"Aaaahhhhhhhh! I wake up screaming. I put on my robe and run downstairs."

I find my family in the living room and my brother Luigi kneeling in the middle of the room. There's a man in a black suit pointing a gun at his head. And with him are four other men.

My whole family is crying, especially Luigi.

"I'll pay. He says, crying."

"Your time is up. Says the man with the gun."

I froze at the scene. He notices my arrival and points the gun at me.

"What a beautiful young woman. Come and sit down. Says the man with the gun."

I sit down and hug my little sister.

The man picks up the phone and talks to someone else. But we can't understand what he's saying.

"The boss has given you another week. But if you don't pay, I won't kill you. But I will kill your whole family. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir, says Luigi."

"Oh, don't even think about leaving town. Or you'll all die. The man says and hits Luigi in the face with his gun and they leave."

"Damn you! Shout my Daddy"

"Pah"

My father slaps Luigi across the face.

"What have you done? He shouts."

"I went to make a delivery and lost the drug from one of the Mafia's right-hand men. I was actually robbed. He says, crying."

"Miserable. You idiot! Dad shouts in rage."

"And how much is the debt? Dad asks"

"1.3 million. Luigi says."

"What? Not even if I sell the house and the grocery store can I get that kind of money."

"My God, what are we going to do? Mama asks, crying."

Luigi looks at me.

"Valentina. Do you need to help me?"

"Me? How? I ask."

"There's a rumor going around that Mr. Salvatore is hiring a wife. And the prize is 2 million."

"What are you talking about? Have you gone mad? I say"

"Is that true, Luigi? Papa asks."

"Yes. That's right. The selection will take place this weekend at his mansion. They say that a woman only has to show up at 7pm to take part in a selection."

"You've gone mad! Marrying a stranger without love. I think you've been hit on the head too."

"Daughter, you could help us. You get married and then split up. Just to save your family. Mom says."

"Wait. She's right, what do we know about this man? No one has ever even seen him. We're talking about the safety and well-being of my princess. Says Papa."

"What I know is that he's the Mafia boss. They say he's an old man, but I've heard he's a crown. He's untouchable, nobody gets close to him. Says Luigi"

"No, Papa. I don't want to marry that old man. He's the most dangerous man in Italy and no one has ever seen him. Don't hurt me. I cry."

"Isn't there a way to keep our daughter safe? Mom asks."

"I know it's a selection and the woman he chooses will sign a contract. Tina could go and if she realizes she's at risk, she'll come back. You don't have to sign. Luigi says."

"What if I can't go back? I ask"

"What I do know is that Mr. Salvatore values his promises. And they say the selection is free. So you can certainly come back if you don't want to. Luigi says."

"Dad, I don't want to go. I beg him, hugging him."

Dad kisses my head and hugs me tighter.

"Tina, we have no choice. And it's an attempt. If it doesn't work, we'll all die. Would you rather die? Luigi asks."

"I prefer it. I say crying."

"Daughter, I wouldn't ask you to do something like this if it wasn't the only way out. We need to pay this debt and save our family. If I could, I would die for all of you. But you see, it doesn't work like that. Dad says with tears rolling down his cheeks."

I look at my mother and sister and they're both crying with their heads down.

"Okay, I'll go to this selection, I say and run up to my room."

This is a nightmare. I don't want to marry some rich, disgusting old man.

I want peace, to go to college. Make my dreams come true.

But there seems to be no alternative.

I spend the whole day in my room and don't even go downstairs to eat.

The next day someone knocks on the bedroom door.

"Toc, Toc"

I don't answer.

"Tina? Tina? It's me, Gio"

"Come in!"

Giovanna (Gio) is my younger sister, a sweet 10-year-old girl. Very intelligent, cheerful and attached to me.

Mom and Dad are traders and work all day at the little market. So I always took care of Gio, since she was little. We share the same room and the same bed.

I am 20 years old, and Luigi my older brother and Dad's favorite is 26 years old.

Dad expected him to take on responsibilities at the market for him and Mom to rest. But he chose another life.

It all started with the wrong friendships. Then he got into crime and easy money, expensive cars, and women attracted him even more.

Dad did everything to get him out of that life. But he never wanted to.

And now I have to save the family.

But I have plans, I will be the worst wife in the world.

I will not allow that disgusting old man to come near me.

And as soon as possible, I will ask for my divorce and with the rest of the money, I will start my life far away from here.

"Tina, are you okay?" Soso asks.

"No. I don't want to go," I say.

"Sister, I don't want to go either. But if we don't try, you and I will die. And we're not guilty of anything. Please sister, marry him and when you separate, we can live together far away from here."

