Chapter 13

Mary Redferne

Judith, my best friend, sat beside me on the couch, with my mother and sister opposite us, as we were presented with a selection of wedding dresses, each one simpler than the last. It was evident these dresses were deliberately chosen, designed to ensure I didn't outshine my sister Clara on her wedding day. Mr. McKinnon had made it clear that his son’s wedding needed to be the talk of the season.

Clara expressed her disappointment directly, saying, "Mary, these dresses are so plain. I thought your wedding dress would be more... special. This is something you wouldn’t even wear."

Despite her evident disappointment, I shot her a look, silencing her, as we both knew our parents were being unfair towards me, and she didn’t want to add fuel to the fire.

Beside me, Judith sat in silence, usually jovial, but now visibly fuming. I doubted she would ever speak to my parents again after what they put me through.

As the weight of my sister's unspoken disappointment hung heavy in t