--Cassie--“Get up, Cassie,” I heard Michelle’s voice as she tapped me gently on the shoulder, pulling me from the edges of sleep.“Let me sleep, please,” I murmured, hugging my pillow tighter, wishing that somehow I could stay in this cocoon of comfort and escape reality a little longer.“Today is your wedding, girl!” she replied, her tone a mix of excitement and urgency.The words jolted me awake, and I sat up suddenly, as if struck by lightning. My heart sank as the realization hit me, and a tear slipped down my cheek. So, its today, I thought, as a wave of helplessness washed over me. I wished, desperately, that I could run away. The idea lingered, sweet and enticing, like a dream that would never be. My mind raced with images of escaping, of disappearing into a place where arranged marriages and obligations didn’t exist.“Cassie, everyone is waiting for you,” Aunt Sophia called from the doorway, a soft smile on her face, as though this were any ordinary day. She looked so cheerfu
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