"Do I have any other option? I will, now we wait and see if I will be chosen. There must be many other crazy or self-loathing women wanting to be with that disgusting old man. He must be 100 years old. Ew, I feel sick just thinking about it."

The week quickly passed and it was Saturday, the day I will go to the selection of a future wife.

My mother bought me a tight red strapless dress and high-heeled shoes in the same color. I put it on, and the dress clung to my body, I thought it was too vulgar.

"Mom, I look like a prostitute," I roll my eyes.

"Then you are perfect. That's how I wanted it. He won't resist," she says.

"Are you serious about this?" I ask indignantly.

"Very serious. Just missing the red lipstick," she says and applies the lipstick.

I grab a bag, put on my plaid sleeve dress and flats, along with a handkerchief, personal documents, money for the taxi, and my cell phone.

When the taxi arrives, they take me to the door.

I say goodbye to everyone. Hug my mom tightly.

"Daughter, may God protect you and help you. Thank you for what you are doing. Forgive me for putting you in this situation. And when you can, call me, I'll be worried waiting for news from you," says Dad.

"Daughter, let us know if there are any problems. We will run to you," says Mom.

"Yes, Mom, you can count on it."

"Daughter, we love you a lot," Dad says, hugging me as tears roll down his face.

"I love you too."

I get into the taxi and head towards my destination. In the taxi, I put on my other dress. I take off the red dress underneath, take off the heels, put on the flats and throw everything out the car window.

I tie my loose hair into a messy bun. And now, I am myself.

I know it's my worst outfit... But screw it, it's not fair for me to marry that old man because of my brother.

I love him. But he got himself into this mess, he can get himself out.

And if I can do something to make that old man not like me, I will do it.

About 1.5 hours later, we leave the highway and turn into a street lined with trees. We start to climb, and when we reach the top, we see the huge and luxurious mansion.

The car enters through the gate and drives towards the front door and parks.

I pay the driver, and a man in a black suit opens the door for me.

"Welcome, Miss. This way," he says, pointing with his hand.

He walks towards the side of the mansion. In the corner, there is a small staircase, and I see a wooden door that probably leads to the basement.

"You can go in," the man says.

I reach for the handle and think, "Whatever God wants," and open the door.

Upon entering, I find myself surrounded by about 15 women, all standing. The place is dimly lit, and there's another door opposite.

A beautiful, elegant woman in high heels emerges from the door, holding a tablet.

"Welcome to the selection for Mr. Salvatore's Wife."

"Please, everyone, keep your identification documents handy."

She approaches each woman one by one, scanning their documents.

"Document, please." She says to one of the girls and scans her document.

A few seconds later, she says:

"You're dismissed. You can go. Thank you."

The girl leaves, and she moves on to the next. She continues this way until she reaches me.

"Document, please." I hand it over, and she scans it.

"Welcome, Ms. Valentina."

"I'll give you a form to fill out, and I'll be back in a moment."

She hands me the form and a pen.

"This feels like a job interview," I think to myself.

I start reading and answering:

• Name?

Valentina Moretti

• Age?

20 years old

• Religion?

Christian

• Smoker? For how long?

No

• Do you consume alcoholic beverages? How often?

No

• Any illnesses?

None

• Are you undergoing any treatment? Do you use medication?

No

• Sexually active? How many partners have you had?

I am a virgin

• Do you practice any physical activity? Which one?

"Running and yoga"

• Profession:

None

And many other questions. But finally, I answered the damn form. I remain silent, waiting.

The woman returns and takes the forms.

She looks at them one by one and says:

"Ms. Giulia, Elena, Aurora, and Martira, you are dismissed. Thank you."

Now there are only six of us left.

"Follow me." She says, and opens the door.

We see a huge corridor with several doors.

She walks to one of the doors and says:

"Wait here, the doctor will call you by name." She says and enters the room with the forms.

"Valentina." I hear my name, and I enter.

The doctor was there with a nurse and the beautiful woman.

The nurse closes the door behind me.

I'm terrified.

"Ms., I will examine you, and we will perform some additional tests."

There was a gynecological table. I had only had an examination once, and it was superficial.

A screen, the doctor's desk, and a sink.

"Ms., go behind that screen, remove all your clothes, put on the gown with the opening at the back, and when you're ready, you can come here." The nurse says.

I do as she says.

"Ms., I'm going to weigh you and measure you." The doctor says.

I step on the scale, and he measures my height and notes it down on a form.

He checks my blood pressure and also notes it down.

"Lie down on the table, I'll examine you."

He examines my eyes, ears, and throat.

He touches my neck, breasts, and abdomen.

"It says here that you are a virgin. Is that correct?"

"Yes. True."

"Rest your leg here." He says, and I spread my legs.

He shines a light on my genitalia.

