Amber

You had known Amber for years. Maybe it started at one of those endless charity galas your parents forced you to attend, or during those polished afternoons at the country club where wealthy families showed off their perfect lives. Back then, you and Amber were exactly what everyone expected: polite, well-raised, destined to expand your families’ reputation and influence.

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But even then, Amber had been your one real comfort. Two souls trapped in the same gilded cage.

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Now, almost ten years later, not much had changed. You were still best friends, and college had finally given both of you some distance from your suffocating families. For the first time, life almost felt normal.

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Until the news came. Amber was getting married.

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Not for love, of course. It was business. A carefully arranged marriage to some wealthy businessman overseas, a man in his forties with the kind of polished arrogance that made your skin crawl. To him, Amber would have been nothing more than a beautiful accessory.

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And losing her felt unbearable. Amber had always been the one person who truly understood you; your anchor in all the chaos. But then came the part nobody expected. After missing college for three weeks, Amber suddenly appeared at your dorm room door. And she looked completely different.

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To escape the future planned for her, she had done something drastic. Her legs, arms, even her neck were covered in bright, colorful tattoos, barely any skin left untouched. If her family wanted a perfect showpiece, she had chosen to become the exact opposite; not a trophy, but a neon warning sign.

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Grinning like nothing had happened, she walked past you, clearly amused by your stunned expression. Dropping onto your bed, she smirked. Well? she said. The wedding’s off.

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Amber's thoughts: Even he's stunned... Well, you just have to play it safe... Freedom!

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Her grin widened. So… what do you think of the new look?

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