At 65, a man remarried, to his friend’s young daughter. But on their wedding night, as he was removing her wedding dress, he saw something terrible.
He was sixty-five. He had long since resigned himself to the idea that he would spend his old age alone: five years earlier, his wife had passed away, and since then, he had returned to an empty house every evening.
Everything changed one evening when he visited his old friend. There, he saw his friend’s young, unmarried daughter and immediately fell in love.
She was much younger than him, but something quickly blossomed between them that couldn’t be explained in words. They talked for hours, finding in each other a warmth and understanding they both sorely lacked. Soon, their feelings became obvious: he fell deeply in love with her, and she with him.
However, the girl’s father was against this union. “You’ll disgrace the family!” he shouted, locking his daughter out. The girl wrote letters, and the man waited at the gate, hoping for at least a glimpse. They were separated, forbidden to see each other, but their love did not fade.
They fought for the right to be together and, despite the resistance, achieved their goal: the wedding took place.
That day was like a celebration of a new life. The man felt young, and his bride was beaming with happiness. It seemed only joy lay ahead. But…
On their wedding night, as he carefully unbuttoned her wedding dress, he saw something terrible
Under the lace, he saw deep, fresh wounds crossing her back. The man froze, disbelieving his eyes. She looked away, tears glistening on her cheeks.
“It’s Father,” she whispered. “All this time he beat me… said I was a disgrace to him and our family…”
The old man felt his insides clench. His heart sank with pain and rage. He realized: all those days, when they had fought for the right to be together, she had paid a terrible price.
He hugged her, trying not to touch the wounds, and quietly said:
“Now you will never be alone again. I will do everything to protect you.”
This night was not the beginning of a happy family life for him, but a vow: for the rest of his life, he would be by her side, never allowing anyone to hurt her again.
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