I sat at the vanity, my lipstick still perfect, though my chest felt heavy with dread. The house was quiet, the guests long gone, when a gentle knock broke the silence.
Cautiously, I cracked the door. There stood the old maid who had served my husband’s family for decades. Her eyes were wide with urgency as she whispered, trembling:
I froze, heart hammering in my chest. Before I could respond, she pressed a finger to her lips. Behind her, footsteps approached—the sound of my new husband.
Panic surged through me. I ripped off the heavy wedding gown, shoved it beneath the bed, slipped into plain clothes, and followed the maid through a hidden gate into the cold night.
A Ride Into the Unknown
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