"I will not perform a digital examination or insert any objects. We need to preserve your purity. But I need to make sure your hymen hasn't been broken." The doctor says.

He touches the outside of my genitals and examines it with the light.

"That's right. Virgin." He says, and the nurse notes it down.

"You can get dressed, Ms." He says.

The nurse helps me up, and I go to the screen and put on my clothes.

"I'm going to prick your finger. I need a few drops of blood for a quick STD and blood sugar test."

I just nod my head in agreement.

The nurse pricks my finger and collects the drops of blood in different devices.

We wait a few minutes.

"Perfect. Blood sugar is okay. And no STDs, thank you, Ms." The doctor says.

"Wait outside." The beautiful woman says.

I leave, and he calls another girl. After all of them pass through with the doctor, the beautiful woman appears again.

"Franchesca, Laura, and Emma are dismissed. Thank you."

Only three of us are left.

"Come." She says.

We follow her to the end of the corridor, turn right, and enter the first door. There's a huge mirror at the top of the wall. Someone is probably watching us.

"It must be the disgusting old man," I think to myself.

I keep repeating to myself.

"It's for your family. Your family."

The woman enters, talking on the phone.

She puts a tag on each of our shirts, each with a number.

I'm number 3.

"Number 3, take a turn." The woman says, and I obey.

"Number 1, smile." She says, and the girl smiles.

"Number 2, tie up your hair." She tells the girl, and she does.

There's silence and tension in the air.

"Okay. Are you sure? Yes. Yes, sir." She says and ends the call.

"Number 3, you've been chosen. The others are dismissed, thank you." She says.

I'm speechless, I don't know what to do.

"Come, Ms...." She says, trying to remember my name.

"Valentina," I say.

We walk to the end of the corridor and climb the stairs. I realize we're inside the mansion. The whole floor is made of beige marble, there are many works of art, with gigantic Roman columns. The mansion is beautiful. We enter through a huge double door and come out in a study.

With a huge wall of books on the right side.

Including a mezzanine to make access to the books easier.

The woman walks to the other side of the huge wooden desk and says:

"Sit down! This is the prenuptial agreement. It is clear and precise. Nothing can be excluded or included. So it's just about agreeing and signing. Or disagreeing and leaving. You decide. Read it carefully and without haste, to decide what's best for you. Excuse me," she says, and leaves me alone.

The Contract.

Duties of the Contracted.

Clause 1: The Contracted is forbidden from having contact with any other man, whether sexual or not, and must honor, respect, care for, and look after the Contractor.

Clause 2: The Contracted must always present herself to the Contractor well-dressed and groomed, with her hair styled, paying due attention to personal hygiene.

Clause 3: Always address the Contractor as "Sir."

Clause 4: Be always available to attend to the Contractor.

Clause 5: It is not permitted to address the Contractor without prior authorization or without being called by him.

Clause 6: Speak only when necessary, preferably only answering when the Contractor asks a question. If you need to vent, the Contractor will provide you with a psychologist.

Clause 7: The use of any contraceptive method is prohibited, given that one of the objectives of this contract is the generation of an heir, preferably male.

Clause 8: The Contracted must be attentive to the Contractor's needs in order to satisfy him sexually, as well as fulfill his fantasies and fetishes.

"This shit is bizarre," I think out loud.

Clause 9: Any act of masturbation is prohibited, unless requested or previously authorized by the Contractor.

Clause 10: It is forbidden to enter the Contractor's room without being invited.

Clause 11: The Contracted must reside in the Mansion and accompany the Contractor to all places when requested.

Duties of the Contractor.

Clause 12: It is the Contractor's duty to ensure the physical and psychological integrity of the Contracted.

Clause 13: It is the Contractor's duty to care for the well-being and comfort of the Contracted, providing healthy food, a place to rest, and meeting all and any financial needs.

Clause 14: It is the Contractor's duty to bear the costs of any and all fertility treatments after a period of attempting natural pregnancy (12 months).

Clause 15: Guarantee the safety of the Contracted.

Object of the Contract

Clause 16: The objective of this contract is to ensure that the Contractor has a wife to exhibit and show off to society, as well as to be his sole and exclusive sexual object.

It is also part of this contract to produce an heir, preferably male, for the Contractor.

Payment

Clause 17: It is agreed between the parties that payment will be made in the amount of 4 million, which will be deposited into the Contracted's account upon signing the contract.

Penalty

Clause 18: It is the Contractor's responsibility to fulfill his duties. Failure to comply with any of the clauses will result in the Contractor paying a fine to the Contracted in the amount of 500,000 per violation.

Clause 19: Failure to comply with any clause by the Contracted will result in a fine of 5 million, except in the case of duly proven pregnancy.

