Chapter 3

A week later, Maria called me. Her tone was completely different, soft and conciliatory.

"Jocelyn, honey. I'm so sorry about what happened at your work. Your father and I... we were just so worried. We overreacted."

I didn't believe her for a second. "What do you want, Maria?"

"I made your favorite, braised pork. I want to bring some over. And we need to talk. Your father feels terrible. Please, just let us come over for dinner. No one from the church, just us. A family dinner."

Suspicion coiled in my stomach. A "family dinner" was their preferred setting for an ambush. But the threat to my job was real. Maybe if I played along, I could find a way to de-escalate this without losing everything.

"Fine," I said, against my better judgment. "Just dinner."

That night, they arrived at my small apartment. But they weren't alone. Trailing behind them was my cousin, Rufus. Maria's nephew.

Rufus was a hulking man in his early thirties with a smarmy grin and a criminal record for assault. He was part of their church, a supposed "reformed sinner" who always looked at me like a piece of meat.

"Rufus was in the neighborhood, so we invited him along!" Maria chirped, pushing past me into the apartment.

The dinner was tense. I barely touched the pork, which I knew was just leftovers from their Sunday church potluck. Anthony and Maria made small talk, praising Rufus for his newfound devotion to the church and his job at a warehouse. Rufus just stared at me, his eyes making my skin crawl.

Finally, after the plates were cleared, Anthony dropped the bomb.

"Jocelyn," he said, folding his hands on the table like a king holding court. "We've been thinking about your future. You're a single woman, and it's not good for you to be alone. It leads to temptation."

Maria beamed. "Rufus is a good man, a godly man. He's willing to take on the responsibility of a wife. We think you two should get married."

I stared at them, speechless. This was their solution. Marry me off to their violent, thuggish nephew to get legal control over my income. They weren't just trying to take my money; they were trying to take my entire life.

"He will be the head of the household," Anthony continued, as if my consent was a given. "He will manage the finances, and ensure that our family, including little Caleb, is provided for. It is the perfect arrangement."

Rufus leaned forward, his grin widening. "Don't worry, Jocelyn. I'll take good care of you."

I pushed my chair back and stood up, my hands trembling with rage. "Get out."

"Jocelyn, don't be disrespectful!" Maria snapped.

"Get out of my apartment. All of you. Now." I pointed to the door. "The answer is no. It will always be no. This conversation is over."

Anthony's face hardened. The mask of the concerned father fell away, revealing the tyrant beneath. "You will regret this, girl. You are making a grave mistake."

They left, dragging a sullen Rufus with them. I triple-locked the door, my heart pounding against my ribs. I felt like an animal caught in a trap, with the hunters promising to return with bigger nets and sharper spears.