Ironically, the day dawned sunny and beautiful, as if mocking the bad luck of a hapless girl. Ella's bag was arranged on the bed. She was leaving with less than she brought, as her father had warned her that her simple, non-designer dresses would not be suitable for her new life as a married woman. A stylist will be available in the coming days to help her put together a more feminine wardrobe, appropriate for the new status of being the wife of an international business executive.
But what didn't leave her was the sense of fear. Ella did her best to avoid thinking about the wedding night, because she was almost certain that if she stopped for a few minutes to reflect on it, she would panic, and nothing, not even the certainty of a bloodbath between her family and his, would make her say
