Eli mumbled, "This doesn't feel real," as she fiddled with the lace veil that was falling over her shoulders.
Mia, her best friend, was by her side, attempting to calm her down. "It doesn't have to feel genuine at the moment. Just make it through today.
Eli looked at her reflection in the bridal suite's elaborate mirror, a stranger dressed in brilliant jewelry and white silk. Her chest pounded with the weight of her heart. "You give the impression that it's survival."
A tiny, uneasy smile tugged at Mia's lips as she shrugged. That's what this is about, isn't it? Are you surviving the disaster your parents got you into?
Eli closed her eyes, feeling the pressure of her parents' deception. She had dreamed of many things for the future, but she had never dreamed of an arranged marriage to
