I didn't hesitate. In the next second, I pulled out the knife hidden in my sleeve and pressed it against Simon’s neck.
"If you don't want him to die, let me go!" My voice rang out, sharp and furious.
Willie and his wife's faces drained of color. The villagers, startled by the sudden turn of events, murmured among themselves.
"What’s going on?" someone whispered.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my voice for all to hear.
"I was trafficked here ten years ago!"
A stunned silence fell over the crowd.
Willie's wife was the first to react, her shrill voice breaking through the hush.
"She's lying! If she was really trafficked, why didn’t she say anything all these years?"
"That’s right!" Willie added, his tone laced with urgency. "She just doesn’t want to marry Devin! That’s why she’s making up these ridiculous accusations!"
The villagers hesitated, doubt creeping into their expressions.
"If you didn’t want to get married, why not say so earlier?" someone muttered.
"You’re really going to slander Willie’s family like this?" another accused.
I gritted my teeth. I had expected this. The villagers were used to turning a blind eye, to choosing the simplest explanation. And I couldn’t argue—not yet. Everything had to unfold exactly as it had in my past life.
Only then would my sister remain unsuspecting. Only then would she exchange bodies with me.
And just as I had predicted, the sharp wail of sirens cut through the tense air.
My heart pounded. My parents had arrived—with the police.
At that moment, I turned my knife toward Erick and Daryl, who had just stumbled out of the backyard, their faces pale and contorted in pain.
"They’re hiding trafficked women in their homes!" I shouted. "If you don’t believe me, go check!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
A hushed murmur spread like wildfire.
"Wait… isn't it strange how Erick suddenly had a baby nine years ago? He claimed he found it while herding sheep…"
"I remember hearing screams from Daryl’s house at night," another villager added hesitantly. "He always said it was just the TV…"
Realization dawned on them, their unease growing into suspicion. Then, in a wave, they surged toward the houses to see for themselves.
Erick and Daryl saw the shift in the crowd and panicked.
"You little bitch!" Erick roared, lunging at me with reckless fury.
I had no time to react.
The knife was wrenched from my grasp. A brutal kick sent me sprawling to the ground.