Chapter 25: The Midnight SecretA few days before the wedding, the weather turned gloomy. Thunder rumbled at night, and the wind shook the windows. I felt more and more uneasy and often woke up from strange dreams. It felt like something dark was drawing near. One night, I woke up and heard a sound in my room. I opened my eyes and saw a strange woman standing by my bed. Her eyes were empty, her hair wild—like a madwoman. She picked up my wedding dress and tore it to pieces. I was too scared to move and just watched her walk away. She opened the door and disappeared into the dark hallway. I ran to Mr. Rochester and told him everything. After hearing me, his face grew very serious. “Don’t be afraid, Jane,” he said. “You won’t see her again.” “Who is she?” I asked. “Just a mad woman. She has gone now,” he replied. But I felt he was hiding something. I looked down at the torn wedding dress, full of questions. I didn’t know the real storm was still ahead. I loved him, but I feared the past he would not share. Fate was already changing in the silence of the night. |