{"id":20905,"date":"2025-11-26T03:17:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T03:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=20905"},"modified":"2025-11-26T03:17:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T03:17:29","slug":"20905","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=20905","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

I dismissed the memory, forcing myself to stand. I was being ridiculous.\u00a0<\/span>Mark<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0just wanted everything to be perfect. He was stressed about the party at the\u00a0<\/span>Magnolia Grill<\/span><\/strong>. He wanted to show me off. That was love, wasn\u2019t it?<\/span><\/p>\n

I went back to the bedroom.\u00a0<\/span>Mark<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0was still asleep, a dark shape under the quilt. I looked at him\u2014the gray at his temples, the familiar curve of his nose. Twenty years. You can\u2019t fake twenty years.<\/span><\/p>\n

But as I lay back down, pulling the covers up to my chin, my father\u2019s voice echoed in the dark, louder than my logic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t wear the dress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

The morning sun did little to burn off the fog of dread.\u00a0<\/span>Mark<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0woke up cheerful, whistling as he dressed for work.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I dismissed the memory, forcing myself to stand. I was being ridiculous.\u00a0Mark\u00a0just wanted everything to be perfect. He was stressed about the party at the\u00a0Magnolia Grill. He wanted to show me off. That was love, wasn\u2019t it? I went back to the bedroom.\u00a0Mark\u00a0was still asleep, a dark shape under the quilt. I looked at him\u2014the…<\/p>\n

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