Chapter 2

With the barrage of comments flooding in, my foggy brain finally snapped awake.

Everything clicked into place.

I came back in time.

I died starving in a frozen pigpen on a winter night. And then I woke up... back here.

The tragic memories of my previous life surged back, overwhelming me all at once.

I was an orphan.

After saving William's parents, Gavin and Anya Goodwin, from drowning, I was left mentally impaired.

They pretended it was gratitude, but in truth, they were after the inheritance my adoptive parents left me.

They forced their own son, William, to marry me.

In my previous life, when the clerk checked my identity, I denied being Renee.

And just like that, William and I became legally married.

When Renee found out, she was so furious that she married someone else out of spite.

After that, William's whole attitude shifted. He treated me coldly and tormented me every chance he got.

Once Gavin and Anya got their hands on my inheritance, they dropped the act immediately.

With William's silent permission, they kept me hungry and thirsty. Every day was a new kind of misery.

In that house, I was buried under endless chores, never getting a moment's rest.

If they were in a bad mood, I'd get beaten up for no reason.

To keep the villagers from finding out about the abuse, they locked me up at home and wouldn't let me step outside.

But in public, they played the victim. They put on a show, carefully painting me as a violent lunatic—completely deranged.

A year later, once the gossip died down, William and Renee finally got together.

Things only got worse for me.

Renee totally hated my guts.

She blamed me for everything. Because of me, she'd married a creep just to get back at William.

She poured every bit of her energy into making my life miserable.

William acted like he didn't see a thing.

If Gavin and Anya hadn't been afraid of what the village would say, Renee would have gotten rid of me long ago.

Then one day, William packed up and took off with Renee.

The next time I saw them, they were decked out in brand-new clothes.

They were sporting expensive watches on their wrists.

They were hauling around all kinds of fancy stuff in big shopping bags.

After that, it was plain to see the Goodwin family was living large now.

But for me, nothing changed. In fact, it got worse.

Gavin and Anya took what little freedom I had left. They locked me in the pigsty. They chained me up like an animal.

After that, I was barely hanging on, just waiting to die.

Right before I died, Gavin and Anya were just standing outside the pigsty, watching me waste away.

They looked almost delighted as they watched me fade away.

"This idiot is finally dying. Now we can join William in the city and live well," Gavin said, grinning from ear to ear.

After I died, my soul just drifted around for ages.

Then one day, I slipped right into a brand new body.

For a long time, I was just going through the motions, not really living at all.

It wasn't until the clerk called my name wrong that my mind finally cleared.

I came back in time. And this time, my mind was my own.

This time, I was in control.

*****

Gavin and Anya hauled me up onto the oxcart.

They shoved me into the bumpiest spot at the very back.

They took my hands, their faces stretched into the same wide, false smiles as before.

But I could clearly see the disgust in Anya's eyes.

Just like the comments said, there were plenty of ways to repay a kindness.

There was absolutely no need to sacrifice their own son's happiness.

Back in my previous life, I was too naive to see it. All I ever dreamed about was marrying William.

Now that I was awake, it was so clear. They never liked me. It was obvious from the start.

Taking me into their family was just part of the plan. A means to an end.

The oxcart stopped under the big tree at the edge of the village.

Anya climbed down with a basket of small honey cakes, offering them to the villagers while announcing the happy news.

[Hmph. This isn't just cakes. She's making sure everyone knows Moira is officially a Goodwin now. A warning to anyone else who had their eyes on that inheritance.]

[Look. Some people are leaving. Those folks have been after Moira's inheritance for ages, but the Goodwin family beat them to it. They're so mad. Bet they'll go home and take their anger out on their wives.]

[Hey, look, even Darren showed up. That old geezer's no saint either. He was actually trying to get his own dimwit son to marry Moira.]

I grabbed a piece of cake from Anya and shoved it into the village head Darren Wood's hand. "Mr. Wood, here, have some. It's from my wedding."

[Moira said it was from her wedding. Bet he's fuming inside, but he still has to smile and take it.]

Darren took the cake from me, giving me a bittersweet look.

"Anya, Moira is a good girl, and a poor one. William is lucky to marry her. You'd better treat her right, or I'll be the first to step in," he said.

I clapped my hands like a delighted child, putting on my most innocent voice. "Yay!"

Gavin and Anya quickly flashed their widest, fakest smiles. "Of course, Moira's part of our family now. We'll take the best care of her. You have our word."

[Ugh, they're all just leeches trying to suck Moira dry.]

I tugged on Anya's hand, tilted my head, and asked sweetly, "So, can I have tasty food? Can I wear new clothes? Ma'am, will you let me play outside and not lock me in the house anymore?"

Anya's smile instantly stiffened.

[See? This proves it—Moira's totally not clueless anymore. She's just faking it.]

Gavin quickly jumped in to smooth things over. "Of course, Moira. If you want something tasty, just tell me and I'll get it for you. And if you want to go out and play, go ahead."

I bounced up and down, grinning from ear to ear. "Yay, yummy food, new clothes, and I can go out and play. I'm gonna tell Ian. We'll eat all the good stuff together!"

With that, I dashed straight for Darren's place.

Anya tried to stop me, but Darren blocked her.

"Let Moira go play with Ian. They're just kids. Let them have some fun," he said.

[Damn, the story's switched up again.]

[Wait, Moira's acting different this time. Last time I watched this, she didn't go play with Ian at all.]

[See? This proves it—Moira's totally not clueless anymore. She's just faking it.]