The Bride Swap

"Joyce! Get off the damn train right now, you stupid girl! You won't marry a perfectly good accountant for a husband, but you'll run off to some godforsaken island. Why did I have to give birth to such a troublesome child…"

Watching my mother chase the train, yelling, her voice tight with fury and helplessness, I felt a dull ache rise in my chest. But I told myself—this time, I wasn't wrong.

Scholcher Island was remote. Blake Malcolm wasn't exactly easy to live with, either. But so what? If we could make it work, great. If not, we'd part ways cleanly. I was a grown woman—was I supposed to not survive without a man?

But my cousin, Sarah Cameron... she couldn't. In our last lives, she married Blake, and the two of them were trapped in a lifetime of misunderstanding because of someone else. She was the gentlest soul you could meet, and even she couldn't escape being worn down by him.

So this time, after being reborn, I looked at Sarah's worried face, her furrowed brow, and started packing without hesitation.

"Sarah, I'll marry Blake. John Ridgewood might not look like much, but he's got a good temper. You two should be able to make it work."

At my words, her face lit up with relief, but then she bit her lip and shook her head with resolve. "Joyce, Blake isn't easy to live with. And then there's that childhood friend of his... I can't let you take on my sufferings."

"Sarah, it's an arranged marriage we can't shake off. What does it matter who marries him? Grandpa never said which granddaughter it had to be. And just because Blake isn't easy to live with, doesn't mean I can't handle him. If I get to Scholcher Island and we can make it work, we make it work. If not, I'll fight. If there's a grudge, I'll settle it. No hesitation, no regrets. Living freely is what matters most!"

I threw a few punches in the air right then and there, putting on a bit of a show.

Sarah couldn't help but laugh through her tears, tapping me lightly on the forehead. "Joyce…"

Unlike her, graceful and soft-spoken, I'd been doing MMA since elementary school. I never bothered with unnecessary words if I could settle something with action. That's why John and I never got along. He fancied himself a scholar, always quoting books and spouting theories. I hated how pretentious he was, and he hated how little I resembled a proper woman.

Our life together hadn't been any better than hers with Blake. Within a year, we split.

So this time, I figured—why not let Sarah marry John? John lived close to home, and even if things didn't work out, at least she'd have family nearby. That was still better than being stranded alone on Scholcher Island, mistreated with no one to turn to, slowly wasting away in silence.

As I thought this, I clung to her hand, pestering her with all the charm I could muster. In the end, she let out a sigh and nodded.

"Fine. We'll switch."

And just like that, I boarded the train to Scholcher Island, suitcase in hand.

What I didn't expect was how fast my mother would catch up.

I'd left a letter behind—clear and thorough. What was there to worry about?

"I'm going to Scholcher Island to get married. If it doesn't work out, I'll come back!" I shouted at my mom as she ran after the train.

I slept and ate my way through the three-day, two-night journey. Before I knew it, I was in Grangerdeen.

I grabbed my bags and squeezed onto the boat to Scholcher Island. I'd thought I could sleep through that too, but I hadn't considered one thing—seasickness.

By the time we docked, my face was pale as paper and my whole body reeked of something awful.

Sitting at the military checkpoint, waiting for Blake to come pick me up, I couldn't help thinking of myself just minutes ago, puking my guts out. I felt oddly thankful. At least it was me, not my delicate cousin. She would've never survived that kind of misery.

"Blake, why does this place smell so weird? I feel sick…"

Just as I was lost in thought, a syrupy sweet voice rang out in front of me. I looked up.