I stared at the clerk, her words echoing in my head. The certificate was genuine? That was impossible.
"There must be some mistake," I said, my voice sharper than intended. "I've never signed any marriage certificate with him."
The clerk adjusted her glasses and gave me a look that screamed "not my problem."
"According to our system, you did. Three years ago, to be exact."
Nathaniel stepped forward, his towering presence making the clerk straighten up.
"I want to see the registration guarantee. Now."
The clerk nodded quickly and disappeared into the back office. Raymond shot me a venomous glare.
"You've gone to extraordinary lengths, Miss Johnson. I must admire your determination, if not your morals."
"Oh, shut up," I snapped. "If I were planning to trap him in marriage, don't you think I'd have done it publicly? With witnesses? Not with some mystery document that even I didn't know existed?"
Raymond opened his mouth to retort, but Nathaniel silenced him with a raised hand.
