People in town whispered that I was lucky because I now had “security.”
But inside, I felt nothing but darkness.
The man was decades older than me. His hair was already gray, and deep lines marked his face.
I believed my life had already fallen into hell.
To become the wife of an old stranger… with no love and no hope.
Our First Night
On the night of our wedding, I walked into the bedroom with trembling hands.
But what I saw surprised me.
The room was clean. Simple. Quiet.
There was no smell of alcohol, no chaos, nothing frightening.
But that wasn’t what shocked me.
What shocked me was…
he wasn’t in the bed.
The light was on, but the bed was untouched.
Next to it was a small bedside table. On it sat a cup of warm tea and an envelope.
My hands shook as I picked it up.
Written neatly on the front were the words:
“Hannah, please don’t be afraid.”
My chest tightened.
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a letter.
“I know you didn’t choose this marriage.
I know you probably think your life is over.But before you judge me, I want you to know the truth.
I didn’t buy you.
And I didn’t take you as a wife in the way you think.If after reading this you still want to leave, the door will be open tomorrow morning.”