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Chapter 3

Penulis: Perfect Timing
After I spent half a month at home as a completely invisible nobody, Dexter showed up to propose, just as he had promised.

He gave me lavish wedding gifts, along with two thousand dollars. That was double the amount he had given Rosa in my previous life.

The generous sum sent Rosa into a fury.

Mom comforted her, telling her to take everything, including the money, to the Dawsons' house. That finally calmed her down.

She counted the two thousand dollars over and over again, then strutted in front of me with a proud look.

"See? I'll always be Mom's favorite. You'll be stuck with Dexter and live in poverty forever! And when Theo gets rich, don't even think about coming to me for a bite to eat."

Ignoring her provocations, I silently waited for the wedding.

Dexter knew that Dad and Mom favored Rosa and wouldn't prepare a thing for me for the wedding. So, he secretly found a tailor to make me a wedding dress. Knowing that I wanted to go to college, he even handed over all his school notes to me.

As I looked at the meticulously written notes, I felt grateful. Fortunately, Rosa was blinded by her dreams of wealth and had given me a chance to change my life.

Ever since Dexter's proposal, Rosa made it her daily ritual to call him worthless in front of me—not only for cheating on the college entrance exam, but also for being too poor to ever afford a house.

But it had all been her fault.

She believed the villagers' gossip that Dexter would abandon her if he went to college, so she ripped up his notes and hid them in his clothes. That was why he got caught cheating.

Later, when Dexter had another chance to study in the big city, she deliberately sabotaged it, just because the person who delivered the news was a woman.

She obsessively cut him off from everyone else and then blamed him for not being capable enough.

At that thought, I couldn't help but look at her with a hint of pity. To be capable of deceiving oneself this thoroughly was a talent in its own right.

Rosa and I were getting married on the same day.

Unlike my previous life, when I had only taken a thin quilt to the Dawsons' place, Dad and Mom had nearly emptied the house for Rosa.

Her wedding dress was custom-made by the best tailor in town, and it came with every imaginable accessory.

Dad and Mom got her a full set of luxurious furniture, and even her bedding was custom-made just for her.

Since the Dawsons didn't give a wedding gift, Dad and Mom got worried that Rosa might feel slighted. So, not only did they give her the two thousand dollars from Dexter, but they also managed to scrape together an additional thousand dollars for her.

As for me, while they had at least made me take a thin quilt with me in my previous life, this time, they didn't prepare anything at all.

If Dexter hadn't prepared a wedding dress for me, I probably would have been the first bride ever to get married without one.

When Dexter appeared at the door, Rosa couldn't hide her hatred.

Seeing her expression, Mom immediately turned to me. "Hazel, listen up. This marriage is yours only because Rosa gave it up. If she hadn't refused, you wouldn't have gotten this chance. Even after you get married, you'll always be Rosa's maid. You must be at her beck and call.

"I remember your grades in middle school were decent. When you get accepted into college, make sure you deliver the acceptance letter to Rosa, so she can go instead."

When I stayed silent, Mom slapped me without a care about the people around. "Hey! I'm talking to you! Don't pretend to be deaf!"

Rosa cut in, "Mom, today's my big day. Don't ruin it."

The moment she spoke, Mom immediately dropped her earlier display of authority and looked at her precious daughter with a face full of concern. "I'm just teaching her a lesson so she won't forget her place."

Rosa smiled. "Don't worry, Mom. She'll never reach my level. We might as well cut ties now so she won't cling to me like a leech later. Hazel, enjoy your life with that loser who can't even get into college!"

With that, she strode off in her heels toward the Dawsons' house.

Watching Mom fume in rage, I finally made my decision. In the middle of the night, I packed all of my things and slipped away with Dexter under the cover of darkness.

Meanwhile, Rosa's sharp, piercing screams came from the Dawsons' house.
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  • Marrying a Monster by Choice   Chapter 8

    The air reeked faintly of blood, and sticky warmth slid down my face in slow streams. The steady loss of blood made my head spin.Stumbling through the darkness, I fumbled around until my fingers brushed against something like a chain. Desperate, I began slamming my body against the door."Mom! Please, let me out! I'll give you the money. I'll give you any amount Rosa wants!"Only silence answered me. I kept pounding until the last of my strength drained away, and I collapsed on the floor.Then, a sliver of light cut through the darkness.Moving toward it, I saw that it was Rosa. Her once-proud face was now covered with deep, crisscrossing scars. Coupled with the cold gleam in her eyes, her whole presence exuded unsettling eeriness. From the dim cellar, she looked even more terrifying."Hazel, were you reborn too?"I froze. "What?""Why did Dexter get into Grandcrest College this time? Why did Theo blow through all his money? Even you got into college! Why are you still living

