"A bad person like you—the fool girl curses you to die a horrible death!"
A boulder smashed into my chest. I bit my lip until copper flooded my mouth, my voice trembling.
"I brought people to save you..."
She scoffed, cutting me off. Her gaze was strange—wary and sharp.
"I don't believe you!"
"When the fool girl isn't foolish anymore, I'm going to get revenge on you! I'm going to kill you, you bad person!"
Her eyes were completely clear. The hatred wasn't part of her act.
She genuinely believed my brother's lies.
The last ember of warmth in my heart extinguished.
I wiped away my tears, shoved her aside, and walked away.
Behind me, I heard her go into the bridal chamber to comfort my brother.
I walked into the woodshed.
My brother had thrown all my belongings in there. My clothes and books were torn to shreds, a deliberate mess.
Head bowed, I began to clean up the debris of my life.
Through the thin wall, the woman's voice drifted in—gentle, sweet, coaxing.
It was exactly how she used to soothe me after an argument in our past life.
Soon, the sounds changed. Wet. Sticky. Unmistakable.
A knife twisted in my gut.
I stopped cleaning.
I grabbed a few changes of clothes and my university admission letter. Then, without a sound, I left that house forever.
I went to the railway station and bought the earliest ticket to the capital.
In this life, my lover was gone.
So, I would firmly grasp the future that should have been mine all along.
The moment I arrived at the university, I went to the student affairs office to register for a work-study program.
On orientation day, I volunteered to help welcome new students.
Under the blazing sun, I ran back and forth between the athletic field and the academic buildings until black spots danced in my vision.
My legs gave out, and I crashed into someone.
A shrill scream pierced my ear.
"Pervert! Do you guys have no shame? Just because you see a rich, fair-skinned beauty, you act like a toad trying to eat swan meat!"
I hurriedly backed away to apologize. But when I looked up, I froze.
Caroline Sawyer.
In my previous life, after my brother's downfall, my parents had wailed and beaten their chests, forcing me to investigate who had harmed him.
When the lawyer laid the evidence before me, I learned the truth.