Fight For My Life

To fund my brother's marriage, my mother didn't hesitate to sell me like property.

Meanwhile, my soon-to-be sister-in-law was secretly having an affair with my "boyfriend."

When their secret was exposed, my brother cornered me with a knife, demanding I hand over 500, 000 dollars. My parents took it even further, threatening to marry me off to a half-witted man in his fifties if I refused.

Left with no choice, I went to the bank to withdraw the money.

In the end, my brother was arrested, and my parents were forced to issue a public apology to me online...

1

I pushed open the door, clutching a cardboard box, and immediately locked eyes with my mother's furious glare.

"So now you think you're all grown up, huh? Hanging up on me like that?" she snapped.

"Mom, I'm exhausted. Can we please talk about this tomorrow?" I let out a weary sigh, hoping to defuse the situation.

But my attempt to ease the tension only made her angrier. She sprang to her feet and slapped the box out of my hands, sending everything spilling across the floor.

"Kelsey Binder, don't you dare pull that attitude with me. I've already told the matchmaker that you're seeing the guy tomorrow at nine, no excuses."

I looked up at her, my heart sinking. "Are you really that desperate to get rid of me?"

"Everyone expects you to settle down by now. Your brother has a future, and you're still wasting your life away. Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me? People are already talking about what a failure you are- and I'm the one they blame!"

She shot back, her voice full of righteous fury, like some martyr sacrificing everything for her ungrateful child.

"I'm afraid you're in for an even bigger disappointment. Not only am I not getting married, but I've also lost my job. Are you sure you want a complete failure embarrassing you even more?"

The truth was, thanks to her constant barrage of calls and messages, I'd been dragged out of an important meeting and later fired. My boss called my "complicated family situation" a liability.

Of course, my mother knew none of this. All she saw was another burden dragging her down. She slammed her hands against the table and burst into loud, bitter sobs. "Why is my life so miserable? I've worked myself to the bone for you, and this is how you repay me? You're breaking my heart!"

My father rushed out of the room, trying to mediate. "Kelsey isn't an unreasonable kid. Can't you just talk to her like a normal mother?"

"Of course you take her side. You've coddled her into thinking she can just drift through life without consequences! Thirty years old, no husband, no future - and you still call her reasonable? She's going to be the death of me!"

I thought I was already miserable, but looking at my father, I realized he might have it even worse.

"Enough. I'll go," I said, gathering the scattered items off the floor and heading back to my room.

I didn't believe for a second that she was acting out of love. I'd always been nothing more than an afterthought to her.

I just didn't want to make things any harder for my father.

2

The next day, I went to the meeting spot as agreed.

Like all the other ridiculous blind dates I'd been dragged into, this man wasted no time making absurd and offensive demands.

"You seem decent enough. I'm willing to consider it. But once the money's paid, tell your parents not to expect anything from me. I'm not here to build a family with them."

I froze for a moment, the reality hitting me- my mother was using me as little more than a bargaining chip.

And judging by his arrogant tone, the price they were asking for must have been pretty steep.

Alright then. If that was the game they wanted to play, she would play along.

She forced a smile, trying to sound polite. "Mr. Sullivan, I come from a family where things like marriage are often decided by my parents. I don't really have much say in the matter."

"I like a woman who knows her place," Nigel Sullivan said with a laugh, sliding his large, sweaty hand over mine in a blatant attempt to grope me.

I calmly pulled my hand back, my original plan shifting in that instant.

Nigel wasn't stupid; the very next day, he showed up at my house with gifts.

As soon as he arrived, his eyes couldn't help but wander toward my brother's girlfriend's smooth legs.

Not only did I not stop him, but I also made sure to seat them next to each other.

He was making his move, huh? Well, I couldn't just let him play alone, could I?

While my brother and his girlfriend were seeing Nigel out, I decided it was time to lay my cards on the table.

"Nigel has money. Feel free to ask for whatever you want, but I want half!"

My mother's expression immediately darkened. "Ha, you're making demands before you're even married? Don't forget, I'm the one who set this up for you!"

I smiled calmly. "That's why I'm being reasonable, only asking for half. Think it over- if I pull out and things fall apart, you won't get a penny."

My mother stayed silent. I knew she was fuming, but at this point, she couldn't afford to make a rash move.

