He was sixty-five.
For years, he believed he would spend his old age in silence.
Five years earlier, his wife had died, and since then, every evening he had returned to an empty house.

One evening, while visiting an old friend, everything changed.
There he met his friend’s young daughter—unmarried, kind, full of life.
In that moment, something stirred in his heart.

Despite the years between them, they felt an unexplainable closeness.
Conversations stretched into hours, their laughter mingling, their silences full of understanding.
He fell deeply for her—and she for him.

But her father raged against their love.
“You’ll disgrace the family!” he shouted, slamming doors, forbidding her to see him.
She slipped him letters; he waited by the gate, hoping for a glimpse.
Their love, though tested, never faded.

They fought for each other.
And at last, against all odds, they triumphed—the wedding took place.

That day felt like the start of a new life.
The man’s spirit was light, his bride radiant with joy.
Together, they believed only happiness awaited.

But then…

On their wedding night, as he slowly unfastened her dress, he froze.
Beneath the lace, across her back, were deep, raw wounds.
He stared, horrified, unable to breathe.

She turned her face away, tears sliding down.
“It’s Father,” she whispered.
“All this time… he beat me. He said I was a disgrace to him—and to our family.”

The old man’s heart clenched in anguish and fury.
In that instant, he realized the true price she had paid for their love.

He gathered her into his arms, careful not to touch the wounds, and whispered:
“Now you’ll never be alone again. For the rest of my life, I will protect you.”

That night was not just the beginning of a marriage.
It was a vow—a promise that no pain, no cruelty, would ever touch her again.