared for.
I wasn’t a bride to them.
I was a target they expected to manage.
Caleb reached deeper into his backpack.
“There’s one more thing.”
He pulled out a small USB drive.
“Mom keeps digital copies.”
Rebecca’s expression changed.
“Copies of what?”
“Everything.”
“What does everything mean?”
Caleb looked at me.
“Emails.”
“Financial research.”
“Scans of your documents.”
Then he swallowed.
“And recordings.”
I froze.
“What recordings?”
May you like
He looked genuinely sick.
“Julian recorded some of your conversations while you were dating.”