That night, I overheard her and my father talking in their room. "Take what we can get. At least it'll help cover part of Jeremy's marriage fund."

"That wretched girl, I told you years ago we should've married her off. She was younger and prettier back then, worth more than just 200, 000."

"Alright, I can tell Nigel's completely taken with her. From now on, we'll feign illness now and then to gain some sympathy- and we'll get the money, no problem."

I quietly went back to my room, realizing that someone's kindness could, in fact, be nothing more than an act.

3

"Kelsey, your boyfriend must be rich. You're so lucky!"

Linda suddenly started being polite to me, but I still couldn't forget how, behind my back, she had badmouthed me to Jeremy, calling me an old maid and a lazy freeloader.

"How did you know he's from a wealthy family?" I asked, pretending to be serious.

Linda's face immediately darkened, and she forced a smile. "His watch is a limited edition."

I pretended to have an epiphany, coming up with a new idea. "You know what? I heard Nigel is setting aside 300, 000 dollars for the marriage fund."

I grinned widely, while Linda made an excuse to leave with a scowl on her face.

Soon after, I heard the sound of things being smashed upstairs.

"Jeremy, even an old hag gets 300, 000, and I'm only worth 100, 000 to your family? Are you kidding me?"

At dinner, Linda was nowhere to be seen. My mother, her voice cold, asked, "Is it true that Nigel is setting aside 300, 000 dollars for the marriage fund?"

"Who said that? I don't know anything about it," I said, feigning ignorance.

"I'm telling you, don't act all smug. If you really have what it takes, go get the money. Quit showing off," she snapped. My brother, probably furious at Linda but too afraid to confront her, decided to dump all his anger on me instead.

"Let me tell you something, a man like you, who can't even come up with a marriage fund, is nothing but bad luck for any woman who gets stuck with you."

"Kelsey! Do you want to get thrown out of this house? Apologize to Jeremy right now!" My mother finally lost control, slamming her hand on the table.

I let out a cold laugh. "Would you really throw me out? I'm the cash cow of this family now."

My mother's face twisted in rage; she was so angry she looked like she might pass out.

"And who made this disgusting meal? Even a dog would turn its nose up at it, and you have the nerve to serve it to me?"

My father, who had been wolfing down his food, started choking violently, his face turning bright red as he struggled to breathe.

"Kelsey, just because you've got someone backing you up, you think you can do whatever you want? Don't think Nigel's going to stick around if you cause trouble."

Smack! Before he could finish, a loud smack echoed through the room- my mother had slapped him across the face.

"Shut up and eat. You can't even keep your own girlfriend in line, and you're worried about your sister's boyfriend?"

Unable to stand my brother's pitiful, humiliated look, my mother swung her glare back at me. Before she could get a word out, I grabbed the dishes off the table and smashed them onto the floor.

"I can't take this anymore. I'm leaving!"

"She's lost her mind! She's completely insane!" My mother sat frozen on the bench, staring at me in horror.

My brother and father scrambled to grab me and lock me in my room.

They didn't give a damn whether I was really crazy or not. All they cared about was keeping me here- because if I left, they knew they'd lose their precious money.

4

As they tried to lock me in, I jammed the door from my side too.

Then, using a bright red lipstick, I scrawled "HELP" across a white shirt in big, frantic letters and dangled it out the window for everyone to see.

After that, I took pictures of the shirt dangling out the window and posted them online, along with multiple posts exposing how my parents were trying to force me into an arranged marriage and sell me off like property. The stories spread across the internet like wildfire.

It didn't even take half an hour before there was a knock at the door.

I pressed my ear against the wood and caught the unmistakable voices of the police.

"Bless the good souls who called the cops. May karma treat them better than it ever treated me." I thought.

Facing the officers' questions, my parents stumbled and fumbled, clearly clueless about how to explain themselves. Finally, with no other choice, they knocked on my door, begging me to come out.

"I'm not coming out! You're just going to hit me again!" I shouted, my voice thick with tears.

"For God's sake, we haven't even touched you! What's wrong with you?" My father, ever the peacemaker, tried to defend the family.

It was only after the police calmly coaxed me that I finally stepped out- eyes puffy, face smudged with fake tears and lipstick streaks, looking every bit the battered victim.

