Sacrifice | Rafe Cameron

Prologue

Kate paced the room, barefooted on the wooden floors, heart pounding against the constraints of her corset. Her hair delicately curled and her makeup expertly done. At just twenty years old, the weight of her impending marriage bore down on her like an iron anchor. She had dreamed of a different life—finishing college, pursuing a career, staying in New York with her boyfriend. But fate had other plans.

She didn't know what she was getting into, her mind racing while trying to think of a way to escape the situation she's in. She kept thinking of the life she had imagined for herself, thinking of how it's all going down the drain. In her state of panic, she couldn't even bring herself to cry.

She had already consented to the marriage two weeks prior, but the doubts are only sinking in now. She's getting married.

Her dad sat her down and offered the idea, like it was a business proposal. he asked her to think about it before giving an immediate answer. Her initial thought was no. Of course it would be, she had her whole life ahead of her!

Just as she was about to give her refusal, her mother pulled her aside and told her that she must accept. They had lost all their fortune. She needed to help her father, this marriage would save them. She'd sensed something was off with him in the past year, and assumed it was something to do with work. Her assumption was correct, however she never would've guessed it was as bad as it was. It was a business proposal.

She thought long and hard, it'd never occurred to her that she'd ever be put in this situation, that her father would put her in this situation.

As hopeless as she felt, she knew her father was suffering much more than she was. She knew she had to do it, her family's prospects relied on her. And so she agreed.

Although she grew up in the Outer Banks, Kate was shipped off to boarding school in New York by the age of twelve, and only came back for the summer. By the time she graduated, she decided to get her bachelor's degree at Columbia University. They couldn't afford her tuition anymore, she'd have to drop out and move back to Kildare for good. Her whole life had drastically took a turn. Dreams and ambitions once possible to achieve became mere fantasies.

They'd never even met before. She'd heard his name, knew of him, but had never actually met him. She heard the rumors surrounding him, his reputation, but had dismissed them knowing people exaggerate their gossip. He can't be that bad, right? His sister was in the same class as her at Kildare Academy when they were young and she was nice enough.

A soft knock on the door tore her attention back to reality, her mother walked in with a beaming smile. "Let's get you in that dress!"

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late night delusions made me write this, don't even know if i'll continue