Chapter 2 Sexually Harassed

• In our village, marrying into a good family essentially implied being sold off at a favorable price.
• I froze on the spot, the cup of water slipping from my hand to clatter to the ground.
• At the sight of me having gone ghastly pale, my grandmother sharply turned back and lambasted, “Tiff is my granddaughter! What's this about giving her away?”
• Linda smacked her lips. “Her parents don't even care about her. Isn't it true that girls like her always end up given away to be raised by another family?”
• “Don't you have a granddaughter too? Why, how much is she going to be sold off for in a couple of years?”
• Upon hearing that, Linda blew up. The two of them then came to blows.
• In the end, it was Linda's husband who pull them off each other.
• Restrained in her man's arms, Linda kicked and cursed away. “Her mother took her son away and left this worthless trouble to you. Isn't it all for a payoff that you've put so much effort into raising her?”
• When we arrived home that evening, my grandmother said to me earnestly, “Just focus on your studies and make me proud.”
• The next day, when I was delivering water to my grandmother, Joseph Yates suddenly called out to me. He said they had extra ice cubes in their refrigerator and asked if I wanted any.
• His family was constructing a new house, and my grandmother worked there as a laborer.
• At that time, refrigerators were still a novelty. The thought of my grandmother getting to drink some cold water on such a hot day made me follow him without a second thought.
• He led me into a makeshift tent, but when we reached the refrigerator, he changed his mind. “How about you give me the cup? I'll put it in the freezer for a bit. Then, you'll have ice water later.”
• I handed him the cup and obediently sat on a stool to wait.
• Joseph lit a cigarette, puffing away while standing silently beside me.
• After waiting for a bit, he retrieved the cup and held it above his head, challenging me to reach it.
• I thought he was teasing me, so I raised my hands in a token gesture. “Mr. Yates, please give it to me quickly.”
• Unexpectedly, he suddenly lifted me up, his hand venturing beneath my dress.
• A buzz filled my head, and my mind went blank. Despite my tender age, I still knew that my intimate areas were off-limits to others.
• Once I snapped back to my senses, I started kicking and scratching even as I screamed and bawled.
• Panic seized Joseph, and he set me down on the ground. Without bothering about the cup anymore, I desperately ran toward the entrance.
• As I almost made it out, Joseph caught up to me in a few quick strides.
• He shoved the cup into my hands and threatened viciously, “If you dare to tattle to your grandma, I'll tell the foreman to fire her tomorrow.”
• I shot him a fierce glare before sprinting all the way home.
• When my grandmother returned in the evening, she took out an ice cream bar from her bosom while complaining about me not delivering her water during the day.
• “It's hot. Have this to cool down a bit.”
• I stared down at my own toes, shaking my head in demurral.
• Mistakenly assuming that I wanted to eat but was afraid of spending money, my grandmother proudly whipped out a wad of small bills from her pocket. “See? This is the money I earned from being a laborer these past few days. Go ahead and eat. I can afford it.”
• At the sight of her radiant with joy, I swallowed the words on the tip of my tongue back down.
• My grandmother was illiterate and had spent her entire life doing manual labor.
• She tended to two acres of land, constantly caught between fears. When it did not rain, she was afraid the crops would wither from drought. But when it did, she feared that they would be flooded.
• Throughout the year, she lived in perpetual fear. The money earned from selling the crops was not only to pay for my tuition fees but also to support the family's daily expenses.
• The villagers often teased her during their casual chats, saying, “If it weren't for your granddaughter, you'd have probably saved some money this year after all the hard work.”
• Nonetheless, she was unbothered by it all. Instead, she took on odd jobs everywhere during her spare time from farming.
• Her main source of income was from the crops, every penny meticulously allocated. The income from odd jobs, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise to her. Each time she made a little extra, she was overjoyed and indulged me with little treats to satisfy my cravings.
• “What's wrong? You look a bit under the weather. Are you sick?”
• Her rough large palm plastered against my forehead, and she muttered, “You're not running a fever.”
• I did not want to let my grandmother down or have her lose her job, so I took the ice cream from her and took big bites out of it.
• Sure enough, my grandmother was gratified. “Eat slowly. I'll buy you another one the next time I get paid.”
• Then, she picked up the cup on the table. “Oh yes, don't forget to bring me water tomorrow.”
• Upon hearing that, I instinctively shot to my feet and shrieked, “No!”
• The ice cream plopped to the ground, melting into a sticky puddle.
• Sensing something off, my grandmother narrowed her eyes and asked, “What's wrong? Why not?”
• Joseph's devilish face appeared in my mind, and I shook my head desperately. That night, I ran a high fever.
• In a daze, I thought I was dreaming. In my dream, my grandmother asked, “What on earth happened to you today?”
• Unable to suppress my emotions, I broke down in tears and recounted the day's events to her in detail.
• In my dream, my grandmother cried alongside me, but I reassured her with a smile, saying, “Don't worry, Grandma. I'm not scared at all...”
• I can put up with it, Grandma. I don't want to see your disappointment if you lose this job or see you begging around for work.