The silence that followed Agnes's declaration was deafening. Majek stood at her side, his expression a mix of awe and concern. He had never imagined this moment—the moment when Agnes would rise up, unafraid, unyielding, and finally declare her freedom. And yet, as much as his heart swelled with pride, a quiet part of him knew the consequences would be devastating.
Her father, Mr. Smith Lewis, stood like a statue in the doorway. His sharp eyes were locked on her, calculating. His lips pressed into a thin line, betraying nothing of the storm raging inside him. He didn't move, didn't flinch. It was as though the entire world hung in balance between his breath and hers.
"You are my daughter," Mr. Smith finally said, his voice a low growl. "You are nothing without me, Agnes. Nothing."
The words stung. They shouldn't have, not anymore. But they did. The weight of a lifetime's worth of conditioning, of being the perfect daughter, of being groomed to take her father's place, crushed against her chest. Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms as if trying to hold herself together. She had never felt so small, so vulnerable, and yet so strong.
"No," Agnes said again, her voice even, unwavering. "I am not nothing. I am someone—I decide who I am. Not you. Not Lami. Me."
Her father's eyes narrowed to slits, his gaze now turning icy, predatory. He took a step forward, and the air around him seemed to grow colder.
"You think you can defy me? You think this... this boy," he gestured sharply at Majek, who stood stoically beside Agnes, "has any power to protect you from what's coming?"
Majek's lips parted to speak, but Agnes raised a hand, stopping him. She felt a surge of something she couldn't name, something deep inside of her that she had never known existed. Power. Freedom. It was hers, and it was real.
"I don't need protection," Agnes said, her voice now firm, resolute. "Not from you. Not from anyone."
Her father's eyes flickered, a brief moment of hesitation in the vast sea of control he had spent years building. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by something darker.
"Then you are a fool," Mr. Smith spat. "I warned you, Agnes. I warned you that your choices would have consequences."
His gaze flicked to Lami, and in an instant, Lami stepped forward, moving to stand beside Mr. Smith. The smug smile on Lami's face was gone. Instead, there was something darker in his eyes—an emptiness, a fury that only came when someone realized they had lost control. The two of them, father and son, were an unbreakable force when combined. But now, in the face of Agnes's defiance, that force was being tested.
"Agnes, don't do this," Lami said, his voice softer now, but still laced with venom. "You can't leave. If you do, you'll ruin everything. You'll destroy everything we've worked for."
She didn't answer him immediately. She only looked at him—really looked at him. For so long, Lami had been an image, a figure in the distance, a man she'd been conditioned to believe she was meant to be with. But now, standing here in front of him, all she saw was a man desperate for control. A man willing to destroy anything and anyone to hold on to power.
"I'm not going to marry you, Lami," Agnes said, the words finally coming out with a clarity that surprised even her. "I'm not your possession."
Lami's face darkened. He took a step toward her, his hand reaching out as if to grab her arm, to pull her into the path he had planned for her. But Majek moved instinctively, stepping between them, his body a shield.
"Enough, Lami," Majek said, his voice low but powerful. "If you ever touch her again, I'll make sure you regret it."
Lami faltered for a moment, his eyes blazing with fury. But then his lips twisted into a grimace. He pulled back, muttering under his breath, "You have no idea what you're doing, Majek. Neither of you do."
"I know exactly what I'm doing," Agnes said, her words sharp, piercing. She took a step forward, her voice steady. "I'm taking control of my own life. And you," she pointed at her father, "you don't get to decide who I am anymore."
Mr. Smith's face twisted in a way that Agnes had never seen before. There was something primal in the way his anger manifested, something raw and dangerous that flickered behind his eyes.
"You are making a grave mistake," he said, his voice now cold, like steel. "And when the time comes, you will regret this. I will make sure of it."
Agnes didn't flinch. She stood tall, her chin raised. "You can try, Father. But I'm not afraid anymore."
The finality in her voice seemed to break something inside him. He looked at her one last time, his gaze lingering, calculating, before turning on his heel and storming out of the café, followed by Lami. Their footsteps echoed as they left, but it was a hollow sound, distant.
Agnes's breath escaped in a slow, controlled exhale. She had done it. She had stood her ground. But the weight of the moment settled heavily on her shoulders. This was only the beginning.
Majek remained where he stood, watching her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. The space between them seemed infinite, yet, in that silence, it felt like they had never been closer.
"You're really something, Agnes," he said, his voice rough with emotion.
She swallowed hard, her throat tight with unspoken things. She turned to him, her eyes searching his face as if looking for something she couldn't quite name.
"I didn't do it for you," she said, her voice small but steady. "I did it for me. I had to. I was suffocating under all of it, Majek. Under the lies, under the expectations… under all of it."
Majek stepped closer, his hands reaching for her, tentative at first, but then with a quiet desperation. "I know," he said softly, cupping her face in his hands. "I know. And I'll be right here. Every step of the way."
For the first time in what felt like forever, Agnes let herself close her eyes, leaning into his touch. She could feel his warmth, his strength, like a tether pulling her back from the edge she had been teetering on for so long.
"What now?" she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "What happens next?"
Majek's fingers brushed against her cheek, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. "We fight," he said, his voice steady. "Together."
And for the first time in a long while, Agnes felt like she might actually be able to breathe again.