“Now you’ll never marry my son!” my mother-in-law laughed, setting my wedding dress on fire. I wiped my tears, smiled coldly, and said, “Enjoy destroying that dress, because the wedding was never the real trap.” Her face went completely pale when I made one quick phone call…

around my trembling shoulders like a heavy, protective quilt. When it came time for Jason to speak, he completely abandoned his index cards.

“I vow to stand as your shield,” Jason said, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling, carrying all the way to the back row where Eddie was relentlessly filming. “I will stand against any force, any institution,continue reading …