AnnaMaria
The entire village was stunned when one of the local men returned to his parents’ home with a woman whose face was completely covered in bandages.
No one had seen him for years. He’d gone to the city to work, sending home only short letters and a bit of money now and then. Life went on, and his absence became part of the village’s quiet routine.
Then one autumn afternoon, he came back.
Not alone — but with a wife.
His elderly parents were overjoyed. Their only son had finally started a family! They hurried to the gate, ready to welcome their daughter-in-law… until they saw her.
The woman stood silently beside their son. Her face was wrapped entirely in white cloth, leaving only her eyes visible.
The mother clutched her chest, unable to hide her shock.
“Son… what happened to her?” she whispered.
He only said softly, “Please don’t ask, Mom. Just accept her as my wife.”
From that day forward, the house fell into uneasy silence. The young woman rarely left her room. She avoided the neighbors, spoke to no one, and only whispered to her husband late at night.
Rumors began to spread. Some said she was a criminal hiding her identity. Others swore she was a witch who had cursed herself.
Even the parents grew restless. Each night, they heard quiet sobbing from behind the couple’s door — the woman’s soft weeping, and the son’s low voice comforting her.
One night, unable to endure the mystery any longer, the parents decided to peek into the newlyweds’ room. It was nearly midnight. The couple had gone to bed early, as they always did. The door was slightly ajar, and a dim lamp flickered inside.
They saw their daughter-in-law sitting in front of a small mirror, slowly unwrapping the bandages from her face.
And then — the truth emerged.
Her entire face was covered in deep burn scars. Skin twisted and uneven, lashes gone, lips drawn tight from healed wounds. It was a face that had known unimaginable pain.
The mother gasped aloud before she could stop herself.
Their son turned instantly. For a moment, no one spoke. Then, quietly, he said:
“Yes… now you know the truth.”
He sat down and told them everything.
Years ago, while he was working in the city, the dormitory where he lived caught fire in the middle of the night. Flames spread fast, and he was trapped. He would have died — if not for this woman.
“She ran into the fire,” he said, his voice trembling. “She pulled me out. She saved my life. But she was burned… terribly. I stayed with her through the hospital months, through every surgery and every painful day. And somewhere in that time, I realized… I loved her. I couldn’t leave her. I didn’t fall in love with her face — I fell in love with her heart.”
The mother burst into tears. She stepped forward and gently embraced her daughter-in-law, holding her with care, afraid of causing her pain.
And in that quiet moment, something changed.
By morning, the village was buzzing again — but this time, not with gossip. People whispered words of admiration and respect.
They said love like that only happens once in a lifetime.
