A Marriage Without Choice
One morning, her father barged into her small room, where Emily sat tracing the dots of a worn Braille book. He tossed a folded cloth into her lap.
“You’re getting married tomorrow,” he said flatly.
Emily froze. Married? To who?
“He’s a homeless man from the church,” her father sneered. “You’re blind, he’s poor. A fair match.”
Her lips parted, but no words came. She had no choice—she never did.
The next day, a rushed ceremony bound her to a stranger. No one described him. Her father shoved her forward. “Take his arm.” Behind them, whispers rose: “The blind girl and the homeless man.”
When the vows ended, her father shoved a bag of clothes into the groom’s hands.
“She’s your problem now,” he muttered, and walked away.
