‘Classy laugh’ without prejudice

Joshua and I gawked at each other while he still hesitated to answer my question. The kids clung to him tightly.

“Answer me,” I demanded, my eyes weakened with frustration.

If Joshua was already married with two kids, why did he marry me? What was going on? My heart pounded so quickly. Had I been deceived yet again by a man, just like in the past? I desperately hoped not.

Before Joshua could respond, another voice cut in.

“Jay, you're back!” A beautiful woman, who seemed to be in her mid-sixties, descended the glassy stairs.

She bore a striking resemblance to Joshua. She wore a gorgeous black gown, and her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. She stopped in front of us with a striking height.

“Mom,” Joshua said softly, slanting his head to kiss her on both cheeks.

She smiled at Joshua, then turned to me with a sick glare as if we had been enemies from birth. Her eyes made me feel like garbage. She had the same cold stare that Joshua had.

“Good day, ma’am,” I greeted, the awkwardness between us overwhelming. I guessed that was me opening the door to doom.

Joshua’s mom frowned, wrinkled her nose, and took a step backward. “Gosh, so much smell,” she whizzed.

That was the worst embarrassment I had ever experienced. I didn't know whether to feel humiliated or angry. In the end, I felt both.

“Who is she, Jay? Don’t tell me she's the new cook you hired because she’s not getting the job. Her mouth smells like rotten beans, and she looks too dirty and unkempt. I'm sure we would die of food poisoning because of her poor hygiene,” Joshua’s mom lashed out at me, as if my mere presence was offensive and with prejudice.

Her words stung. I knew prison had made me feel like a piece of shit, but her words were especially hurtful. I was still human. No one had ever insulted me in this manner. Even before leaving the prison, I had bathed thoroughly and scrubbed my skin to get the stench of prison off my body.

Joshua looked at me, then back at his mom. “No, she’s not the cook,” he said firmly.

His mom looked at him, confused. “Then who is she, and what is she doing in my house? Why bring a beggar to my house?” she spat, another insult. Oh goodness, this time I was triggered. I clenched my fists tightly to hold myself back.

Joshua's eyes met mine before turning back to his mom. “She’s my wife,” he declared, his voice steady and audacious.

I saw his mother’s spirit seem to leave her body. Her face turned frigid and pale. She took another glance at me from head to toe, making me feel extremely uncomfortable. Then she suddenly broke into a classy laugh. “That’s an expensive joke, Jay. Your dark humor always gets me.” She laughed so hard.

I couldn’t believe I was ridiculed to the point of becoming a laughingstock. Once the biggest name in the city, now I was the butt of the joke. It was a staggering transformation.

“I’m not joking, Mom,” Joshua insisted, his confidence unwavering as he looked his mother in the eye. “She is my wife. We just got married in church and in court.”

His mother’s face was so dazed and pale, as though she had just seen a ghost. My heart raced as she looked at Joshua, dumbfounded. I wondered what was going through her mind.

“You’re lying. No, I know you wouldn’t do something this stupid!” She shook her head disapprovingly.

Joshua stared at his mom before bending a little towards the kids hovering around him. “Y’all go to your rooms with your mom. I’ll be with you soon,” he whispered, pecking them on their foreheads. They rushed off to their mom, the woman who had been standing quietly, also in shock. The children went upstairs, and Joshua watched them before turning back to his mom.

“You’re joking, right, Jay? Tell me this is a joke. I’m not even in the mood for this right now, so cut the act already. There’s no way you married this... pig. Why am I even overthinking it?” She laughed it off again.

Joshua pulled out the marriage certificate and presented it to his mother. Her face went pale as she took the papers and skimmed through them.

“I’m not joking, Mom. Claire is my legally wedded wife,” Joshua reiterated while his mother still went through the wedding agreement.

It was as though she had seen a ghost. She lifted her eyes and looked at Joshua with fury, her eyes blazing like a fierce lioness.

“What have you done, Jay? You married this... thing? Why? What is wrong with you? What is this?” she growled, her voice like a thunderstorm.

