Chapter 2

I took a deep breath and slowly reached my hand into the black box.

Melody stared at me excitedly, her expression gradually overlapping with her face from my previous life.

Just as my hand was about to go all the way in, I suddenly pulled it out.

"I thought about it, Melody. You draw first! I should let you go first, right?"

Since childhood, Mom had instilled in me that I should always give in to Melody in everything.

So much so that in my previous life, I foolishly handed over my bright future!

Melody's smile became somewhat twisted. "No, Maya, you draw first. You don't need to give in to me this time!"

I continued to defer. "No, how can I do that? You draw first. I'll draw after you."

"No, you draw first..."

"Don't be shy, you draw first..."

With a "clatter," the black box fell during our pushing and shoving.

Both slips of paper fell out.

Both were red!

This meant that whoever drew first, no matter which one they picked, would draw the red slip that meant marrying the mentally disabled husband!

Mom's face darkened.

With her scheme exposed, Melody just collapsed on the floor and began to wail.

"I told you to draw first! You're my sister, why won't you give in to me! I won't get married, I want to go to school!"

Melody, who usually skipped classes all the time, suddenly loved studying.

I said in surprise, "Melody, you don't want to marry him, but I don't want to either. How could you deliberately try to harm me?"

Melody froze for a few seconds, as if she hadn't expected me to say this.

Then she continued slapping the floor.

"I don't care! That idiot drools all the time, it's disgusting. I'm not marrying him!"

I sneered inwardly.

So you think it's disgusting too.

Melody made such a fuss that it reached the village committee.

After the village chief sorted out the whole story, he pointed at Mom's nose and scolded, "What era are we living in! Still marrying off daughters for money!"

"Your daughters are only in high school, you know that!? Human trafficking is a crime, you know that!?"

Mom said weakly, "I'm their mother..."

The village chief was so angry he leaned back. "If we catch this kind of thing again, next time the police will come and throw you in jail!"

He consoled us. "Girls, don't worry. Study in peace. If you don't have enough for tuition, the village committee will provide it!"

"I heard you're both weightlifters? Train hard. If you make it to the Olympics in the future, our village will be honored!"

After being lectured by the village chief, Mom reluctantly let us continue our education.

And after the plan was completely exposed, Melody stopped pretending and started targeting me everywhere.