"Drink! Celebrate—your son is out of jail tonight."
"To Li Jun!" someone shouted, hitting their cup against the table until it rattled.
"To Li Jun," the crowd repeated, slurred and loud.
"You look like a proper bride," Old Mrs. Li crooned, fingers sliding over Elora's shoulder like a claim. "Soft and obedient. He'll make a good husband."
"He won't touch the baby if you keep looking so skinny," Li Jun sneered from the doorway. "Better for him if the first one survives."
Elora swallowed. Her hands trembled where they met the silk of the wedding gown. The gown was cheap, stitched in a rush, but it clung to her like a brand.
"Don't make noise," Mrs. Li said. "The neighbors already know. We earned our peace."
"I didn't earn anything," Elora said.
Silence fell for one quick second. Then laughter, low and satisfied, rolled through the room like a tide.
"Don't talk back," Li Jun barked. He moved closer and the room tightened. "You're here because we paid. You're here because you can carry."
"I won't—" Elora's voice broke.
"You won't what?" His smile was a hard edge. "You won't get pregnant? You won't obey? You won't be grateful? Which one do you mean?"
"I refuse," she said. The single word surprised her with its size. It sounded sharp in the low-lit room.
"Refuse?" Mrs. Li's fingers left Elora and landed on her
