Chapter 1

Mom said our family was just too poor to raise two kids, so she asked if I could stay at my uncle's place for a while.

I nodded obediently.

But on the night my period was finally over, that so-called uncle tied me up and threw me onto my cousin's bed.

That was when I realized they weren't my real uncle and aunt at all.

I wasn't just staying with them. I was sold to their family.

Later, my "cousin" beat me to death.

The next thing I knew, I was thirteen again.

*****

"Mara, are you really willing to stay at your uncle's place for a while?" Mom asked, her eyes red.

She even pretended to care, promising she'd bring me back once things got better at home.

I shot her a cold look. How pretentious.

In my previous life, I fell for her act and ended up in such a miserable state.

Coming to my senses, I shook my head and said calmly, "Didn't you say that butcher, Todd, wants to adopt me, too?"

Mom looked genuinely surprised. "Weren't you always scared of that butcher? Why the sudden change?"

"I've figured it out. He only kills pigs, not humans. Nothing to be afraid of," I replied.

With that, I started packing my things without wasting a second.

There wasn't a shred of attachment or regret in me.

All I cared about was leaving, and the sooner the better.

In my previous life, Mom gave me two choices.

One was to stay with that fake uncle's family, and the other was to be adopted by Todd.

Back then, I didn't even hesitate. I went straight for my uncle and aunt-in-law, who acted all warm and friendly.

When I looked back now, that choice was a total disaster.

After I turned him down, Todd went and adopted another little girl. He doted on her, spoiled her rotten, and made sure she went to college.

In our town, it was almost impossible for a girl to even finish high school.

Most girls just got married young, had kids, and spent their whole lives lost in never-ending chores.

Mom kept asking me again and again, but when she saw that I wasn't changing my mind, she sounded way more relieved.

She couldn't care less who I ended up with, as long as she could ship me off and be done with it.

Before I left, my brother, Stanley, was leaning against the doorframe with a blade of grass between his teeth, clapping as if he was sending me off.

"Finally, the dead weight's out of here," he shouted.

I ignored him, grabbed my stuff, and walked out the door without looking back.

My parents' voices floated over from behind me.

One said, "Finally got rid of her. I was really worried she'd stick around and refuse to leave. One less mouth to feed means a lot more money saved."

The other said, "Todd must be out of his mind. With all that cash, why waste it buying a money pit like her? Do you think he's got some other reason..."

The other replied, "Why bother thinking about it? The headache's gone. Stanley, now that your sister's not here, let's have some meat stew tonight..."

I let out a cold snicker.

They thought they'd finally gotten rid of me, the dead weight, and dumped all their hopes on Stanley.

Little did they know that Stanley would turn out to be the biggest problem this family ever faced.

Todd was thirty-eight, got married young, but lost his wife when she died giving birth. He never married again and lived alone ever since.

People in the town all said he was kind of a weirdo, kept to himself, and nobody really wanted to mess with him.

In my previous life, I got freaked out by his tough, scary vibe and ended up making the wrong call.

This time around, I wasn't about to fall for appearances again.

When I arrived at Todd's house, I walked right into him slaughtering a pig.

He stunned the pig with a heavy stick, then picked up his knife and hacked it apart like it was nothing.

Blood sprayed everywhere, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

Todd noticed me, set down his knife, and called out calmly, "Here you are."

"H-Hello, sir," I stammered, standing ramrod straight with my hands stiff at my sides.

I was so nervous that I almost wanted to give him a salute.

"Come on in," Todd said as he took off his apron, washed his hands, and gave me a quick tour of the place.

Nothing fancy, just a regular two-bedroom, but it was neat as a pin.

He pushed open a door and said, "From now on, this is your room."

I took a silent look around the room.

It was obvious that he'd gone out of his way to tidy up. He'd even swapped out the sheets for pink ones.

A smile crept onto my face before I could stop it.

Who would've guessed that under that rough-and-tumble exterior, my new guardian had a bit of a soft spot for girly things?

That was when I noticed a pretty fancy writing desk just sitting in the corner.

Feeling excited, I rushed over. "Where did this come from?"

After all, Todd couldn't read a single word, so he wouldn't need a desk.

Todd said he knew I was studying, so he picked out the wood and built the desk himself, just for me.

I never would've thought he was handy like that.

I couldn't stop running my fingers over the desk, and honestly, it warmed my heart.

Back at home, I always had to do my homework on the dining table. Having my own desk was something I used to wish for every single day.

Never thought I'd get it so easily this time around.