Chapter 3: The Names on the Agreement
Jalen stared at the photograph until the words began to blur.
“What is that?”” he asked.
Imani enlarged the image with two fingers.
The document appeared to be several years old. It carried a law firm's letterhead, a date, and a series of paragraphs too small to read clearly on her phone.
But the names were unmistakable.
Jalen Carter.
Imani Williams.
His name appeared first. Hers was listed directly beneath it.
At the bottom of the photograph was a signature.
*Denise Carter.*
Jalen's stomach tightened.
“My mother signed this?””
“I don't know,” Imani said.
“My dad just sent it.””
“Call him back.””
She did.
This time, the call went straight to voicemail.
Jalen leaned back against the bus seat and stared at the ceiling.
The Carter family trust.
He had heard his father mention a trust once, years earlier, during a conversation with an accountant who had visited their house. Jalen had assumed it was something wealthy people used to manage property.
His family was comfortable, but they weren't the kind of people who discussed millions of dollars over dinner.
His father managed a regional construction company. His mother worked as an office administrator for a medical practice. They owned their home, drove decent cars, and paid their bills on time.
That was the extent of what Jalen knew.
“Maybe it's fake,” he said.
Imani looked at him.
“Your mother's signature is on it.””
“People can copy signatures.””
“Jalen, your father said he knew about the wedding before it happened. My father said your parents were desperate to stop it. Now he sends us a document with both our names on it.””
She lowered the phone.
“Doesn't that seem like something we should investigate?””
He hated that she sounded more reasonable than he felt.
“Fine. We'll investigate.””
“Where do we start?””
He looked at the screen.
“The law firm.””
The name at the top of the document was partially obscured, but Imani managed to zoom in far enough to read it.
Henderson, Price & Cole.
A downtown address appeared beneath the firm's name.
Jalen searched for it.
The office was a thirty-minute bus ride away.
They got off at the next stop and walked to a small diner where they could sit down, charge their phones, and use the Wi-Fi.
Jalen ordered two coffees because they were the cheapest items on the menu. Imani pulled a notebook from her handbag and began writing down the information from the document.
“What are you doing?”” he asked.
“Making a list.””
“Of what?””
“Everything we need to ask.””
She wrote:
Why are our names on the trust?
Who created it?
Why didn't either family tell us?
Then she added one more question.
Why did they want us to stay apart?
Jalen read the list.
“Maybe the document has nothing to do with our marriage.””
“Then why are both our names on it?””
He had no answer.
A waitress approached with their coffees and a small plate of crackers.
“You two traveling?”” she asked, noticing the suitcases beside their booth.
Jalen hesitated.
“Something like that.””
The woman smiled sympathetically.
“Well, keep your bags close. People get distracted in here.””
After she left, Imani looked at him.
“We can't keep pretending everything is fine.””
“I know.””
“Do you?””
He looked up sharply.
“What is that supposed to mean?””
She closed the notebook.
“It means I need you to stop acting like every question is an attack on you.””
Jalen stared at her.
“I've been dealing with my parents throwing me out all morning.””
“And I've been dealing with the fact that my father won't even tell me what's happening unless we chase him for answers.””
“I didn't tell him to call you.””
“No, but you keep acting like this is something happening to you alone.””
The words landed harder than he expected.
Jalen glanced toward the window.
Outside, people hurried past carrying shopping bags and paper cups. A delivery driver double-parked beside the curb. Someone laughed loudly near the entrance.
Life continued as if their entire future hadn't been turned upside down.
After a moment, Jalen reached across the table.
“I'm sorry.””
Imani looked at his hand before taking it.
“I don't need you to have all the answers,” she said.
“I need you to stop pretending you do.””
He nodded.
For the first time that morning, the silence between them felt less like a wall and more like room to breathe.
They finished their coffee and walked to the law firm's office.
The building stood between a bank and a clothing store, its glass doors reflecting the afternoon sun. Inside, the lobby smelled faintly of polished wood and fresh coffee.
A receptionist looked up from her computer.
“Good afternoon. Do you have an appointment?””
Jalen placed his phone on the counter, displaying the photograph of the trust document.
“We need information about this agreement.””
The receptionist studied the screen.
Her expression changed.
“May I ask how you obtained that document?””
“My father-in-law sent it,” Jalen replied.
“Your father-in-law?””
Imani stepped forward.
“My father is Andre Williams. My name is Imani Williams. I'm listed on the agreement.””
The receptionist looked between them.
“Please wait here.””
She disappeared through a door behind the desk.
Jalen leaned toward Imani.
“Why did she react like that?””
“I don't know.””
“Maybe it's confidential.””
“Then why did my dad send it to us?””
A minute later, a gray-haired man in a navy suit appeared in the doorway.
He carried a thin folder and wore glasses low on his nose.
“I'm Richard Cole,” he said.
“Which one of you is Jalen Carter?””
“I am.””
“And you're Imani Williams?””
She nodded.
Mr. Cole looked at the two suitcases beside them.
“Come with me, please.””
He led them into a small conference room and closed the door.
On the table sat a second copy of the document.
Unlike the photograph, this one was complete.
Jalen recognized his mother's signature at the bottom.
Imani found her own name in the beneficiary section.
Mr. Cole sat across from them.
“Before we proceed, I need to verify your identities and explain that certain details of this agreement are confidential.””
Jalen's heart began to pound.
