I tug the handle, but the door won’t budge.
I try again and again until, behind the door, I hear my daughter’s voice.
“Nobody’s getting out,” Alice declares confidently, and even stomps her foot for extra emphasis. “You have to get married.”
I turn to my boss.
He doesn’t look angry or flustered. On the contrary—he’s smiling broadly.
“It seems that Ruslana, the kids have already decided everything for us. All that’s left is for you to agree.”
***
My boss needs a family for a profitable deal.
I need protection from my ex-husband.
Only now the children have turned our fake marriage into a family project.