Chapter 3

Ever since the whole money-finding incident, Linda stayed quiet for a couple of days.

She kept throwing me suspicious, resentful looks, but had nothing on me.

I enjoyed the peace, acting clueless every day, either sweeping for one neighbor or feeding hens for another. I made sure to put on the act of an innocent, good-natured, totally harmless girl.

Whenever the villagers saw me, they'd gush, "Linda, you really hit the jackpot with Sophie. She's so well-behaved."

Linda was grinning ear to ear, but her mind was busy calculating. 'Go ahead, and keep singing her praises. Once Sophie's powers really kick in, you'll all be lining up at my door for favors.'

*****

That day, I was out in the yard doing housework when the doctor, Wade Green, rushed over in a panic. "Is Linda home? Something's happened."

Linda came out at the commotion. "Dr. Green, what's wrong?"

"Sam Miller from the west side of the village got bitten by a venomous snake while out chopping wood." Wade was sweating bullets. "I'm all out of antivenom. We need to get him to the hospital in town, and fast.

"If we wait any longer, he's a goner."

As soon as Linda heard that, her gaze shot straight to me.

Something clicked inside me. This was my moment to shine.

Back in my previous life, Sam wasn't sent to the hospital in time, missing the best window for treatment. Though he survived in the end, he lost the use of one leg.

Linda yanked me aside, hissing in a tone that brooked no argument. "Sophie, check if Sam can be saved. If he dies, will his land be up for grabs?"

'That plot is prime irrigated farmland. If I can grab it dirt cheap, I'll rake in a fortune this year,' she thought.

When I read her nasty scheming, my stomach twisted in disgust.

A man's life was hanging by a thread, and all she cared about was snatching up his land.

I swallowed my nausea and shook my head, acting all timid. "Mom, I-I don't dare read it. I'm really scared of people dying."

"Good-for-nothing," Linda grumbled, but she wasn't done yet. "Fine, check his land. Hurry up."

I was forced to close my eyes, my body shaking as I muttered nonsense under my breath, pretending to be scared out of my wits.

After a while, my eyes shot open, and I grabbed Linda's arm with a terrified look. "Mom, I saw it. I saw Mr. Miller lying under a white sheet, and his whole family was sobbing around him."

Linda's eyes sparkled with greed as she thought, 'He's really going to die. Hell yes.'

She made a snap decision and turned to Wade, who was still waiting for an answer. "Dr. Green, honestly, it doesn't look good for Sam this time.

"The mountain roads are so bumpy, and by the time you get him to town, it'll be way too late. Don't bother anymore. Start preparing for the funeral."

Wade was floored. "Linda, what the hell are you talking about? He's still breathing. How can you let him die like that?"

"I'm only thinking of his family," Linda argued, acting like she was doing them a favor. "Dragging him all the way to town will cost a ton. If he dies anyway, they'll lose both their money and their loved one. Isn't that even more tragic?"

A few villagers who'd heard the commotion started murmuring in low voices.

"Linda's right. That snake bite is really dangerous."

"Yeah, what if he still dies after all that? That's throwing money away, isn't it?"

That was human nature.

When giving up saved them some trouble or spared their own losses, people would always take the coldest, most heartless way out without a second thought.

Wade's face turned green with fury, stomping his foot hard. "You're treating a human life like it's weeds."

Right then, I rushed out, grabbing Wade's sleeve, tears streaming down my face as I cried out, "Dr. Green, please don't listen to my mom. I got it wrong before. Now, I read it again. Mr. Miller can make it."

The whole crowd was stunned into silence.

Linda's face darkened. "You little brat, what the hell are you babbling about? Get your butt back here, now."

I grabbed Wade's sleeve, rattling off my words so fast they tumbled over each other. "I saw a plant up on the back mountain, right by the waterfall. It has purple flowers and white spots on the leaves.

"That stuff can cure snake bites. Go now, or it'll be too late."

As soon as I finished, I pointed straight toward the back mountain.

Grandma taught me all about herbs before she passed. That plant's called Violet Gentian, and it was a real lifesaver for snake venom.

Wade hesitated, but seeing the urgency in my eyes and knowing a life was at stake, he took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I'll go find it."

He quickly waved over two sturdy guys and took off running toward the back mountain.

Linda was shaking with rage. She yanked me back home and slammed the door shut behind us.

"Are you out of your mind?" Linda snapped, pointing right at my nose. "I told you to check the land, and you go and try to save him?

"What's your angle here? If he dies, you're the murderer. And if he survives, I will lose a land."

I stared at her face, warped by anger and greed, and deep down, all I felt was a cold, detached calm. Land? Was that really all she cared about?

I looked down and murmured, "Mom, I'm really scared. If Mr. Miller dies, his ghost might come back to haunt me."

Linda was completely caught off guard by that answer.

Linda glared at me, seething with anger, but all she could spit out was, "Useless brat."

*****

An hour later, good news came from the village.

Wade really did find that purple herb by the waterfall. He gave it to Sam to drink and slapped some on his wound, and like that, Sam bounced back.

The Miller family came over right away, arms full of gifts, making a huge scene to thank me.

Everyone in the village was talking about it.

"Oh my god, Sophie really can see the future."

"She's not a fortune teller. She's a miracle healer. She saved Sam's life."

"Linda, you really lucked out with a daughter like Sophie."

Linda was surrounded by everyone, but her smile was bitter.

She wanted to bask in the glory, but every time she remembered that juicy plot of land slipping through her fingers, her heart ached like hell.

I hid behind the crowd, smiling as Wade was treated as an honored guest by the Miller family, and as they thanked me.

Mom saw it. People were not only greedy but also grateful. But she never knew the latter.