Twice a Bride

cating. Mr. Hamilton sat at the head of the table, his usually confident demeanor now weighed down by the heaviness of the conversation that needed to happen. His hands were clasped tightly together,

s words, but none knew

Prescott before he fell ill. His son, Ethan, is blind. His father is dying, and I promised that on

outrage. "You can't be serious, Father. You want me to marry a blind man because of some stupid prom

always been strong-willed, proud, and unwilling to bend to anyone's expectations. She would fight this, just as she had fo

a promise made to a dying man, a friend who entrusted me with this responsibility. You will marry

uld you even ask this of me? I'm your daughter, and you want me to sacrifice everything f

of ambition, and her tone was cold, almost calculating. "Michael," she said softly, her voice carrying an edge of disbelief, "why on earth would you want you

isible compared to the intensity of the others. Amelia had never been a person who attracted attention,

her tone dripping with feigned kindness, "you've always been so obedient, so willing to do whatever is asked of you. Th

pening. This was not her life. She hadn't been asked for her opinion, and it seemed like no one cared what sh

strained. "You're the only one who can do this. Lilian won't. She refuses. I've pr

and around the table. Cassandra, with her calculating smile, waiting for her to comply. Lilian, her face twisted with anger and relief that it wouldn't be her burden to bea

ld do. She could feel the weight of her father's gaze burning into her, and the pressure of Cassandra's cold eyes weighing on her. She could alread

rying the weight of a decision that was never truly hers.

ked at her father, whose face was now filled with a mixture of relief and something darker-perhaps guilt. But there was no

s to ruin her life for the sake of some promise, while I get to go on living my life. How typical." She turned her back on t

, really," she said, her voice falsely sweet. "Lilian won't have to suffer, and you-Amelia-will do what

d just agreed to marry a man she didn't know, a man who was blind. It was all for the sake of a promise, a promise that

tuation that would change her life forever. They were all too busy congratulating