Cancellation

The contract is immediately canceled in the event of marital or family (Mafia) betrayal. In cases of abuse, physical aggression, or imminent risk of death of either party.

Validity

Clause 20: The contract is valid for 5 years and may be extended for up to two more years if there is no pregnancy by the first year of the contract.

The child born under this contract will be raised by both parents until the age of 5, a period during which the mother's presence is necessary for the child's development. After this period, the child will be under the father's guardianship, with no contact with the mother.

Thus, all parties being in agreement,

Sign and seal this contract.

When I look up, Mr. Salvatore had already signed.

"Convenient," I think.

This contract is insane. I... I can't do this.

Soon, the beautiful young woman returns to the office.

"Did you get a chance to read it, Miss?" she asks.

"Yes."

She sits down in front of me.

"So?" she says.

"So? This is totally absurd. Insane. It's the most selfish, sexist, manipulative, and sick contract I've ever seen. I'm treated like an object, a sex slave, and a surrogate. Mr. Salvatore needs a psychiatrist, or a priest for an exorcism, I don't know. But he's not normal," I say.

"Not to mention the absurdity of having a child, raising it, and then disappearing from its life. And how am I supposed to be, and how is he supposed to be, without a mother?" I conclude.

"This... this. I can't agree to this. I'm sorry. I'm leaving," I say, getting up to leave.

"5 million." I stop walking.

"Mr. Salvatore is offering 5 million."

I turn around and look at her, saying, "The old geezer is delusional. Not Mr. Salvatore. Not even for 10 billion with this sick contract. Keep your money," I shout, looking for a camera and walking away.

Half lost, trying to find the exit.

"Miss Valentina, think carefully."

"Look, beautiful, I don't even know your name. But this contract is impossible. Yes, I need the money. But this goes against my principles, it's not my character," I say and notice she has an earpiece in her ear.

"Ask Mr. Salvatore to speak to me personally. This isn't right either. I've never even met him. As a great businessman, he shouldn't behave like this," I say and continue trying to find the way out.

"Oh, for God's sake. You could tell me where the exit is instead of following me," I say, irritated.

"He said he'll change some things in the contract."

I stop and look at her.

"What is he willing to change?"

"Let's go back to the office," she says.

We return to the office and I sit down again, and she sits across from me.

"What do you want to change?" he asks.

"Everything. It's all absurd."

"Not everything is possible, Miss... but he said you can change three clauses, and you choose which ones. Take advantage of the opportunity; Mr. Salvatore doesn't usually change his mind."

I take a deep breath and say, "Okay! I'll analyze it calmly and let you know." I get up to leave.

"No! It has to be right now," she says.

"Okay," I say, rolling my eyes and sitting back down.

We go back to the office and I look at the contract again.

"Clause 20: I don't want to lose custody of my child. And I don't want to be away from him. We can have shared custody. I don't want child support, I don't want anything. I just don't want to lose my son. I'm not a surrogate," I say with a certain anguish.

She listens to him through the earpiece in her ear.

"He agrees," she says.

"Clause 18: The fine should be the same for both of us, 500,000 for me or for him. With the caveat of up to 3 violations. After the third one, the contract is terminated. That way it's fair and balanced."

She remains silent and replies, "Mr. Salvatore finds it fair. Therefore, he agrees."

"And the last one?" she asks.

"There are two bizarre things in this absurd contract. One is the issue of"Preferably"having a male child. There are two points in this damn clause, the first being that I have no way of choosing the sex of the baby, and the second being that biologically, it is the man who determines the sex, not the woman."

She puts her finger to her ear, pressing the earpiece, possibly to hear better.

"Yes, sir," she says and looks at me.

"Mr. Salvatore said that in the case of assisted reproduction treatment, it is possible to choose the sex before fertilization. But in case of natural pregnancy, there will be no preference. And what is the other clause?"

"Clause 16, pretending to be a good wife, fine. But I don't want to be anyone's sexual object," I say, irritated.

"Miss, Mr. Salvatore said that in clauses 12 and 13, he must care for and attend to the Miss. So don't worry, the pleasure that he receives, you will also receive."

I take a deep breath and roll my eyes.

"I'll repeat, I don't want to be anyone's object," I say.

"Mr. Salvatore said he will remove that part of the contract. Just a moment, I'll bring the revised contract for you to sign."

"Wait. I didn't understand how everything is going to happen, when the wedding ceremony will be, and I didn't pack my things."

She gives a sarcastic smile and replies, "Miss, this is a contract, not a love marriage. It's just business, there will be no ceremony. Upon signing the contract, you will receive your payment and will no longer be able to leave the Mansion. Only accompanied by Mr. Salvatore. I'll be right back with the contract..."