LUCIEN

"They want me to either beg you to have mercy or divorce you." Nirelle sounded so nonchalant as she relayed what she and her parents had spoken about. I had not been too thrilled to hear that they wanted her in the house, but she went anyway. I could not stop her from living life and trying to force her into a box of my own terms.

"What?"

"Funny, right?" She sounded too casual.

"You think this is funny? This is them declaring literal war on us, and you think it is funny?" I did not want to sound agitated, but I was already failing.

"It's not like I...