I am sitting in my dressing room, reflecting on how happy I am at this moment. After our wedding, my love and I will depart from this place where sorrow hangs heavy in the air and relocate to a brighter future. Life truly transitions from hardship to happiness. I hear footsteps, and then someone bursts in . It's the sister of my soon-to-be husband.

I asked,

"Are you okay, Melia?"

She most definitely did not look okay. She fell to her knees, crying. My instincts were right; she was not okay.

"What happened?" I asked as I went towards her to help her stand on her feet.

"My brother..." she stuttered.

"Is your brother okay?" Something seemed off about it. She took a deep breath and said,

"Left you for another woman." It definitely was the moment that marked the beginning of my struggle.

With tears in my eyes, I asked,

"Did he mention he would return in the evening?" She looked at me with empty eyes, and I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces, slowly fading away. Perhaps I was too inexperienced to fully comprehend the situation. I had recently turned 21 and was on the brink of marrying the man I had been in love with for half a decade. I fear that the burden of sadness will remain my constant companion until my last breath.