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=Neti's actual wedding dress
Hair
They finally managed to get me into the bridal gown, a sheer, silky thing that felt like it weighed a ton. My hair was done in soft waves that flowed down my back like some perfect fairytale princess, but the only thing I could think about was escape.
I tried to hold myself together as the stylist adjusted the gown, pulling at it like I wasnât already suffocating in it. But my mind? It was a battlefield, planning every possible way to get out of this madness.
First things first: distraction.
Iâd already heard Pranavâs incessant chatter from across the room, and I knew that at least he would be a perfect target for a distraction. So while the maids were fussing with the gown and my hair, I focused on a potential escape routeâout the window, down the side of the mansion, and then Iâd just run for it.
Sure, it was a bit far-fetched, but anything was better than being trapped in this bridal cage.
I almost smiled at the thoughtâfreedomâbut then the stylist looked at me with those piercing eyes, sensing something was off.
âAre you okay, Miss?â
I quickly masked the panic and threw her a smile. âJust excited for the big day.â
Itâs a good thing no one else could see what I was plotting behind my calm expression.
This marriage wasnât my choice.
Adolph didnât love meâhe was obsessed with me. And obsession and love were two entirely different things.
He cared enough to make sure I was alive, but not enough to care about how he could kill me too. I knew this. I had always known this. And thatâs exactly why I was escaping.
As the maids continued adjusting the gown, fluffing the ridiculous layers, I kept my face neutral. But inside? I was calculating every move. I had hours before the wedding, and I was going to use every second of it.
My fingers twitched in my lap. If I got caught, the consequences wouldnât be mild. I knew what Adolph was capable of, how his mind worked. I had seen the darkness in his eyes when things didnât go his way.
But that wasnât going to stop me.
Because the moment this wedding started, my freedom ended.
Author
Neti kept her expression calm as the stylers adjusted the final touches to her bridal gown, but inside, her mind was racing. The weight of the dress felt suffocating, not because of its fabric but because of what it representedâher cage. A golden, luxurious prison designed by Adolph.
He didnât love her. Love was gentle, kind. What Adolph felt was an obsession, a desire to possess her rather than cherish her. He cared enough to keep her alive, but she had no illusionsâif she ever tried to truly defy him, he wouldnât hesitate to break her in the same breath. And that was why she had to run.
The plan was set. After the wedding, when the mansion would be quieter, when the guests would leave and the night would wrap around the estate, sheâd disappear. The abandoned, castle-like mansion behind Adolphâs estate was the perfect place. It was massive, eerie, and forgotten. No one would look for her there, at least not right away. That would give her time.
Time to plan her next move. Time to figure out where to go next. Because one thing was certainâonce she ran, she could never return.
Her fingers clenched around the sheer fabric of her veil. She would escape. She had to. Because if she didnât, sheâd never be free again.
_______________________________
Yeah girl,
Go run and never come back âºï¸