There was no phone, no internet, no way to reach the outside world. I was a prisoner in a silk cage.
Instead of fighting, I was forced to learn how to be the perfect wife. Every morning, a well-known etiquette coach arrived, drilling into me the proper way to sit, speak, smile, and obey. I had no choice but to endure it—Bryant made it clear that any resistance would only hurt the people I loved.
And then, the wedding day arrived.
I woke up feeling numb. My body moved on its own, letting the makeup artists and stylists do their work. They painted my lips red, curled my hair into perfect waves, and slipped me into the gown—the same one Bryant had sent me in a box, mocking my fate.
The dress was beautiful. White lace, delicate embroidery, and a flowing train fit for royalty. But it felt like a funeral shroud.
I was about to marry a monster.
I sat stiffly in the car, hands clenched into fists as we drove to the church. Guards sat on either side of me, their presence suffocating. I stared out the tinted windows, watching the world move outside. The world I no longer belonged to.