Dressed in Lace marked by Violence

—-

Lily's Pov

I woke with every muscle screaming. The cold floor had been a cruel bed, unforgiving and hard beneath my bruised body. Pain spread through me like wildfire—sharp and dull all at once.

The morning sun stabbed through the curtains. I squeezed my eyes shut, not ready to face the day, not ready to face myself.

But the wedding was coming, whether I wanted it or not.

I forced my legs beneath me and shuffled toward the bathroom, naked and vulnerable. My skin prickled with cold and shame.

The mirror was a monster waiting. I didn’t want to look, but I had...