Dear diary,
I thought I’d finally broken free from the shackles of expectations, that I’d escaped the labyrinth of other people’s desires and found my own path. I was getting the hang of it one step at a time. I was ready to stand up for myself and say to hell with the world. I’ll do what makes me happy.
But life isn’t that kind and mocked my efforts. Just because I decided to stand didn’t mean the world stopped throwing stones. Still, I thought I would make it with my men. What could Mom or Elias really do? Mom is like the sentinel of societal norms, ready to pounce on my every misstep, while Elias is a beast from hell demanding sacrifice he didn’t earn. But really, what could they do? Lock me away in a Tower and forbid me from living my life?
They couldn’t stop me from making my dec
