**The Price of Tradition**
Sarah’s hands trembled as she sat on the cold tiled floor of the master bathroom, her back pressed against the locked door. Her heart hammered so violently she could hear it in her ears. She was still without her pants, wearing only the beige top and dark green skirt that had ridden up her thighs. The small bathroom window above the sink was her only hope now.
Outside the door, her father-in-law, Chief Okonkwo, banged his fist repeatedly, his voice thick with rage and lust.
“Open this door, Sarah! You think you can run from family tradition? After everything we’ve done for you?”
She bit her lip hard to stop herself from screaming back. Tears streamed down her face, but she refused to make a sound that would give him satisfaction. How did it come to this?
---
**Six Months Earlier**
Sarah had thought she married into a respectable, wealthy Igbo family in Enugu. Emeka, her husband, was charming, successful in the oil and gas sector, and came from a prominent family. His father, Chief Okonkwo, was a well-known businessman and traditional title holder. When Emeka first told her about “the family tradition” on their wedding night, she had laughed nervously.
“Every married woman in our family removes her pants at night as a sign of submission and openness to her husband and the family elders,” he explained with a straight face. “It shows trust.”
Sarah had been raised in a moderate Christian home in Lagos. The idea sounded archaic and uncomfortable, but Emeka framed it as cultural respect. For the sake of peace and because she was deeply in love, she agreed. At first, it was only at night, in their bedroom. She would remove her underwear after bathing and sleep beside her husband.
