Then came the catch.

Marla laughed bitterly. She had learned the oldest lesson of the digital age: the free version isn’t the product. You are the product. And in her case, the product was a 47-page document that wasn’t worth the server space it floated on.

Marla ignored it. What did she care about authentication tiers? Her father had a flip phone. She texted him the instructions.

For the first ten minutes, it felt like a miracle. She uploaded the 47-page trust document. She dragged the “Sign Here” tabs to the yellow highlights. She typed in her father’s email: hankshakyhands@ruraltel.net . The interface was crisp, clean, and unbothered by her zero-dollar balance.

An hour later, a notification buzzed. Document viewed by Hank Shakyhands. Another buzz. Document signed: Hank Shakyhands (typed).