Seeing her like that made my heart ache. “Mom, you need to rest. If nothing changes by the tenth day, I’ll do what you all want. I’ll write the confession and end my life in public. I won’t bring shame to our family.”
My mother broke down, sobbing. “Emily, I can’t bear to lose you, but what choice do I have? If you don’t confess, what will happen to your father and brother’s futures? What about the rest of our family? I’m truly at my wits’ end.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and gently touched her face, now so worn with worry. “Mom, have you ever thought about fighting back against all this?”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Fight back? How? Emily, the world is what it is. We can’t afford to dream too big.”
I lowered my gaze and let out a bitter laugh. “I get it, Mom.”
My mother loves me more than anything. She’d stand in the scorching sun just to bake me an apple pie, and she’d stay up all night by my bedside whenever I was sick.
But like most women of her time, she doesn’t fight back. She accepts her fate. They resent the world but believe that’s just how it is.
I couldn’t help but think of Viola’s mother. Last night, she held Viola close, ready to risk everything. She said, “Viola, don’t worry. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll keep you safe! I’ll beat the drums and take our case to the king. These cursed laws should’ve been changed long ago.”
I couldn’t eat. The places on my body where I’d been whipped needed fresh bandages every hour, but I felt no pain at all.
Finally, news spread like wildfire through the streets.
At this morning’s court session, Viola’s father, Adam Louis, submitted a petition signed by a hundred people, denouncing the unjust laws and the lack of respect for women. He passionately called for the abolition of these oppressive laws.
His words sparked outrage. Most people saw him as selfish, willing to abandon traditions passed down by our ancestors for his own gain.
But a few officials agreed with him, acknowledging the unfairness and supporting the call for change.
The king was furious and had Adam and the other officials whipped ten times each before releasing them.
However, the incident caused quite a stir among the people.
Meanwhile, the members of Awakening Manor had already planned to post large banners in the streets after dark.
Each one would bear the same message: Fight to the end.
That afternoon, my father and Ronald returned, limping.