"Then how come we have a prenuptial agreement here if you didn't sign it?" The judge asked.
"I don't know, I swear. I won't have to sue him if I sign a prenuptial agreement. That paperwork must be fake. They have brought a fake prenuptial agreement to deny me what belongs to me."
"That paperwork is not fake." Desmond spoke up. "It's legit. She signed it willingly by herself. I can still remember how she was smiling while signing it."
"That's a lie." Daniella said and turned to Desmond. "You are a terrible liar. And you see this?..…this cheap drama... It won't save you. The judge will identify it's fake, no matter how original it looks."
"Mrs. Daniella," the judge called, tapping on the paper. "I have reviewed this prenuptial agreement. Upon comparison, it matches your other signatures on record, which makes it valid and legally binding. Furthermore, it was signed at the Bureau of Civil Affairs, making it an official and enforceable document."
Daniella felt the blood drain from her face. Her confidence, which had been untouchable for the past few days, began to crack. She clenched her fists under the table, her heart pounding against her ribcage.
"That’s impossible. It never happened." Daniella blurted out. "I didn’t sign any prenuptial agreement! I'm one hundred percent sure. Please, you have to do something about this." She stated, and the judge’s eyes remained steady, unfazed by her words.
"Mrs. Daniella." The judge called. "The paper is right here. This document is stamped. It was signed at the appropriate venue and has been validated."
Daniella could not believe what was happening. It started like a joke. But now she could see it was getting serious. She stood abruptly, unable to control the panic rising within her. Her voice grew louder, teetering on the edge of desperation. "No, no, no! This has to be some kind of forgery! I did not sign that document! Desmond must have done something behind my back to deny me what I deserve."
"I didn’t do anything dirty, Daniella." He defended. "You signed it yourself. No tricks, no manipulation. It's just your own signature. The document was given to you, and you signed. You signed it happily. Let's say you were too excited to read what you signed. Or should we say that you are so dumb that you don't understand what you signed?"
Daniella pointed a shaking finger in his direction. "You’re lying! Desmond. I'm sure you have been planning this all along, haven’t you? You knew I would get what’s mine, so you resorted to foul play. That document is fake. It has to be fake!"
"Mrs. Daniella." The judge called. "Please sit down and compose yourself. This is a courtroom, not a place for accusations without proof. If you wish to challenge the validity of the document, you may do so, but baseless claims will not be entertained."
Daniella hesitated, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to regain control of her emotions. She lowered herself into her chair but continued to glare at Desmond. Her mind was racing in thought, seeing that things are going in a way she never dreamed. "How could this be happening? How could everything I had worked for, everything I had planned, crumble so easily? She murmured to herself before speaking up, "But I didn't sign anything. The only documents I signed were the marriage certificate paperworks. I was never given a prenuptial agreement paper. I cannot sign it and drag him to court."
The judge leaned forward slightly and looked up at Daniella. "Let me be clear, Mrs. Daniella. This prenuptial agreement is in perfect order. It cannot be twisted or dismissed. It is an original document, stamped and verified. If you wish, you may examine it yourself. It's your signature."
Daniella hesitated before she finally nodded. "Let me see it." she said with a lower voice, tinged with a mixture of fear and disbelief.
The judge signaled her subordinate, who took the paper over to Daniella. She took it with trembling hands and checked the signature.
Her eyes glued on the familiar handwriting and the bold, unmistakable signature at the bottom of the page. She could clearly see that it was her signature. Her heart sank further with every detail she recognized. The seal, her signature. It was all there, undeniable in its legitimacy.
Her hands dropped to her lap, and the paper crumpled slightly as her grip weakened. She turned her gaze to Desmond.