"What's gotten into you? Are you out of your mind?" My mother snapped, pointing a trembling finger at my face.

Instinctively, I raised my arms to shield myself, bracing for a blow that never came.

The two officers in the room exchanged a knowing glance at my reaction.

"Don't be afraid. Just tell us what happened. We're here to protect you."

Their professionalism gave me "a sense of safety", and I poured out everything- "every detail, every grievance".

"Kelsey, you liar! How dare you accuse us of abuse?" My brother jumped up, fuming, as if ready to explode.

If it hadn't been for the police standing there, I was pretty sure he would've taken a swing at me.

One of the officers fixed him with a hard stare. "Your attitude right now says enough."

My parents sat stiffly on the couch, casting furious looks at each other.

They still had no idea how I managed to turn the whole situation around after being locked in that room.

But at this point, guilty or not, they looked guilty enough.

The officers, worried that keeping me at home might lead to more trouble, suggested I stay with friends for a while.

Under the sympathetic stares of the neighbors, I managed to slip away from under my family's watchful gaze.

As I stepped out the door, I heard my mother gritting her teeth, cursing under her breath- calling me an ungrateful brat and wailing about how the family had been cursed with such misfortune.

5

My mom couldn't swallow her anger and started ranting about me on Facebook. I found her posts pretty tame, so I egged her on- and sure enough, she got nastier.

I reported her, and pretty soon, her account got suspended.

A world without foul language was simply wonderful.

After a few days holed up at a hotel, cabin fever got the best of me. I needed fresh air.

Outside a cinema, I caught sight of Nigel and Linda slipping out one after the other. Coincidence? Maybe. But it got better- they walked straight into the same hotel.

I couldn't help myself. I followed from a safe distance.

Feeling mischievous, I sent Jeremy a message, "If you want your girlfriend, you might want to check out the hotel."

Jeremy stormed over, still in his house slippers.

"Where is she? If you're messing with me, you're dead!" he barked.

When Linda didn't show right away, he called me, his voice shaking with rage.

"I'm already a lost cause. But you- try not to give yourself a heart attack. If the Binder family ends with you, they'll be remembered as a complete joke."

"That's none of your concern. Linda has already..."

Before he could snap back, I saw the commotion in the lobby.

From the café upstairs, I snapped a few photos, and then I slipped downstairs into the growing crowd. Loud enough for everyone to hear, I muttered, "Oh boy, cheating in broad daylight- and they're acting like no one's watching. This is better than daytime TV!"

The tension between Jeremy and Nigel, which had been cooling off, burst back into full-blown chaos.

Before the hotel security could get there, I melted into the crowd and disappeared.

I figured that knowing Jeremy had been publicly humiliated by his girlfriend would finally make him act a little humble around me.

But just two days later, I got a call from my dad.

"Kelsey, it's bad. You need to come home. Now!"

6

My father sounded unusually steady and serious. As for my mother- a woman who could scream curses at a brick wall for half an hour without taking a breath- she was the last person I'd expect to be in real trouble. Which left only one possibility- Jeremy.

Curious and sensing drama brewing, I decided to go see what the fuss was about.

The minute I walked into the neighborhood, I could feel the stares, sharp, heavy, lingering... Clearly, my parents had been keeping the neighbors well entertained lately.

When I pushed open the front door, I was greeted by my mother's wailing, echoing through every corner of the house.

"Oh my poor son! How could you be so foolish? If you ever needed help, why didn't you just come to us? I'd move heaven and earth for you!" She was clinging to Jeremy like her life depended on it. Jeremy, meanwhile, was sitting on the windowsill, clutching a pistol in one hand, his face pale and his eyes wild.

"What's this, an amateur hour hostage situation?" Hands in my pockets, I leaned against the doorway and quipped, "Kelsey! This is not the time for your sarcasm! What the hell did you do to Jeremy?" My father, usually the calm one, completely lost it and shouted at me.

I snorted. "Me? What could I possibly have done? Hasn't he been bullying me my whole life? Or have you both gone conveniently forgotten?"

My mother turned toward me, face twisted with rage. "Don't you dare deny it! He came home muttering that you ruined his life! If it's not you, then who else could it be?"

And just like that, everything clicked into place. So it was about that little hotel incident, huh.

