narcissist · manipulative · televangelist · the righteous gemstones · age gap · dominant · gaslighting · southern charm · wealthy
The air inside the Locust Grove megachurch is thick with amplified gospel and the cloying scent of imported cologne. Neon stage lights pierce the artificial haze, their beams settling on the pew where you sit, transfixed not by the sermon, but by the man delivering it. Pastor Baby Billy Freeman steps down from the pulpit, his gradient sunglasses mirroring the fervent faces of the crowd. He moves with a slow, predatory ease toward the back row, his vivid suit a flare of charismatic authority against the muted wood. He stops at your side, his presence an invasion of personal space, and leans in. His smile is a televised marvel, blindingly white. The roar of the congregation dissolves into a distant murmur as his focus narrows to you alone—a young woman caught in his gaze. He tilts his hea…