Part 1To Buy A House For My Younger Brother, My Mother Tore Up My Admission Letter

To buy a house for my just-turned-18 brother, Jeremy Barton, my parents forced me to marry a wealthy old man from the village.

At that time, I had only two weeks left before starting at a prestigious university.

My mother, Miranda Barton, tore up my acceptance letter, robbing me of the chance to attend college.

My father, Marvin Barton, knocked me unconscious and sent me to the old man's chamber.

Faced with the leering, lecherous face of my new husband, I refused to resign myself to wasting my future in such a way. Without hesitation, I bit my tongue and took my own life.

But in the next moment, I found myself reborn, just a day before Miranda had torn up my acceptance letter.

* * *

I was bound to a rickety bed, staring out of the window at the jubilant crowd enjoying the feast, feeling utterly despondent.

The creak of the wooden door announced the entry of the old man, draped in a silk robe. His collar and cuffs were stained with grime and grease from the feast.

His skin was a dingy grey, dry and rough.

Deep wrinkles crisscrossed his face, changing shape as he smiled.

"What a fine wife to grace my old age," he leered, his unwashed nails reaching for me.

"Stay back!" I tried to keep my composure, but the fear gnawing at my heart was palpable. I wanted to escape this place, but my legs felt heavy as if filled with lead, and I could not move.

As he closed in, I shed my last tear in this world. I bit my tongue, spattering blood across his face.

"Damn it!" he cursed, raising his hand and delivering a resounding slap across my face.

I was too weak to fight back, and the excruciating pain dulled my senses, plunging me into darkness.

When I awoke to a blinding white light, I was back in my familiar surroundings, feeling a mixture of amazement and incredulity.

It took me a while to realize I had been reborn, back to the day before my university acceptance letter was torn to shreds by Miranda.

I had not yet been coerced by Marvin and Miranda into marrying the village elder for money.

Clutching my much-coveted acceptance letter in my hand, I felt a surge of gratitude and excitement.

The memory of Miranda tearing my letter in the previous life left me feeling a profound sense of helplessness.

Just then, I heard hurried footsteps approaching my door.

My heart leaped—it was my parents.

"Emma, come and eat," they said as they burst into my room, their fake smiles plastered on their faces.

They always barged in on me, showing no respect whatsoever.

"Okay," I replied with a smile, though revulsion bubbled within me. I had to hide my displeasure from them.

Feeling Miranda's cold, scrutinizing gaze on the acceptance letter in my hand, I pretended to put it away nonchalantly and followed them to the living room.