y's

the slow suffocation I'd been enduring since. Every second of every day had been a reminder of my entrapment, and now,

e sharp as she grabbed my chin and angled my fac

clenching it, and my shoulders were stiff from the tension I couldn't seem to shake. The more she worked, the m

id finally, stepping bac

er. I didn't thank

e. My dress hung on the door, a cruel reminder of what awaited me in less tha

oud. I wandered aimlessly until I found a corner by a large window. The sunlight streami

only person I could trust, the

e through the line, warm a

to marry a man I hate, surrounded by people who either

his voice heavy with regret. "If I

o feel guilty. "You're the only reason I'm

, Emily," he said softly.

of his words pressing down

ightly less alone but no less trapped. As I made my way back

ked with tears, drifted through the quiet. Then a man'

o

the sound, my steps slow and deliberate. The voices

d, each word dripping with conviction. "Only

o that was

the woman replied, he

't last a year. It's just a formality. Yo

r. A part of me wanted to walk away, but something stronger...anger, dis

od there in his crisp two-piece suit, holding a woman i

n they

like they couldn't get enough of each other. My fists clenched a

y presence. His eyes met mine, and the hat

ed with tension, and for the first time in my li