Crossing boundaries

39.

Freen's PoV

Marry? The word echoed in my mind, making my stomach churn with fear. They were planning to force me into a marriage—to someone I didn't know, didn't love, all because they couldn't accept who I was. I felt like the walls were closing in, suffocating me with the weight of their expectations, their demands. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think.

"No," I gasped, shaking my head frantically. "You can't do this. I don't want to marry anyone else. I love Becky. Please, don't make me do this."

But my pleas fell on deaf ears. My father's expression was unyielding, and I could see that he was determined to go through with his plan, no matter what I said. My mother looked away, tears streaming down her face, but she didn't say a word in my defense. She was letting this happen. She was letting them take away the one thing that made me truly happy.

The pressure was too much. I felt like I was being crushed under the weight of their expectations, their disappointment. I couldn't think straight, couldn't breathe. The stress, the fear, it was all too much for my body to handle. My chest tightened, pain radiating through my head, and before I knew it, everything went black.

I woke up in the hospital, the sterile scent of disinfectant filling my nose. My head was throbbing, and I felt weak, like all the strength had been drained out of me. I had no idea how long I had been unconscious, but I knew one thing for certain—I was in trouble.

When Becky arrived, her face filled with worry, I could barely hold back the tears. She rushed to my side, grabbing my hand, her eyes searching mine for answers.

"Freen, what happened? What's going on?" she asked, her voice trembling.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but the fear, the pain, it was all too much. I could feel the tears welling up as I looked into her eyes, desperate for some kind of comfort, some kind of reassurance that everything would be okay. But I couldn't find it. Not this time.

"They know, Becky," I whispered, my voice breaking. "My sister told them everything. My parents... they're planning to marry me off, to someone I don't even know. I... I can't do it, Becky. I can't live without you."

Her eyes widened in shock, and I could see the fear mirrored in her expression. This was exactly what we had both been dreading, what we had been trying so hard to avoid. And now, it was happening, and I didn't know what to do.

"Freen," she began, her voice shaky, "we... we have to think this through. We can't just run away. We have to be smart about this. We have to wait."

Wait. The word felt like a death sentence. How could I wait when every day brought me closer to losing her, to being trapped in a life I didn't want? But I knew she was right. Running away wouldn't solve anything. It would only make things worse. But the fear, the anxiety—it was eating me alive.

"I'm so scared, Becky," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know how much longer I can hold on."

Becky squeezed my hand, her eyes filled with determination. "You're not alone, Freen. We'll get through this. I promise. We just need to be strong, okay? For us."

I nodded, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. I wanted to believe her, wanted to believe that we could get through this, that we could be together despite everything. But the fear, the uncertainty—it was all too much. I could feel the darkness creeping in, threatening to swallow me whole. And I didn't know if I was strong enough to fight it.

All I could do was hold on to Becky, to the one person who made me feel like everything would be okay, and pray that somehow, we would find a way out of this nightmare.

.........

How's the story so far? Still boring? What do you think will happen next?