Emily did not immediately return to the hotel after leaving the hospital. She just felt a mess wrapped around her heart and desperately needed some alone time to clear her head. So, slowly pacing, she came to a peaceful park.
In the park, the trees are shady, and the breeze brings a hint of freshness. Emily walked to the park bench by the lake and sat down softly. Her gaze fell silently on the white swans that were sauntering gracefully through the lake. The feathers, white as snow, glistened softly in the sunlight.
Emily's mind was not so tranquil as that of a swan. The mingled emotions came back upon her like a tide, and scenes from the past were rapidly replaying themselves in her mind. From the moment when her stepmother forced her to marry in the North to the moment when she returned to the South, her fate seemed to be controlled by a great unseen hand.