  • Marrying a Monster by Choice   Chapter 7

    I nodded slowly, a mocking smile tugging at my lips.Rosa stormed off in fury, but she wasn't worth another thought. It was better to spend that time finishing a few more practice questions.The day of the college entrance exam was drawing closer, yet she still popped by every few days to stir up trouble.But eventually, her visits grew fewer and far between. I didn't need to guess why. Theo must have beaten her so badly that she couldn't get out of bed.After a lifetime under his roof, I knew exactly what kind of man he was—stubborn, violent, and never one to tolerate even the slightest sign of defiance.Even I had suffered plenty at his hands, let alone Rosa, who couldn't even lift a finger to defend herself.Without her constant interruptions, I could finally focus all my energy on preparing for the exam.When the day of the exam finally arrived, I was surprised by how calm I felt. A few short months might not have been enough to work miracles, but I knew with certainty that

  • Marrying a Monster by Choice   Chapter 6

    "Hazel, are you trying to kill me? Didn't you see me standing at the door? As expected, you're blind and cheap. I can't believe Dexter actually paid two thousand dollars just to marry you."Rosa's every word dripped with venom.Then, I finally saw her face.It had been months since I last saw her. Even though she was covered from head to toe in long sleeves and pants, it was impossible to miss how her bones stuck out under her skin.That sharp, unhealthy thinness had stripped her of the beauty she once flaunted, leaving her looking harsh instead."What, it's only been a few months, and you've forgotten your manners? Aren't you going to help me up?"I completely ignored Rosa and poured myself a glass of water.It wasn't surprising that she had managed to find me. In my previous life, she had thrown a tantrum about how shabby Dexter's place was and stormed back home the very day after their wedding.When I didn't help her, she didn't even get angry. She just slapped the dust off

  • Marrying a Monster by Choice   Chapter 5

    By the time Rosa and Mom were fuming over me, I had already followed Dexter to the house his parents left him.The place was covered with dust from years of neglect, but I didn't feel the least bit resentful. I quietly fetched some water and started cleaning.When Dexter saw me start working the moment we got there, he quickly set down his luggage and joined in.Watching how focused he was, I couldn't help but thank him. "Thank you for lending me the money. I promise I'll pay it back as soon as I can."Dexter gave me a shy smile."It's nothing. If it hadn't been for you that night…" He paused, his smile fading. "If you hadn't helped me, I probably would've been forced to marry Rosa."Everyone in the village knew how much he had avoided Rosa over the years. But she never cared about his feelings. If she wanted something, she would get it no matter what it took.That day, he had originally planned to talk things through with Rosa and put an end to it. But he never expected her to

  • Marrying a Monster by Choice   Chapter 4

    Sharp, high-pitched screams continued intermittently throughout the night, but since the Dawsons lived in the farthest corner of the village, hardly anyone noticed.Even if someone did hear, Theo's notorious thug-like reputation meant that they would still pretend not to notice.The screams didn't stop until the day Rosa returned to Dad and Mom's house. According to village custom, newlyweds would visit the bride's family three days after the wedding.That day, Rosa went home alone, empty-handed. The moment she saw Mom, the tears she had been holding back for days spilled uncontrollably. "Mom!"The second Mom saw her crying, the smile on her face vanished, replaced by a frown. "Did Theo bully you? Tell me! I told you he isn't a good man, and yet you insisted on marrying him! That bastard even hit his own mother! How could he ever treat his new wife properly?"Theo, being a land and property owner, should have had many women introduced to him.But everyone knew he had beaten h

  • Marrying a Monster by Choice   Chapter 3

    After I spent half a month at home as a completely invisible nobody, Dexter showed up to propose, just as he had promised.He gave me lavish wedding gifts, along with two thousand dollars. That was double the amount he had given Rosa in my previous life.The generous sum sent Rosa into a fury.Mom comforted her, telling her to take everything, including the money, to the Dawsons' house. That finally calmed her down.She counted the two thousand dollars over and over again, then strutted in front of me with a proud look."See? I'll always be Mom's favorite. You'll be stuck with Dexter and live in poverty forever! And when Theo gets rich, don't even think about coming to me for a bite to eat."Ignoring her provocations, I silently waited for the wedding.Dexter knew that Dad and Mom favored Rosa and wouldn't prepare a thing for me for the wedding. So, he secretly found a tailor to make me a wedding dress. Knowing that I wanted to go to college, he even handed over all his school n

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