I married Jonah for money while he was serving twelve years in prison. At the time, I told myself it was just paperwork, something necessary to keep my brother safe.

I was twenty-seven, raising my younger brother Owen, and we were one missed payment away from losing everything. The final rent notice taped to our door made the decision feel less like a choice.

When Celeste, Jonah’s mother, offered me $2,000 a month to marry her son on paper, I didn’t think about love. I thought about rent, food, and keeping Owen in school.