Chapter 2

Early the next morning, I was woken up by the noise coming from the yard.

"That jinx is finally getting out of here! Andrew must've been blind to ever pick a woman like her!"

It was Helen , my "dear" mother-in-law.

Her voice was shrill and sharp, making sure everyone in the military compound could hear her.

Then came a voice, soft as water, but every word was a knife to the heart.

"Helen, please keep your voice down. Grace just lost her baby. She must be feeling terrible right now. You shouldn't say things like that about her."

It was Rachel.

Such a two-faced saint, all sweetness and care on the outside.

In my last life, she pretended to comfort me while poisoning Andrew's mind against me, making sure he believed I faked a pregnancy just to trap him into marriage.

I threw off the blanket, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

In the yard, Helen was standing with her hands on her hips, spitting out accusations about my so-called "crimes" to a group of neighbors.

Rachel stood right next to her, dressed in a pristine white dress, her face showing just the right amount of worry and gentle comfort. So perfect it almost looked rehearsed.

The moment I pushed open the window, the noise in the yard came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone turned to look at me, their eyes full of contempt and gleeful anticipation, just waiting to see me make a fool of myself.

Helen stormed right up to my window, jabbing her finger at me. "You shameless vixen! Useless woman who can't even have kids!

"How dare you show your face? The Goodwin family must've been down on our luck for eight lifetimes to end up with a daughter-in-law like you! Pack your things and get out!"

"Mom, I'll pay back the engagement gift, and I'm taking my own things," I said, meeting her gaze calmly.

Helen froze for a second, then narrowed her eyes. "Pay it back? With what? You're just some country bumpkin. Do you even have one hundred dollars? Don't think I don't know what you're up to. You're just trying to freeload off us!"

"Don't worry, I'll pay you back today," I said.

My calmness clearly caught her off guard.

She was about to start yelling again, but Rachel gently tugged at her sleeve and said softly, "Helen, Andrew will be back soon. You don't want him to see you upset. Grace didn't do it on purpose. Please don't be upset."

Then Rachel turned to me, her face full of fake concern. "Grace, don't be mad at Helen. She's just worried about Andrew. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Her words were flawless, not a single crack in her act.

She made herself look all sweet and understanding, while making sure everyone thought I was the one who made Helen angry.

I couldn't be bothered with her drama, so I just slammed the window shut.

Even with the window closed, I could still hear Helen cursing and Rachel's phony concern drifting in from outside.

I ignored them and started packing my things in silence.

I didn't have much. just a few old clothes, the sewing machine, and the Radio my mom gave me.

Back then, those were top-tier items, about as good as it got for a bride.

I was just moving the sewing machine outside when Andrew came back.

His frown grew even deeper as he took in the chaos in the yard.

"Mom, what are you doing?" he said, his voice tight and low.

As soon as Helen saw him, she rushed over like she'd finally found her backup. "Andrew! Thank goodness you're home!

"She's trying to take everything with her! She says she's taking the sewing machine and the radio. Those belong to the Goodwin family!"

I paused, giving them a frosty stare.

"That sewing machine and radio are from my mom. The receipts have my name on them," I said firmly.

"Once you married into our family, everything you own belongs to us!" Helen yelled, totally unreasonable.

Andrew shot me a look, then turned to his mom, annoyance flickering across his face.

"Mom, let her take it," he said, his voice low and firm.

Helen exploded. "What? Andrew, are you crazy? Do you know how expensive that sewing machine is?"

"I said let her take it!" Andrew's voice was firm and commanding. He rarely spoke to Helen like that.

Helen was left speechless, her eyes rolling in anger.

Rachel hurried over to steady Helen, whispering gentle reassurances. At the same time, she gave me a look full of concern and helplessness; like I was the villain here, as if I'd just broken some sacred rule.

Andrew didn't spare them another glance. He walked straight up to me, pulled an envelope from his pocket, and handed it over.

"Here's one hundred dollars. You don't have to pay me back. Just take it as compensation," he said.

His words were laced with that condescending, patronizing tone, like he was tossing me a bone out of pity.

I looked at the envelope and let out a sudden laugh.

"Compensation?" I echoed. "Captain Goodwin, you really think I need your pity handout?"

I didn't even bother to take the envelope. Instead, I pulled out the one hundred dollars I'd already prepared and shoved it right into the pocket of his uniform, quick and decisive.

"That's the engagement gift. Now we're square," I said.

With that, I didn't spare him another glance. I struggled to lift the sewing machine, every step heavy and slow, forcing myself out of the yard.

My body was still weak, and each step sent a sharp, tearing pain through my lower abdomen.

But I just gritted my teeth and didn't make a sound.

I kept my back ramrod straight.

Andrew stood there, watching me walk away, his eyes fixed on the crumpled stack of bills in his pocket. The look on his face was something I'd never seen before. So complicated, I couldn't even begin to read it.