Fear gripped me as I watched her transform from a human to a beast. Her eyes shone with rage. While I stood there in fear, Joshua remained unbothered, unshaken, confident, stoic. What kind of man was he? I asked myself.

“I love her,” Joshua said softly.

I was as shocked as his mother. I looked at him, but he kept his eyes on his mother, as if he hadn’t just done something extraordinary. Who even gets married without telling his mother?

“You love what? Her? This old hag with a smelling mouth? Is this some kind of joke? Huh? You, out of the blue, without informing anyone, go out randomly and bring this old, unkempt beggar and say you’re married to her and love her? Make it make sense!” His mother's voice reverberated with anger.

That was the most insults I had ever received in one sentence. I wished the ground would open and swallow me whole. The insults were overwhelming.

“She is my wife, and I love her, Mom. I don’t appreciate you calling my wife such names,” Joshua said, reaching for my left hand and locking it tightly with his.

“What stupid wife? What stupid love?” Joshua's mom screamed, her voice echoing through the room. She turned to me angrily. “You vile, pig-looking, old haggard bitch! What have you done to my son? What did you do to him?” She grabbed my right arm, her nails digging into my skin, causing real pain.

I contorted my face in both pain and confusion, unsure of how to react. “Mom!” Joshua growled. “Stop hurting her. She has done nothing but show me what true love is. Let go of her!” He pulled his mother’s hand away from my arm.

“What stupid love? This is no marriage! You do not have my blessing! This is just a sham,” she shouted, tearing the marriage papers into tiny pieces. “This is no marriage!” She flared and threw the shredded paper in my face.

Joshua watched his mother coldly. “Whether you accept it or not, whether you believe it or not, Mom, Claire and I are legally wedded, and I love her. You will learn to come to terms with it. For now, my wife and I need to freshen up after a long and stressful wedding rite. I will talk to you later, Mom.” Joshua remained confident and bold. He kissed his mom on the forehead after speaking.

His hand held mine firmly as we walked past his mother, heading for the stairs.

“Jay! That old hag should not enter my house!” she screamed, our backs turned to her.

Neither Joshua nor I responded, but I felt so much shame and ridicule.

“Speaking to my wife more nicely will make you look more beautiful, Mom. Please do,” Joshua smirked, leading me upstairs to his room.

His room was a den of dark aesthetics, a beautiful work of art. I was awestruck at the entrance while he walked deeper into the room. I stood there as he immediately began to take off his suit and then his white shirt, exposing his heavily built body.

“I know I’m a beautiful work of art, but I suggest you get yourself seated, just like in a cinema, so you can enjoy a better view, my wife,” he said, still with his back to me.

Embarrassment flushed through me, and I sat on a large couch in the room. He was surely bold and quite arrogant. I averted my eyes from his body, feeling both irritated and intrigued.

He went to the shower, and while he was there, I enjoyed the beautiful ambiance of his room. A few minutes later, Joshua emerged from the bathroom with damp hair, wearing shorts and still bare-chested. He got into bed, checked his phone for a while, and then picked up a book from his bedside.

Despite having multiple questions, my tongue failed me. I didn't know if it was fear, but I just couldn’t bring myself to utter a word.

“You could still come continue your movie after taking a shower,” he said, his deadly green eyes flashing at me.

I instantly felt uncomfortable and jerked up from the couch. I just wanted to be out of his presence. Had he cast a spell on me? My tongue felt useless. I rushed to the bathroom and showered.

“I didn’t find anything to change into, so I wore this shirt and shorts. Hope it’s fine by you?” I said as soon as I came out of the bathroom, still feeling uncomfortable.

Joshua was still engrossed in his book. “Whatever belongs to me belongs to my wife,” he said casually.

Just then, the door flew open, and a woman stood at the entrance. She wasn’t Joshua’s mom. She gave me a deadly look, walked up to me, and grabbed me by the neck. “So, you are the witch?!” she growled.