The Royal Contract

"Did you understand what the conditions stated?" She asked her client as they sat in her office.

She summoned Ria to come to her office if she had time, so they could discuss her case since there was a need for urgency.

"So, you are saying that after I sign this agreement, my son will finally get his operation. They will pay for all his medical expenses from the operation and as long as he needed medical attention." Ria was still finding the news a bit unsettling. 

She felt like she was dreaming. And any moment now, the dream would turn into a nightmare. She had been praying for a miracle, but now that it seemed that her prayers were finally getting their answers, she could not fathom how to respond to it.

"Yes, but I need you to understand that besides that. Your son would also receive a decent house where you don't have to worry about rent, a monthly allowance for his everyday need, and a scholarship that would guarantee that he would get the best school available for him." She enumerated what the contract stated.

"Is this for real? They agreed to all of this." Ria still could not believe what she was hearing.

The last time a lawyer talked to her, they almost laughed at what she wanted. During that time, all she asked for was a little help for the operation of his son.

"Yes, but you also have to understand that they have their conditions." She reiterated what she earlier said so that she could make it clear to her.

"Yes, of course. I understand. If I accept all of this, I had to sign the non-disclosure agreement. I would lose my right to tell my son who his father is. I could never bother them again. Is that right?" Ria stated what she understood of her situation.

"Yes, are you sure that is what you want?" She looked at her as she stared at the paper in her hands. "Because once you signed all those papers, it will be a signed deal, and there is no more going back."

"I understand. After Ryan denied my son, I don't think I will want him in his life. If only he did not have this condition, I would not have asked for any help from him." Ria uttered as she fought the tears that wished to escape from her eyes.

"I know, but I think you need this. Accept what Ryan's family is offering so that you can give your son a better life. After this, you don't have to hear from them." She placed a pen in her hand, believing this was the best option for her.

"Where do I sign?" She held the pen in her hands and started scribbling her name and signature on the dotted line.

After she had signed all the documents, she handed them back to Dani to check on them. When everything seemed to be in order, she told her that the ordeal was through. Now, it was time to start her new life.

"The money will all come from their foundation, so there would be no link between you and their family." She wished she could do more. Then, she suddenly remembered something else.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Hamilton. You don't know how much I appreciated all you did for Edison and me." Ria stood from her chair to shake her hands. 

"Wait." She quickly opened her cabinet. Instead of shaking Ria's hand, she placed a folder in her open hand. 

She had been working on that paper since yesterday. Something she had been contemplating since she met Ria. 

"What's this?" Ria asked as she looked at the folder, wondering if she should open it.

"It is an additional gift from me. Something that could help you take care of Edison in the future." She explained without giving away what it was. "Open it."

Ria did. She looked inside the folder, and her eyes almost bulged out of its socket. "This is insane. It is too much." Ria started using the paper to fan herself, unsure if any of this was real. She felt like she was about to faint any second now.

"No. It is not. You deserve this. You made a mistake, and you should not keep punishing yourself for that mistake. You deserve a second chance, so my advice is to use it wisely." She stood up from her chair and moved closer to her.

"But how could I ever repay you for all that you did for me," Ria asked, still wondering what she had done to deserve all of this help.

"I'm not asking for anything in return, except for you to take this scholarship and go back to school. I already talked to the administration. They are willing to give you a part-time job inside the campus that pays well." She told her.

She believed that Ria would have a better future if she could go back to school and finish. Then, she would never have to depend on the Brett family. It would give her the independence she needed to give his son a better life.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what I will do without you. You are a guardian angel sent to me to grant my miracle." Ria stated as she hugged her tightly. 

All she could do was to hug her back, assuring her that things would get better eventually. Ria might have fallen out of her path, but it did not mean that she could not stand up again and make a new path.

"Go on, check on your son. Bring him to the hospital as soon as you can, and the hospital will be ready to admit him for his operation." She promised as she let go of her.

"I will. Thank you again for all your help." Ria gave her again another hug before grabbing her things to rush home to her son.

Alone in her office, she could not help but felt overjoy about her new accomplishment. It was not the first time that she had won a case, but it was her first time to win against one of the biggest fish in the city.