Chapter 160 - Hundred And Sixty
Cassandra, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the ballroom, turned to the only solace she could think of: wine. She began accepting glasses from passing waiters, the liquid burning a temporary path down her throat, a futile attempt to numb the pain in her heart.
Each glass was a desperate attempt to drown out the reality of her situation, the weight of her unwanted engagement. But the wine only amplified her despair, making her feel more suffocated, more trapped.
Feeling dizzy and disoriented, she stumbled out of the ballroom, gasping for fresh air. She needed to escape the noise, the music, the pitying glances. She wandered through the gardens, the cool night air a welcome contrast to the stifling heat of the ballroom. She finally found herself by a well, its stone rim cool against her burning skin. She sank to the ground beside it, the tears she had held back finally spilling over. She sobbed uncontrollably, the sound swallowed by the stillness of the night.
"The devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know," she whispered to herself, the familiar proverb offering little comfort. "How will I know he isn’t worse than Countess Helene? At least I know her cruelty. What if he’s even more... heartless?" She thought of her impending marriage, the gilded cage that awaited her. "I thought marriage would bring freedom," she choked out, "freedom from their... their disdain. Now, I’ll be trapped in a marriage where my family gains everything, and I... I gain nothing. I’m just... I’m just good for crying," she cried, her voice thick with self-loathing. "Why am I so useless?" Tears streams down her face. "Why am I so... weak?"
Suddenly, she heard a twig snap nearby. Startled, she looked up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Who’s there?" she called out, her voice trembling.
"It’s me, my lady," a familiar voice replied.
Cassandra recognized the voice instantly.
"Doris?" she exclaimed, relief washing over her. She struggled to her feet and ran towards the sound, her arms outstretched.
Doris emerged from the shadows, her face etched with worry. Cassandra rushed forward and embraced her tightly, both women dissolving into tears.