Chapter 2

My teacher thought I was crying tears of joy. “Mandy, you’ve worked so hard! This is a reward for your hard work. Don’t worry, it’ll be smooth sailing from now on.”

She hugged me, patted my back, and comforted me like a mother.

I had been living alone and staying strong for many years. The sudden warmth of long-lost care overwhelmed me. I could not help but cling to her and cry.

I cried for the life I had missed in my previous life.

I hated Fiona for her cruelty.

My teacher was right. This was a reward for me.

From this day on, it would be smooth sailing for me.

After lunch, my teacher and her husband accompanied me home to get my ID.

The moment we entered the village, I heard gossip in my house.

The village chief and his family refused to leave my house. Their son insisted on marrying Fiona.

I lowered my head. I could not help but smirk.

Before we even got close, the commotion reached our ears. I was so nervous that I grabbed my teacher’s arm.

My teacher knew I did not come from a decent family, but even she had not expected such chaos either.

Fiona burst out in tears as she charged out of the house. The cripple grabbed her hand and tried to grope her.

“Mandy, you’re back! Come here! You’re the one they want to marry off!”

The instant Fiona saw me, it was like she had spotted a lifeline. She reached for me to try to pull me into the exchange.

I took a step back, hid behind my teacher, and sobbed.

I had already explained to my teacher how my father had lost everything gambling and intended to sell his daughter.

My teacher was kind. She could not bear to watch me suffer. Similarly, she could not bear to watch Fiona being treated like that. That was why she had her husband step in and rescue Fiona.

My teacher entered the house.

The village chief recognized her and immediately became polite.

“Mr. David, no matter what, you shouldn’t sell your daughter. It’s illegal!”

As my teacher reasoned with everyone, Fiona glared at me in hatred. I kept my head down in silence.

The village chief’s son recounted the morning’s event. “She let me touch her, so she has to marry me!”

Fiona tried to explain again in resignation as tears streamed down her face. “That wasn’t me! The one you touched was Mandy!”

She pointed at me.

My hair was messy, and my eyes were swollen from crying. I was nowhere near as pretty as my vain sister.

The village chief glanced at me before looking away without interest. He then took out Fiona’s ID. “Don’t try to fool me! I can read just fine!”

Fiona tried to snatch her ID away but failed.

She glanced at me and stomped her foot. She bitterly recounted the events of last night. She said she tried to help me but did not realize she had given her own ID instead.

I clutched to my teacher’s arm and whispered to her, “When I heard my dad wanted to sell me last night, I ran to your house immediately and only returned to the village just now.”

A woman outside who had watched the drama unfold chimed in, “I saw Mandy run out of the village around 10 p.m. last night.”

My teacher confirmed it with a nod as she had promised. “Yes, Mandy was with me the whole time.”

Luckily, there were no surveillance cameras in the village.

No one believed Fiona’s words.

My teacher cited the school and the law, then argued relentlessly until she finally thwarted the village chief’s plan to use the incident to force Fiona into a marriage.

Fiona narrowly escaped disaster.

I went to my father and retrieved my ID.

“Fiona, my teacher said I got accepted into a university. Did you see my admission letter?

“It’s fine if you didn’t. I can always get a replacement letter.”

Fiona reluctantly gave me the admission letter.

After that, she dragged me into a corner behind the house. She dug her fingers into my arm. “Mandy, you came back, didn’t you?”

I rubbed my swollen eyes and asked in confusion, “I didn’t. My teacher brought me back here in the afternoon.”

“Stop acting dumb in front of me! I’m talking about five years from now!

“You were supposed to stay far away from me. You weren’t supposed to return and frame me!

“You know exactly whose ID that really is!”

I stopped pretending. I let out a cold snort. “Yeah. And you know exactly whose it is as well.”

Even though we were sisters, there was not a trace of warmth between us. There was only hostility.

I grabbed her arm in return. “All my life, I let you have everything! I fed your greed, and you tried to steal my university admission!

“Fiona, you’re not taking anything from me this time.”

I shoved her hard without any mercy.