Nine

Moore.

A slight knock on my door woke me from my sleep. I rubbed my eyes, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

The knock persisted, causing a slight murmur and an intense headache. I groaned as I sat up, my memory slow to grasp my new surroundings.

The knock came again with a slight push, and Emily and Madam Isabel entered my room.

"Goodness, Moore, you didn't even change out of your dress. Did you cry yourself to sleep?" Emily asked.

I squinted. God, where the hell am I?

"It's late already, and Mr. Giordano will be upset if you keep him waiting. It's not good to delay a groom," Emily continued.

"I know you don't want this, neither of us do, but there's absolutely nothing we can do about it," Madam Isabel added.

"Wedding?" I asked, surprised at how lovely Emily looked in a white floral dress.

"Don't tell me you're still this slow-witted after all these years, child," Madam Isabel chimed in.

I'm always like this—slow to remember things whenever I just wake up, especially if I had a