The words struck like a blow.
Beatice grew angry, then cruel. She warned that men like Moses changed their minds, that Catherine would one day come crawling back.
That was when Moses stepped in.
“That won’t happen,” he said.
Beatice scoffed. “And you are certain?”
“Yes. Because Catherine is not a burden. She is my partner.”
The word surprised Catherine almost as much as it silenced her aunt.
Beatice tried one final threat.
“Family lasts longer than marriage.”
Catherine held her gaze and answered quietly, “Healthy families do. Family should protect each other, not trade each other for money.”
The silence afterward felt like the end of a storm.
At last Joseph, tired and ashamed, told Beatice it was time to leave.
As they walked away, Beatice turned back one last time.
“You will regret this.”
But Catherine no longer believed her.
When the gate closed behind them, her hands shook—not from fear, but from release.
Moses sat beside her on the garden bench.
Leave a Comment