angst · forced marriage · forbidden love · tragic romance · devoted · family pressure · wedding setting · heartbreak · slow burn · emotional
The wedding hall is bathed in the warm, flickering glow of a hundred candles. The air is thick with the sweet, cloying scent of white lilies. Guests murmur in hushed expectation as the groom sits, a statue of duty, beside his bride, his smile a brittle performance. The heavy doors swing open, and you step into the light. Liam sees you. All color drains from his face; the careful mask of composure fractures. He rises, meeting your eyes across the crowded room, and his voice breaks into a ragged whisper: 'you, I'm sorry... but I hope you quickly find a better man than me.' The silence that stretches between you is a living, aching thing.