Marriage of convenience

We live in a medium sized city within the orbit of a mega metropolis.  I worked for a family owned business and since 2020 I was given HR as one of my responsibilities.  My manager, he is a cofounder of the business came to my office and asked if he could visit with me.  Firstly he said to turn off my HR meter and secondly he said to lay down my ridiculous views on women.  He was there to let me know that he wasn't getting any younger and he had decided that I would do.

So he was there to arrange on the price. What did I want?  A House?  A fund? What?  Think carefully now he told me he didn't want mission creep and me coming in for more later. He put out a list of must dos on my part, the obvious cooking and cleaning, and other women's home responsibilities.  He wanted a commitment to put children first and I was to step down from my job and focus all of my energies and attentions on hearth and home and children.  

I listened but as my HR hat was taken away and I could not make any ridiculous comments about women, I asked what led him to believe this was good for me.  I wasn't getting any younger he said, and a woman's needs get stronger and he was already on the edge of being too old to watch his children graduate from high school. So time was of the essence. 

I said, supposing that this was of interest to me, just what kind of house was he talking about.  I was not going to settle for some three bedroom two bath beginners. I wanted a pool and four bedrooms and three and half baths and large living and kitchen area, on a nice wooded lot.  MINIMUM.  And a two carat ring from  Tiffany's.  Don't even think Zales.  And a honeymoon trip around the world, maybe around Europe. And don't expect me to be responsible for birth control, that responsibility was his and his alone.  I didn't want him using some rubber condom when the real thing was so easily available. Think hard about that, I need to be serviced regularly and no passing out afterwards. I would look to him to keep me in good stead no matter how many children came my way.

A real wedding with a real party.  No Las Vegas, or courthouse setting. A real church wedding with all the trimmings and a party afterwards.  A party that everyone would be talking about when I was making all those babies he wanted.  "But she had such a nice party". " She has such a nice house".  And a live in nanny as long as their are not yet weaned babies in the house. And a cleaning company to come and do the floors and bathrooms. If he didn't want any silly woman's complaints, then he better be able to provide for my life of leisure. 

I told him to go think about it, was the price reasonable. But I wasn't getting any younger so hurry up with his decision, I had babies to make and places to go. 

The contract was drawn up by the lawyers, I had it reviewed for my interest, we did not put any limit on the number of children (I didn't believe he had any idea of how to run birth control and at the same time keep me serviced).  The wedding was nice, a little bit too formal  But I wasn't a young bride so formal worked, and the party was at the country club with a two bands for entertainment.  I doing my part, I make the babies.  He built me a house the way I wanted, and I got my two carat ring from Tiffany's.  I keep my mouth shut about women's issues and some woman is doing HR now. 

It's a matter of pragmatism.  He was 53 and I was 37, and he ding dong on the clock was ticking.