At the church luncheon, I stood before Brenda, Florence’s friends, and the trustees managing her charitable estate and confessed that I had entered the marriage for shelter and the possibility of future wealth. I asked that the fund carry Florence’s name alone and signed a written acknowledgment that I held no further claim against the house, savings, insurance proceeds, or other assets. Mr. Callahan later helped document a repayment plan for the personal expenses Florence had covered, even though the legal agreement did not require reimbursement. Over the following six months, I found steady work, rented a small apartment, and began sending Brenda