Honestly, kids these days had the emotional resilience of wet tissue paper.

"Jeremy, if you want to be a doormat, that's your problem. But don't you dare drag me down with you."

I stepped in closer, hands up like I was trying to calm him down- not because I was worried he'd pull the trigger, but because I knew Jeremy.

No way he had the guts to actually end anything. The moment I was close enough, I grabbed his wrist, twisted the gun out of his shaky hand, and tossed it across the room.

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Seeing me disarm him so roughly, my mother let out a fresh round of hysterical sobs.

"Oh, my poor son! Why is your life so miserable?"

"Ever heard 'coddle a boy, cripple a man'? If Jeremy's turned out like this, you've only got yourselves to blame."

My words sliced deep. My mother started pounding her chest and wailing louder, like she was auditioning for a bad daytime soap.

"Kelsey, I'm in this mess because of you!" Jeremy's face twisted with rage. Without warning, he lunged at me and slapped me across the face.

It didn't even hurt that much- it was the insult that burned. Whatever shred of loyalty I still felt toward this so-called family snapped clean in half.

7

"You pathetic coward. Real tough guy, huh? Slapping your sister instead of punching the guy who actually screwed your girlfriend?" Fueled by rage, I threw myself at him, clawing at his face with everything I had.

My parents scrambled to grab my arms and pull me off him, but not before I managed to land a solid kick straight into Jeremy's gut.

Look at them- still, even now, they were throwing themselves between me and their precious golden boy. They were still shielding him, no matter what he did.

My mother caught a glimpse of the bloody scratches across Jeremy's face and turned her glare on me- a look so full of hatred it made my skin crawl.

"What are you all staring at? Relax- even if I end up bald, that's still a hell of a lot better than the mess your precious son is in!"

"What the hell are you talking about, you little brat? Spit it out!"

I yanked myself free from their grip, smoothing my hair back with one hand and firing back, "Your son's so-called girlfriend? She's been shacking up with Nigel- and they didn't exactly stop at holding hands."

I didn't know who made the first move, and honestly, I didn't care. Whatever twisted drama they had going on, it had nothing to do with me.

"You're lying, Kelsey! Shut your damn mouth!" Jeremy roared, his voice cracking with desperation.

"You haven't told them, huh? Those bruises you're hiding- Nigel beat the crap out of you that day, didn't he?" I took a step toward him, grabbed the front of his shirt, and yanked it open.

Given how scrawny Jeremy was, it was no surprise Nigel had him pinned and pounding on him like it was a free-for-all.

I hadn't meant to drag him this low. But if he couldn't tell right from wrong, he had no one to blame but himself.

My mother stared at the bruises, her whole body trembling with rage.

"Is it true? Linda... she really-?"

"Mom, don't! Just shut up!" Jeremy snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence.

But my mother wasn't the type to swallow humiliation quietly. Her future daughter-in-law cheating, her precious son getting beat down like a punching bag- it was enough to make her pace the room like a caged animal, seething with fury.

"You, go find that Nigel, and make him pay you for everything you lost! If he refuses, drag his name through the mud!"

I actually laughed, not because it was funny, but because I couldn't believe how my mother sounded like some two-bit mob boss giving orders.

"Why exactly would he owe me anything?" I said it casually, but inside, I was already rolling my eyes hard enough to sprain something. She was so desperate for money it was honestly pathetic.

My mother shot me a glare, then let out a sharp snort. "Real brave of you, picking on your own family. If you hadn't dragged that trash into this house, none of this crap would've happened!"

I was too stunned to even be mad. Sure, I'd nudged Linda and Nigel together, but hell- they were the ones who couldn't keep their hands off each other.

What, was I supposed to body-block them?

"Even if Nigel had crawled out of hell with a pitchfork in one hand and a hit list in the other, you still would've shoved me right at him. I was just trying to spare you the guilt trip later."

"Get out! Get the hell out of my sight!" My mother screeched so hard her face turned purple.

She probably never imagined that the golden ticket she'd schemed so hard to grab would end up blowing up right in her face.

Not that I cared. I wasn't planning to stick around and play scapegoat for them anyway. I grabbed my bag and walked out without looking back.

As I shut the door behind me, I could still hear her shrieking inside, demanding Jeremy call off the engagement with Linda.