Chapter 4

He also knew exactly how prized a college degree was in these years.

Barring some accident, he could turn his whole life around on his own this time. But he knew too how much a reputation was worth in this era. If I really went to the police, if I made a scene at the college, there would be no way he'd ever set foot in a classroom.

So Jared's face went dark, then pale, pale, then purple.

In the end he had no choice.

"Fine. It's just paying the money back. It's just going through the breakup ritual. I agree!"

Jared grabbed Ivy and left.

Within a few days he'd paid me back a large sum, and even had the nerve to try a few soft words, hoping I'd drop the breakup ritual. After I refused, he had no way around it. In front of the whole town, wearing a ribbed undershirt, he knelt and read out his apology letter.

I couldn't be bothered to listen. I simply took the apology letter, picked up a switch, and lashed him hard, more than twenty times, every stroke with all my strength. By the time I finished, Jared had passed out cold from the pain.

Jared's parents were already in poor health, and watching their son suffer like this, they nearly stopped breathing on the spot and dropped dead right there.

And yet I still, kindly, held both their hands and said,

"Uncle, Auntie, you really can't blame me for this. This is the price you pay for marrying the wrong wife."

Jared's parents had always liked me better, and hearing that, they were half dead with rage.

After that.

The Shaw household got lively. Every time Jared went out to circle the village apologizing to me, his parents would start grinding Ivy down, and within a few days we heard the news that Ivy had lost the baby...

And once that got out.

People found the pair even more sickening. Married only a few days, and already there was "good news"? It only proved that the two of them had been together behind my back long, long before.

7:

The two of them didn't care, though.

Jared had his open-minded views, and Ivy simply relied on having no shame at all, so none of it touched them. After the breakup ceremony was done, they still sent everyone invitations to their wedding.

Ivy blamed the baby's death on me, so she made a point of bringing me an invitation herself.

"Money's tight at home, but Jared says marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so it has to be done big, done properly."

"Since you can't be the bride, you can always be a guest."

I checked the date. It was exactly the day I'd received my acceptance letter in my last life, so I nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll definitely be there."

The day came in the blink of an eye. Only when I got to the wedding did I realize today wasn't just a wedding. The banner strung up above had the nerve to read,

【A wedding night by candlelight, and a name on the honor roll.】

Angling for a double blessing, I supposed.

The guests who came for the feast despised the pair, but for the sake of that meal they still forced out praise, calling them a golden couple, a match made in heaven. It was only when they saw me that their faces turned a little awkward.

I acted as if I hadn't noticed.

And walked up with a bright smile.

"A wedding night by candlelight, and a name on the honor roll?"

"That doesn't seem quite right."

"You've already got a baby on the way, so clearly the wedding night happened a while ago. And this name on the honor roll, aren't you two a bit overconfident?"

Because of "my" words, Jared's parents had lost their grandchild, so they bore me a deep grudge too.

"Don't run your mouth about things you don't understand. Would we write that if we weren't completely sure?"

"Since everyone's here, it's about time our honored guest made his entrance."

The words had barely landed.

Ivy helped the mailman out from the room next door.

"Sir, didn't you come to deliver an acceptance letter?"

"The whole town's here now. You can deliver it."

Jared even shot me a look, leaning close to murmur in my ear,

"I picked today on purpose, just for this. This time, don't even think about stealing my acceptance letter."

But Jared's smile froze fast.

Because the mailman paid him no mind at all, and instead walked toward me with a smile.

"Debbie! I thought you were the bride today, so I waited here on purpose. But no matter, not being the bride doesn't change the fact that you got into college!"

"Congratulations. You're the first person in our whole city to be admitted to the nation's top university!"