Untied Ribbons

The dress was beautiful.

Layers of soft ivory silk, delicate embroidery along the sleeves, a ribbon cinched tight at my waist. My mother stood behind me, her fingers deftly adjusting the final details.

"You’ll be breathtaking," she murmured, her voice warm with quiet pride.

I met her gaze in the mirror. She looked at me with such love, such admiration. But the reflection staring back at me wasn’t me. Just the doll they had sculpted, dressed up in perfection.

I wanted to tell her. Wanted to rip off the dress and scream that I wasn’t this delicate, obedient girl. That I was something more—something wilder, something restless. But instead, I whispered, "Thank you, Mother."

Because that’s what I always did.

The carriage ride to the gala was quiet. My father sat across from me, eyes scanning the invitation in his hand as if he hadn’t already memorized the names of the esteemed guests attending. My mother was beside me, her gloved hands folded neatly in her lap.

"Tonight is important, Lia," she said softly. "Your future depends on how you present yourself."

I knew.

I had spent years training for this, learning the perfect smile, the right tone of voice, the graceful way to accept a compliment. I had been molded, polished like a gemstone until I gleamed with expectation.

So, when we arrived at the grand ballroom, I did what was expected.

I glided across the marble floor, my expression serene. Chandeliers glittered above, casting golden light across the polished surfaces. Music swelled in the air, violins singing in elegant harmony. I exchanged polite greetings, nodded at compliments, let strangers admire the dress, the careful way my hair had been styled.

Perfect. Elegant. Poised.

And yet, I felt like a ghost.

The laughter of the guests was distant, muffled, like I was trapped behind glass. I went through the motions, speaking when necessary, smiling when appropriate, but inside, something was fraying, unraveling thread by thread.

Then—

"Lia."

The voice was familiar, grounding.

I turned, my pulse stuttering in my throat.

Elias stood near the garden doors, slightly apart from the crowd. His suit was well-fitted but looked foreign on him, like a cage trying to tame something untamed. He belonged somewhere wilder, freer.

Something inside me lurched.

I moved toward him before I could stop myself. "You actually showed up?"

He smirked. "I had to see if you’d run away yet."

I huffed, folding my arms. "You’re impossible."

"And you’re predictable," he countered, a challenge in his tone. He leaned in slightly, his voice quieter now. "So… are you gonna prove me wrong?"

My breath caught.

I glanced around—the grand staircase, the glittering chandeliers, the endless waves of silk gowns and tailored suits. My parents’ laughter echoed somewhere nearby, perfectly blended into the melody of the night.

I could stay. Play my part. Smile until my face ached.

Or—

I reached behind me and untied the ribbon at my waist.

The knot loosened, the silk bow unraveling between my fingers. It wasn’t much—just a small act, a single defiance against the perfect image they had crafted. But when I looked up, Elias was watching me, his gaze flickering to the undone ribbon before returning to my face.

Something in his expression softened.

For the first time that night, I felt like I was the one breathing.

But it wasn’t enough.

The tight bodice still restricted my ribs, the delicate embroidery still scratched against my skin. The weight of expectation still pressed down on my shoulders.

My fingers trembled as they moved to the row of tiny buttons along my sleeve. I hesitated.

Then—one by one—I began to undo them.

Elias exhaled a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "You really are something else."

"Help me," I murmured.

For a second, he just looked at me, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he reached out, his fingers brushing against mine as he undid another button.

The voices in the ballroom faded. The chandeliers, the music, the polite conversations—they no longer mattered.

I didn’t know where this act of rebellion would lead me. I didn’t know what came next.

But for the first time in my life, I was choosing for myself.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***