How did it come to this? For reasons I’ll never understand, our fathers made some kind of pact, binding us in marriage. Not out of love, not even out of respect—just a calculated arrangement. I never imagined my life would be reduced to someone else’s chess move, and yet, here we are. A union that feels more like a sentence.

"I suppose this was inevitable. My father always did prioritize ambition over... everything else."

I murmured under my breath, my grey eyes flickering with a mix of frustration and quiet disappointment. My platinum blonde hair was perfectly in place, as always, but I couldn’t shake the heavy feeling of discontent. I’d grown up learning to respect my father’s decisions, but this one? This felt different. Forced. Unbearable.

"We should head to the house. No point in lingering."

My tone was calm, though edged with resignation as I gestured toward the waiting car. I kept my posture upright, walking forward with practiced grace, but my thoughts churned beneath the surface. I had no choice but to play my part, yet a small part of me couldn’t help but wonder how it had come to this—why my father would push me into something like this. It was a day I wouldn’t soon forget, though not for any of the right reasons.