“What kind of agreement is this?””
Mr. Cole folded his hands.
“It concerns a family trust established by your grandfather, Jalen, more than a decade ago.””
“My grandfather died when I was seven.””
“Yes. And before his death, he arranged for assets to be placed into a trust for the benefit of his descendants.””
Jalen frowned.
“What assets?””
“Real estate, investment accounts, and ownership interests in several businesses.””
Imani sat motionless.
Mr. Cole continued.
“The trust was structured to protect those assets until certain conditions were met.””
Jalen leaned forward.
“What conditions?””
The attorney opened the folder.
“One of those conditions concerns your eighteenth birthday. Another concerns a marriage entered into voluntarily, without coercion, and without either party being aware of the financial benefits attached to the agreement.””
Jalen stared at him.
“Are you saying we had to get married?””
“No,” Mr. Cole replied firmly.
“The agreement does not require either of you to marry. But it does specify what happens if you do.””
Imani's fingers tightened around her handbag.
“What happens?””
Mr. Cole looked directly at her.
“Under the current terms, both of you become eligible for a substantial distribution once the required documentation has been verified.””
“How substantial?”” Jalen asked.
The attorney turned a page.
“Approximately four million dollars in combined assets, subject to valuation, taxes, and the specific provisions of the trust.””
For several seconds, neither young adult spoke.
Four million dollars.
Jalen felt the room tilt slightly. He gripped the edge of the table.
Imani whispered, “That can't be right.””
“It is the amount currently estimated,” Mr. Cole said.
“The final distribution could differ.””
Jalen shook his head.
“My parents never told me anything about this.””
“They were aware of the trust.””
“Then why did they throw us out this morning?””
Mr. Cole removed his glasses.
“That is a question you should ask your parents.””
Jalen's face flushed.
“They're the reason we're here.””
“Perhaps. But there is another issue you need to understand.””
The attorney slid a separate sheet across the table.
It contained a section of the agreement highlighted in yellow.
Jalen read the first paragraph, then the second.
His expression changed.
“What does this mean?””
Mr. Cole adjusted his glasses.
“It means that if either family attempts to interfere with the marriage for the purpose of controlling the distribution, the trustee is required to review the circumstances before releasing any funds.””
Imani looked up.
“So if his parents throw us out because they don't want us to get the money—”
“We would need evidence of their intent,” Mr. Cole said.
“I cannot draw that conclusion based on what you've told me.””
Jalen stared at the highlighted paragraph.
His parents had cut off his money. They had taken his car keys. They had packed his belongings and sent him out of the house.
Was it possible they were simply furious about the wedding?
Or had they known that the marriage would change something they had spent years keeping hidden?
Mr. Cole closed the folder.
“I can arrange a formal review of the trust, but I will need additional documents. Birth certificates, marriage records, and verification of your identities.””
Jalen nodded slowly.
“Can we get those documents today?””
“Some of them, yes. Others may take time.””
Imani looked at the attorney.
“Did our parents know our names were both on this agreement before we met?””
Mr. Cole paused.
It was the first time he had seemed genuinely uncomfortable.
“I cannot answer that without reviewing the original records.””
“But you have them,” she said.
“Yes.””
“Then please review them.””
Mr. Cole studied her for a moment before nodding.
“I will.””
He escorted them back to the reception area and promised to contact them after examining the file.
Outside, the sunlight seemed brighter than before.
Jalen and Imani stood on the sidewalk, their suitcases beside them, surrounded by people who had no idea that their lives had just changed.
“Four million dollars,” Jalen said quietly.
Imani shook her head.
“Don't start spending money we don't have.””
“I'm not.””
“You're already thinking about it.””
He looked at her.
“I was thinking about a place to live. A car. Tuition. Things we actually need.””
“Then we agree on those things before we do anything.””
Jalen nodded.
“Okay.””
For a moment, they stood together without speaking.
Then his phone rang.
*Mom* appeared on the screen.
He answered immediately.
“Mom?””
Denise's voice was sharp.
“Where are you?””
“Why?””
“Because your father just received a call from Richard Cole's office.””
Jalen looked at Imani.
Denise continued.
“Tell me you haven't been digging into your grandfather's trust.””
Jalen's blood ran cold.
“You knew about it?””
Silence.
Then Denise said, “Jalen, listen to me carefully. You have no idea what that agreement really means.””
“Then explain it.””
“I can't do that over the phone.””
“Why not?””
“Because if you and Imani sign the wrong document, you could lose everything your grandfather left you.””
Jalen tightened his grip on the phone.
“You told me I was on my own. You took my car and threw me out. Now you're warning me about money you never told me existed?””
His mother lowered her voice.
“Your father and I were trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
Denise didn't answer.
Instead, she said something that made the blood drain from his face.
“Jalen, there is a reason your grandfather put Imani's name beside yours.””
He stared at Imani, who was watching him with wide eyes.
“What reason?””
His mother's breath caught.
“Because your grandfather knew who her father really was.””
The call ended.
Jalen stood frozen on the sidewalk.
Then Imani's phone vibrated again.
This time, the message came from Andre.
Don't trust the first version of that agreement.
A second message followed.
Ask Richard Cole who was supposed to receive the money if you never got married.
And beneath it was a photograph of an older document.
May you like
At the bottom, beneath a line of faded signatures, was a name neither of them had expected to see.
*Marcus Carter.*
