Chapter 4

When Charles’ family had spent every penny I had, they ended up scolding or beating me. His family was cruel and wicked.

At the thought of that, I grew so furious that my chest hurt.

Suddenly, I recalled the thirty dollars that Charles had taken from me the previous week. I clenched my fists and decided to reclaim them.

Driven mad by resentment, I rushed to his house.

The sky was getting dark, and there was hardly anyone on the quiet road.

When I was near his house, I suddenly heard some strange birds chirping.

It was piercing and short, and it did not at all sound like the birds in the forest.

I paused and saw a dark figure looking around the door of Charles’ house.

It was Summer Smith, a widow.

Before long, someone opened the shabby wooden door of Charles’ house with a creak.

I quickly hid in the shadow of a nearby locust tree.

Charles and Summer were seven to eight steps apart as they left the house before walking toward the fields on the outskirts of town.

I followed them. My instincts told me that something fishy was going on between them.

The tall corn stovers were the best cover.

I crouched down and quietly approached them.

When I pushed a leaf aside, I almost threw up at the scene before me.

Charles and Summer were hugging and kissing each other, making smooching noises.

Summer was only a few years younger than Charles’ mother. But surprisingly, he could kiss her.

I covered my mouth firmly and tried my best not to make a sound.

Summer’s coquettish voice was sickly sweet.

“Hey, why haven’t you come to me lately? Are you planning to break up with me since you’re marrying Sophia?”

Charles panted while ambiguously comforting her, “No, you’re wrong. Nothing is set in stone yet. And let’s not talk about her. It’s annoying.”

Summer refused to let go. She clung to his neck and asked, “Then, who’s better? She or me?”

“You. Of course, it’s you,” Charles answered without any hesitation.

Summer chuckled and asked, “What about your ex-wife and me?”

Charles’ face stiffened. He was no longer in the mood. He pushed Summer away and fell silent.

Feeling rebuffed, Summer fished some cash from her arms and stuffed it into his hands. She said bitterly, “I don’t know what’s so great about Ruby. She cheated on you and ran away. Why are you still thinking about her?!”

“Shut up!” Charles lowered his voice and sounded hostile.

“If you bring her up again, I’ll stop seeing you!”

Frightened, Summer hurriedly clung to Charles. She continued to kiss, hug, and comfort him.

I grew nauseated and furious.

In the other timeline, Charles had also turned hostile whenever I mentioned Ruby.

I always assumed that he hated her. But later, I learned that she was his first love, whom no one could condemn.

It was ridiculous. Evidently, I was worse than Summer.

When I was in a trance, I heard Charles’ wicked voice.

“Do you still have that kind of illegal stimulant? Get me some.”

Summer smiled coquettishly and punched him. “What do you need that for?”

“Sophia is getting disobedient. I’ll need to encourage her to be even more disobedient.”

Coldness instantly gripped me.

Summer was still laughing. “What if she turns crazy after taking some?”

Charles snorted with disdain. “I don’t care. Maybe her family will be forced to offer more just to keep the peace.”

I reeled from the weight of that statement. What an evil man! I could not understand how he could come up with such ideas.

I must have been a fool in the past to fall in love with such a wicked and cruel man.

They started tearing at each other’s clothes.

I looked at the discarded pants on the ground before a crazy idea dawned on me.

I held my breath and secretly extended my hand to grab those pants. Then, I turned and ran.

While running, I expanded more of my energy to scream, “Help! There’s a thief in the fields! Someone’s stealing crops!”