My aunt, who is a judge, insisted that I sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married. At the time, I didn’t understand why. But I listened to her anyway.

After some small talk, she looked at me seriously and said, “Since you are joining this family, you need to show you are here to contribute.”

I was confused and did not know what to say.

Then she leaned closer and said clearly, “Give me two hundred thousand dollars so I can buy my son a car.”

I felt frozen and said, “Sorry, what?”

She repeated it calmly, as if it was something normal.

I stayed still, holding my cup, looking at her as if I was seeing her for the first time.

I told her I would not give her any money, and she clicked her tongue like I was the one being unreasonable.

“Do not be dramatic, Amanda, you are going to marry him, what you have will be his too,” she said.

I answered without thinking, “Not according to the agreement we signed.”

That changed her face immediately, and she said quietly, “So it is true, my son told me your aunt filled your head with strange ideas.”

That sentence hit me hard, because it meant Brandon had already talked to her about it.

I stood up, paid for my coffee, and left, and she said behind me, “Let us see how long a marriage without generosity lasts.”

That night I waited for Brandon at my apartment because I wanted to hear everything from him directly.