The Down Payment

That night, in that cramped, damp little rental room, I took Audrey like a man losing his mind—trying to use the heat of our bodies to fight off the coldness of the world outside.

But before the high had even faded, her mother kicked open the already-flimsy wooden door and brought people in with her.

Icy camera flashes. Cutting insults. They tore apart the last shreds of dignity we had left.

"A filthy construction worker thinks he's good enough to sleep with my daughter? You can't even give her a roof over her head. Tomorrow, I'm marrying her off to Mr. Silas Draven!"