Damian ruins Anna’s wedding day by tampering with her dress until it splits apart and sends her into the mud. Down in the slums, Alex offers no pity—only a rope, a stone lock, and a choice: make three laps or leave. She spends three months forging a new self. When she comes back as Selene, a rich widow, Damian never sees her coming until his fortune is gone. Before the tribunal, she tears away her veil: “I am that fat bride.” She walks off, and Alex meets her with water. “I feel no relief,” she says. “Then leave him behind,” he tells her, as they walk toward Subura.
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